Where to live to advance career....

PlaneCrazy

PlaneCrazy

Well-Known Member
I am an unemployed CFI/II currently living in Dallas and cant seem to get my foot in the door anywhere out here. I was born and raised in So. Cal. and have been thinking of moving back to be near friends and family. My question is this: Is it better to live in one place or another with respect to furthering my career? For example, if I wanted to be an actor then California would definitely be a better place to live than Texas. What about flying? I know AA and Southwest are based in Dallas so is it better to stay here? HELP!!!!<O:p</O:p
 
I think it depends on what you want to do? More so on which type of aviation you want to get into. For instance, if you wanted to get into ag work, I think going to the great plains would help, if you wanted to get into pipeline work... go somewhere with oil... for the airlines, it doesn't really matter I don't think.
 
Florida is generally a CFI-friendly place, lots of airports, relatively low cost of living, year-round flying weather. Of course, you've got some competition from the million other CFIs here.
 
I can't help you with where to live, but I can tell you where not to live....Houston.

:D

Good luck with whatever your decision you make. I am trying to convince my wife to go to FL. Probably be a while before that happens, but I think (with the exception of the 5 billion CFI's) there's a lot of opportunity over there.
 
here's my advice for what it's worth.

generally speaking, location has nothing to do with success and career progression. You'll save yourself both time and money by living where you want to live, doing what you want to do. Ambition and networking has little to do with location, especially in the age of these internets.

While proximity may lend to connections you may not have made otherwise, there is no formula for success in moving to another place so that you can "be in the right place at the right time."
 
moxiepilot said:
generally speaking, location has nothing to do with success and career progression. You'll save yourself both time and money by living where you want to live, doing what you want to do. Ambition and networking has little to do with location, especially in the age of these internets.
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Yeah, well I did my primary flight instruction way back when in New England. There wasn't much primary instruction from November until March. Florida can be seasonal too, but not quite as bad.
 
I'm in SoCal and unemployed. The prospects aren't good here either. I'm qualified for a number of positions in various fields and still after literally several hundred resumes sent it was only today I got my first interview...in northern CA. I say stay where you are but apply everywhere.
 
drunkenbeagle said:
Yeah, well I did my primary flight instruction way back when in New England. There wasn't much primary instruction from November until March. Florida can be seasonal too, but not quite as bad.
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I still stand by my opinion. I've made it through many winters in the NE. My solution was to dig in and find as many instrument students and IPCs that I could; I still managed to bill about 100 hours a month, on average.

When folks see that kind of assertion, it leads places/
 
It does not matter where you are living during the job search. Just be willing to move anywhere once you are hired.
 
moxiepilot said:
here's my advice for what it's worth.

generally speaking, location has nothing to do with success and career progression. You'll save yourself both time and money by living where you want to live, doing what you want to do. Ambition and networking has little to do with location, especially in the age of these internets.

While proximity may lend to connections you may not have made otherwise, there is no formula for success in moving to another place so that you can "be in the right place at the right time."
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agreed

Living in Central Utardia the aviation job market is not so hot, but I have a lot of connections here that have helped me tremendously in this infancy of my career. The winters are not so bad for those that are motivated to work, so long as you can work the ground teaching and if you have access to a simulator that is easy money. Instrument students are the key.

Live where you want to live, network yourself to exhaustion, and be the best damn instructor you can be. It will work out.
 
fly02 said:
It does not matter where you are living during the job search. Just be willing to move anywhere once you are hired.
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That couldn't be much farther from the truth. Not too many companies are going to hire someone who is currently living across the country when they have someone who is 5 minutes away ready to work tomorrow.
 
It depends on the company and timing.

I know FSI paid for people to relocate about 2 years ago when they went through a hiring boom.

Just saying.
 
From what I hear, CFI jobs are pretty difficult to come by down here in the Phoenix area these days. Hoping things pick up for you guys where ever you are.
 
When I first moved to Dallas in 2005 the job market was tough also. The best thing you can do is dig in and ride it out. It will get better eventually and Dallas has a lot of aviation to go around once things get going again.

Don't forget to network network network.

IMHO
 
PlaneCrazy said:
I am an unemployed CFI/II currently living in Dallas and cant seem to get my foot in the door anywhere out here. I was born and raised in So. Cal. and have been thinking of moving back to be near friends and family. My question is this: Is it better to live in one place or another with respect to furthering my career? For example, if I wanted to be an actor then California would definitely be a better place to live than Texas. What about flying? I know AA and Southwest are based in Dallas so is it better to stay here? HELP!!!!<o>:p</o>:p
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Free lance.


I live in Dallas and it's my only job. I'm not living high on the hog but I can pay my bills. All you have to do is grind it out and not be "too good" to fly something. She doesn't have to be pretty, just airworthy.
 
I'd say Dallas is pretty good actually. You'll just need to keep paying the bills until the economy picks up.
 
The main thing to look for is the concentration of airports. Everything is slow right now. I would say that it doesn't matter where you go because no one is hiring. If there are a lot of airports around where you are, then you have a better chance of landing a job when things start picking up. FL and AZ are unique places because of the large number of flight schools. Other than that, if you like Dallas, I say stay put. Next year this time you'll be trying to remember how good it was when you weren't working as much.
 
PlaneCrazy said:
I . I was born and raised in So. Cal. and have been thinking of moving back to be near friends and family. My question is this:
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I would try it, you could find a place here that would take you in especially at the bigger airports but the problem is that flying has slowed down. People I know are only doing three or four flights per week. Finding a place that would take you in would not be a problem, the problem would be finding work... and the cost of living...
 
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