What have you done to further your career today?

Your career is pretty much the reason why I keep my options open at all times, because things can change, for better or worse, with or without prior notice.

And I mean that as a compliment; being flexible in this industry is of paramount importance, which is how you've navigated this industry so far, and that requires keeping the logbook and the applications up to date at all times.
In 2008 I was downgraded

I looked at jumping ship shortly afterward, wanting that TPIC for when the hiring picked up again.

Mesaba was hiring our guys (F/Os) as street CAs making them LCA because of all the RJs they were getting (would've been furloughed)
Big Sky was hiring direct entry CA's up in BOS (They went away)
Mesa was doing the same thing on the Dash 8 up in JFK (would've been furloughed)
A couple buds went to Gulfstream as street CA's and were at national carriers (Gulfstream, I pinched myself and dropped that idea, and they were furloughed)
Lastly I considered leaving for a cushy Baron government job and leaving the airlines all together. (ended up being a pretty crappy job after all)

Each time, I thought about Zap's career and reminded myself, don't do anything rash. Zap has had some bad luck but think about where he would be had he stayed in his present position (each time!).
 
Stupid sidebar, but I've gotta ask ... where is the subtext of the forum? Everyone seems pretty well aware of where everyone else works, their career progression, etc., and yet I never really see anyone explicitly state it or discuss things directly. At most, people gently allude, and there are a lot of subtle references but few direct statements.

I'm mostly just curious how everyone keeps in touch and keeps track of everyone else here. I'd say I know where maybe a dozen of you work ... and I imagine one or two of you know where I work, maybe... but sometimes it feels like there's a lot more direct familiarity than what's obvious.

~Fox
 
I still have fun when I go to work, even! (Maybe the prospective new whip won't be as fun, but we'll find out...)

Don't do it mang! This is the side where happiness goes to die!

Meh, ok it ain't that bad, other than being worked like a rented mule. But that should stop soon enough.
 
I'm mostly just curious how everyone keeps in touch and keeps track of everyone else here. I'd say I know where maybe a dozen of you work ... and I imagine one or two of you know where I work, maybe... but sometimes it feels like there's a lot more direct familiarity than what's obvious.

~Fox

Just time really. Some people have gone to networking events and gotten to know each other there. Others have met on overnights or get togethers. Others have simply been posting here for so long that you tend to follow their career progression and develop friendships. A lot of us have become Facebook friends and Linked In contacts as well, allowing us to expand our ability to network.

For some reason, more than any of the other forums, this one has been able to foster personal relationships. Kinda the eHarmony of aviation networking.
 
Just time really. Some people have gone to networking events and gotten to know each other there. Others have met on overnights or get togethers. Others have simply been posting here for so long that you tend to follow their career progression and develop friendships. A lot of us have become Facebook friends and Linked In contacts as well, allowing us to expand our ability to network.

Ah, @Roger Roger.

Er, I mean roger. I've been generally following people, so I get that. Not too many LinkedIn or Facebook associations, though, which really would make it easier to keep track. I'm just always impressed that everyone seems to know everyone's stuff. ^.^

For some reason, more than any of the other forums, this one has been able to foster personal relationships. Kinda the eHarmony of aviation networking.

I've had the same experience. That said, I haven't really found any other forums that were as 'worthy', so it really makes sense.

Certainly this is the first forum that's been awesome enough to attract me to the middle of the desert—anathema to snowfoxen.

o7

-Fox
 
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I'm mostly just curious how everyone keeps in touch and keeps track of everyone else here. I'd say I know where maybe a dozen of you work ... and I imagine one or two of you know where I work, maybe... but sometimes it feels like there's a lot more direct familiarity than what's obvious.

~Fox

I know where you work!....That probably seems creepy, but just shows to go ya that you never know who's paying attention. Also, Alaska companies aren't that hard to figure out.
 
I know where you work!....That probably seems creepy, but just shows to go ya that you never know who's paying attention. Also, Alaska companies aren't that hard to figure out.

Not creepy at all. Kinda neat, actually. Granted, I'm not terribly coy about it—or at least, I try not to be.

Small state!

~Fox
 
I am pretty wide open with linked in. With facebook I've generally kept it to people that I have met and developed some sort of friendship with. There are people who I follow here at JC that are not on either though. If you've been here long enough you can watch people go from being student pilots, to flight instructors, to regional pilots, to major pilots. Makes you feel old! But it also invests you in their careers.
 
I am pretty wide open with linked in. With facebook I've generally kept it to people that I have met and developed some sort of friendship with. There are people who I follow here at JC that are not on either though. If you've been here long enough you can watch people go from being student pilots, to flight instructors, to regional pilots, to major pilots. Makes you feel old! But it also invests you in their careers.
At least you were kind here and didn't mention the next step of retirement! That's coming soon for me.
 
Don't do it mang! This is the side where happiness goes to die!

Meh, ok it ain't that bad, other than being worked like a rented mule. But that should stop soon enough.
For a long time, the answer to the question in the title of this thread was "nothing." Because, well, I got comfortable and stupid. The money was good enough. The life was easy.

I should be in the November EMB-175 class. I'm holding out at #10 on the list and there are 12 SFO vacancies for transitions. Decision has been made, we'll see what the award does. If it's terrible/I hate it/whatever, it's only 18 months and I will turn around and go to the CRJ, or if for some reason we still have the Brasilia, I might even go back to the grand old girl. The 175 pushes my aerogeek buttons, it's different from anything I've ever flown and I think I'm going to enjoy the difference. But I don't think I'm going to hate it. I think I'm rather going to enjoy it.

I have done worse duty (far longer commute to a smaller, shorter-haul airplane). I think it'll suck being in St. Louis for Thanksgiving again—won't be the first time, either—but all of my instincts say I need to go and fly this airplane and that it'll be good for my career.

(@skatergeek may be interested in this information too)
 
Stupid sidebar, but I've gotta ask ... where is the subtext of the forum? Everyone seems pretty well aware of where everyone else works, their career progression, etc., and yet I never really see anyone explicitly state it or discuss things directly. At most, people gently allude, and there are a lot of subtle references but few direct statements.

I'm mostly just curious how everyone keeps in touch and keeps track of everyone else here. I'd say I know where maybe a dozen of you work ... and I imagine one or two of you know where I work, maybe... but sometimes it feels like there's a lot more direct familiarity than what's obvious.

~Fox


JC Underground?
 
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