Swa to hire 9

[manniax]

From what I can gather, SWA hiring externally is a relatively new thing for them, or at least was exceedingly rare in the past. I am certainly fortunate for the opportunity afforded me. That being said, it's been a twelve year journey from greenhorn at Air Midwest to where I am now.

When I was in school in the summer of 2001, the story was 2 years from regional to major. 9/11 changed that whole ballgame and in the months that followed, in the shadow of massive furloughs and shutdowns, it looked like decades from regional to major, if you were lucky. Things have improved, and continue to improve, but I doubt it will ever get back to the old days of "do your time, get into the big leagues". Those that want a shot at the majors are going to have to position themselves carefully.

Yes, SW and DL used to hire pretty much only internally for dispatch, from what I hear. But even though they went all internal this round, it doesn't mean they'll never hire from the outside again. I also took quite a while to make it to the majors - in part because I was happy where I was at, until they went out of business in the post 9/11 environment. However there is no one "timeline" that fits everyone. While I think I could have possibly made it to the majors sooner, I am very glad to be here now - and everyone's path to getting hired with a major, whether they get on with no dispatch experience or lots of dispatch experience, is a little different. Other people I know who are happy where they are living intend to make the regional they are at their career destination, and there is nothing wrong with that either. If you are making enough to pay the bills, enjoy where you are living and the job you are doing then you have successfully dealt with a lot of life's challenges.