What was your first job after getting your dispatch license?

Got my license about a year and a half ago, applied all around, several interviews, no luck. Worked the ramp for a year, then got furloughed. Still have yet to actually dispatch.
 
Metalmike said:
Got my license about a year and a half ago, applied all around, several interviews, no luck. Worked the ramp for a year, then got furloughed. Still have yet to actually dispatch.
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Don't give up. Keep working at it, buy a nice suit and practice practice practice. I was in the same boat but I just kept at it, worked on my interview skills and read gouge after gouge. Don't forget to study and keep those skills sharp!
 
I got my ticket in Oct. 2014, and interviewed with Compass in Feb, never got back to me, and I interviewed with Skywest in Mar? and was offered the position the next day. I agree with all the others that say to keep your chin up and keep applying. You never know who will pick you up.
 
pljenkins said:
My first gig I was offered before I graduated school at a joint called Corporate Airlines in Smyrna, TN., flying Junkstreams for TWA and Midway Airlines. My first day on the job was going to be September 12th, 2001. We all knew what happened September 11th, and the next day Midway Airlines folded, grounding half of Corporate's fleet and ending my gig there before it even started. So I guess you could say my first gig where I actually did dispatch work was Air Midwest out of Wichita, KS pushing around Beech 1900D's.
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That's awesome. I'm from Smyrna but don't really remember that airline.
 
Yeah got my license back in December did some interviews, but I'm getting married in July, so i figured I'll wait till that's over.
 
Lots of great histories in these forums (hello again everyone) and very cool to see where the fun all began.
 
Thanks everyone for the information. I first posted this while deciding whether or not to go to dispatch school. Since posting, I decided to go, attended Jeppesen in Denver, and got a job with a very large regional carrier within 24 hours of returning home from Jeppesen. Wasn't expecting things to be so easy!
 
pjpoker said:
Thanks everyone for the information. I first posted this while deciding whether or not to go to dispatch school. Since posting, I decided to go, attended Jeppesen in Denver, and got a job with a very large regional carrier within 24 hours of returning home from Jeppesen. Wasn't expecting things to be so easy!
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Congratulations! I am glad to hear it went easy for you. It is a good time in the industry right now. Welcome to the club.
 
Looking for some input and this thread fits the bill. I graduated Sheffield roughly a month ago with my cert. and have applied to almost every 121 domestic regional operator across the country, with no luck. I've had a few bites, but that's all; no interviews.

I understand I am early in the hunt, but am faced with the fact of still needing an income source. I do not have any direct aviation job-related experience, but have previously attended Embry Riddle (142) and am also a student pilot with some time. Moral of the story... I'm wondering if it will be best to get my foot in the door as something ranging from crew scheduling or a ramp agent as opposed to picking up something non-aviation related for the time being. Obviously I would like to not "waste time" and slide right into a DX position, wherever that may be. Additionally, I am in the process of finishing an associates degree in business.

Thoughts?
 
bilbolinski said:
Looking for some input and this thread fits the bill. I graduated Sheffield roughly a month ago with my cert. and have applied to almost every 121 domestic regional operator across the country, with no luck. I've had a few bites, but that's all; no interviews.

I understand I am early in the hunt, but am faced with the fact of still needing an income source. I do not have any direct aviation job-related experience, but have previously attended Embry Riddle (142) and am also a student pilot with some time. Moral of the story... I'm wondering if it will be best to get my foot in the door as something ranging from crew scheduling or a ramp agent as opposed to picking up something non-aviation related for the time being. Obviously I would like to not "waste time" and slide right into a DX position, wherever that may be. Additionally, I am in the process of finishing an associates degree in business.

Thoughts?
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If you need money, I wouldn't be too picky. Go fuel planes or throw bags for a little while you continue the job hunt. It certainly can't hurt.
 
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bilbolinski said:
Looking for some input and this thread fits the bill. I graduated Sheffield roughly a month ago with my cert. and have applied to almost every 121 domestic regional operator across the country, with no luck. I've had a few bites, but that's all; no interviews.

I understand I am early in the hunt, but am faced with the fact of still needing an income source. I do not have any direct aviation job-related experience, but have previously attended Embry Riddle (142) and am also a student pilot with some time. Moral of the story... I'm wondering if it will be best to get my foot in the door as something ranging from crew scheduling or a ramp agent as opposed to picking up something non-aviation related for the time being. Obviously I would like to not "waste time" and slide right into a DX position, wherever that may be. Additionally, I am in the process of finishing an associates degree in business.

Thoughts?
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If you do look for airline work outside of dispatch, I would probably try and concentrate on working in an NOC position (such as crew scheduling) since they seem to have an advantage in getting hired into dispatcher positions over other internal hires. If you want to continue living in your local area, though, I would try and get hired by a major in something like a ramper job where you can later move into station operations as that is a good background to have for dispatch as well. Finally, I would say not to give up hope yet! It took me over two months of job searching before I got an offer after getting my license...but I was employed by the three-month mark, and other than a later two-month period after a startup carrier I was working at went out of business, I've been gainfully employed as a dispatcher ever since (over twenty years now, which is hard for me to believe!)
 
Everyone takes a different path. I took a flight follower job with 135 operator because it was local and closest to dispatching I could've found at the time.

Took me another 1 year and 7 months of applying before a getting a chance with a 121 airline.
 
If you if you do take a job with another group within a NOC like crew sked, find out how long you have to be in that position before they will let you apply for a dispatch role.

My current shop it's 6 months before you can apply.
 
CPZ9900 said:
Either you're not trying or have unrealistic expectations. Most of the lower tier regionals will hire anyone with a pulse. To say you haven't found a dispatch job in 5 years well, there's gotta be more to the story.
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Indeed there is and I've posted my story in a previous thread. I've just recently in the past few months started seriously applying to any regional opening (although I have been submitting applications intermittently over the span of 3-4 years since acquiring my license).

Is it really that easy to be picked up by the less desirable regionals?
 
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