Wisdom of a lateral career move

Yakob said:
I currently work at a regional that is most likely a sinking ship. I'm considering an offer for a direct-entry captain position at one of the AA wholly owned regionals.

Both my current employer and the one I have an offer from have all EMB-145 fleets, which worries me since the writing on the wall suggests most 50-seat jets will be retired soon. I think my employer will most likely be Comaired within the next few years. I could see that being the case with the regional I have an offer from as well, but of course it's harder to gauge since I don't work there. The flow to AA is a major reason I am interested, especially since I have an accident and multiple training failures on my record, so I probably don't have much chance of ever escaping the regionals outside of a flow- especially since I did get a call from a ULCC a few months ago, and from an ACMI carrier several years ago but couldn't get past the phone interview either time, so I seem to interview very poorly.

I am very senior at my current employer, but I'm not sure how much that seniority is really worth. We are a very small airline, and the fate of TSA and Compass makes me suspect it's unlikely that there will be furloughs here and the company will survive- I think it's far likelier we'll simply be Comaired next downturn or potentially even sooner.

The AA wholly-owned does pay better as well, and I'd probably be based closer to home. I'm trying to decide if it would be wise to make this lateral move- I'm hesitant to do it, since I would be giving up seniority and above all it would be easier not too. Plus life on permanent reserve as a DEC sounds miserable. But then it might be worth a few years or a decade of misery to hopefully make it to mainline, and I'm "only" in my early 30s so I theoretically would still have time for a decent career there. And I'd hate to forgo a move that would be good for my long-term career prospects just because I got too comfortable at a sinking-ship regional.

Thanks in advance for any advice.
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Well, there are a lot of unique opportunities. Enjoy the DEC job!
 
I’m also going to say something that’s probably going to be unpopular here. Most of the people who have replied on here have seem to have only seen that you said you’re a RJ captain and missed the other stuff. I hate to sound like a total DK but if you asked any of us CA’s at a large carrier if we want to work with a new FO who self admittedly has an accident, multiple failures and don’t think they can interview well… our answer would be no.
 
DEC is a hell I wouldn't wish on anyone. Being perpetually junior at a regional seems pretty bad. If you live in base, it can be a little more tolerable. How far away do you live? If you aren't getting past phone interviews, maybe you are having some trouble telling your story. Get some prep, as others have said.
 
CoffeeIcePapers said:
DEC is a hell I wouldn't wish on anyone. Being perpetually junior at a regional seems pretty bad. If you live in base, it can be a little more tolerable. How far away do you live?
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A little over an hour's drive from what they say is the junior base. Though they have other bases that would be trickier.

CoffeeIcePapers said:
Get some prep, as others have said.
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I definitely intend to before the next time I have an interview. I would have liked to before the ULCC phone interview I had a few months ago, but it was scheduled at pretty short notice.
 
Box hauler said:
I’m also going to say something that’s probably going to be unpopular here. Most of the people who have replied on here have seem to have only seen that you said you’re a RJ captain and missed the other stuff. I hate to sound like a total DK but if you asked any of us CA’s at a large carrier if we want to work with a new FO who self admittedly has an accident, multiple failures and don’t think they can interview well… our answer would be no.
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This is a little harsh isn't it? Personally, I don't know the circumstances that lead to either of those events so I wouldn't be so quick to judge. Pilots like to think they're impervious to making life changing errors but we are a lot more vulnerable than we believe.

Yakob, sending you a PM.
 
“Never make a lateral move”

“never chase upgrades”

“Never say yes to the first contract offer”
 
ZapBrannigan said:
I am the king of lateral moves. Very little good comes of them. They require far too much exposition at subsequent interviews. Each one sets you further behind in the search for a forever home. So add my vote to those that say, ride it to the grave while simultaneously applying at LCCs and majors. Go to the first one that hires you, and guard that seniority number jealously.
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If there was ever an award for most lateral moves, consider yourself nominated :)

Btw, aren't you coming up on 10 yrs at your current shop? So........................... when you leaving for AA, UA, or DL? LOL, sorry, had to ;)
 
bLizZuE said:
My last crash pad (in the past and the last one ever) a dude snored so loud he shook the bed frame and all the connected bunks. So many people complained they actually kicked him out.
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Oh i know those people. So done with crashpads. Can't do another 30 years of them.
 
ASpilot2be said:
Oh i know those people. So done with crashpads. Can't do another 30 years of them.
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The hotel thing isn’t much better commuting. I think my record was about $800 bucks in a month for commuter hotels and there were some nights I still ended up stranded in the terminal until the first flight out in the morning. Yeah… I’d had enough of that.
 
JordanD said:
The hotel thing isn’t much better commuting. I think my record was about $800 bucks in a month for commuter hotels and there were some nights I still ended up stranded in the terminal until the first flight out in the morning. Yeah… I’d had enough of that.
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Yep. It's killing me. Can't wait to get out.
 
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