Your daily experiences; tell me if I can hack it

Maybe if aviation is something that you love you'll be able to handle the stress and not have it affect you as much? I don't like stress and I'm kind of an introvert but aviation is my passion and I enjoy it. I detest my gen eds in college and they stress me out but i enjoy my pilot ground and aircraft systems classes even though they are three times more work than my generals. I've also had a lot of stress in previous jobs, mostly stemming from the fact that I hated what I did.

Of course I'm not a dispatcher yet so I would listen to those who are.
 
Whew! Alright then. So, thank you to those have respectful responses. I realize my flaws or areas that I cannot forge through(such as issues with noise during stress).

And I do love aviation. Trouble is finding where I fit in. Maybe it will just end up being a side interest, but can't hurt but try to do the research and make sure I am not making a mistake.

To those such as 777boner and 69beers (if your names match your personalities, I hope I never have the pleasure of meeting/working/being near you.)69beers, I don't really understand the relevance of a crazy cat lady in regards to my issues with stress and noise...but, good one...and 777boner, if this inquiry tops your experiences, and now you've seen it all, I suggest you step out and see a lil' more. Because it gets a bit crazier than me. Cpz9900. Well, aren't you the most clever and creative with your silly gif? That's nice for you. I am glad you have that. F9dxer, lost me at boyfriend? So, you would rather someone not ask those whom they trust the most for advice? or was that some misogynistic joke?

Usually, I am more "one of the guys" in terms of humor and messing around...but this post was a serious one, looking for honest advice. I just don't see where dumb "ohmahgahd, is she fo' real?!" crap is necessary. A few of you were kind with your words and understood what i was asking. And the answers were very valid and re-affirming what I already pretty much knew. My asking for this advice was my intended "reality check." So, thank you to those kind people.
 
Maybe look into being one of the receptionist girls at a FBO? The stress level is probably a bit lower than working in an airline SOC and you still get your aviation fix.


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azmedic said:
Maybe look into being one of the receptionist girls at a FBO? The stress level is probably a bit lower than working in an airline SOC and you still get your aviation fix. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
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Great idea... If you did it at a small GA shop, it would be even more fun because you don't have to deal with a bunch of rich PITA's.

Or skip aviation altogether and be a stand up comic because Miss Lindsley, your reply cracked me up ;-)
 
azmedic said:
Maybe look into being one of the receptionist girls at a FBO? The stress level is probably a bit lower than working in an airline SOC and you still get your aviation fix.


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I miss being a Part 135 data wizard. I swear we made magic happen.
 
Or fuel airplanes. Noise but no stress, and if you work in a big airport you might occasionally get to deal with really cool airplanes (747 and such).

And extra perk, you get to spend the rest of your life smelling like that sweet sweet jet fuel.

I don't find being a dispatcher overly stressful, and it's better than it used to be. It is in many ways sink or swim and if you want to do it, do it. If you can't make it worse comes to worse your out some cash, or you may find a career you love.
 
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One of my favorite jobs was fueling planes at a GA airport. Mostly single engine Pistons but it made my day when we would get biz jets.


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If you like aviation and want to travel, jetlbue has their application window open for flight attendants. Your customer service experience will help you there. It is also a great way to get your foot in the door and explore different positions within the industry.
 
Misslindsley said:
Whew! Alright then. So, thank you to those have respectful responses. I realize my flaws or areas that I cannot forge through(such as issues with noise during stress).

And I do love aviation. Trouble is finding where I fit in. Maybe it will just end up being a side interest, but can't hurt but try to do the research and make sure I am not making a mistake.

To those such as 777boner and 69beers (if your names match your personalities, I hope I never have the pleasure of meeting/working/being near you.)69beers, I don't really understand the relevance of a crazy cat lady in regards to my issues with stress and noise...but, good one...and 777boner, if this inquiry tops your experiences, and now you've seen it all, I suggest you step out and see a lil' more. Because it gets a bit crazier than me. Cpz9900. Well, aren't you the most clever and creative with your silly gif? That's nice for you. I am glad you have that. F9dxer, lost me at boyfriend? So, you would rather someone not ask those whom they trust the most for advice? or was that some misogynistic joke?

Usually, I am more "one of the guys" in terms of humor and messing around...but this post was a serious one, looking for honest advice. I just don't see where dumb "ohmahgahd, is she fo' real?!" crap is necessary. A few of you were kind with your words and understood what i was asking. And the answers were very valid and re-affirming what I already pretty much knew. My asking for this advice was my intended "reality check." So, thank you to those kind people.
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Yeaaahhhhh, this definitely is NOT the position for you....

This is a on-time metered industry with strictly regulated schedules. One phone call can fu*k up anyone who is in any operational positions day. A thick skin with the ability to deal with multiple personalities is an absolute must.

Good luck in your search.
 
azmedic said:
It's supposed to be quiet in the SOC/OCC/NOC/insert cute acronym here?
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In my company's case, the "ROCC"...yeah. Silly acronyms.

Burrito said:
I miss being a Part 135 data wizard. I swear we made magic happen.
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I actually think my brief few months at a 135 op was way more stressful than my time here at my current 121 employer. I was a front desk "operations coordinator" at the 135...basically did everything. Flight following, freight receiving, passenger services, ramp duties, billing...you name it, I was probably doing it. I haven't had three phones to my ears or in my hands at my 121 op. It was still great fun, there was maybe 10-15 people total at the company, and it was a very family feel. Plus, if I had someone else to watch the desk, I could just hop on the plane and do observation flights. I only got to go once before I left though, so that was kind of a bummer.

My current op has its stressful and hectic moments, but there's more people to balance those issues out too, so instead of me trying to do everything, we can try and spread the workload so one person isn't going absolutely nuts. Although I'm on graveyards so I only ever work with a max of maybe 2 people, so generally later in the night I'm making all the decisions anyway if anything happens. But it's good experience either way at both ops, I've learned a lot at both.

I guess what I'm digging at is, like previous people have said before...check out an SOC/OCC/whatever and see what its like on multiple days. If there's nothing close or you decide that a 121 operator isn't a good fit, check out the 135 outfits. Most don't require a license (though some prefer or do, but it's a small amount). See what kind of jobs they have, if not a flight follower type role, see what else they offer, like a front desk clerk like mentioned before, or something similar. My path hasn't taken me to my goal either, but I'm still in the industry enjoying what I do and wanting to make a career somewhere in the industry.
 
Your stated reactions to noise and external stimulus seem like something you should give strong consideration to before you pull the trigger on dispatch school. SOCs are usually pretty sedate until things go bad, then they get noisy, so don't get fooled by the apparent calmness if you happen to tour one on a good weather day. Even when they're sedate, I do get annoyed by some of my coworkers usual ambient noise level, so it's important to be able to have an inner calmness, since you have virtually no choice about who sits near you.

I've worked with plenty of people who don't seem to handle stress that well and still dispatch, but I see that a significant portion of those same folks tend to have a much harder time getting work at majors/better paying LCCs compared to folks who don't have a reputation for being a basket case. Please keep in mind that everyone has bad days in this job, but it may be a big problem if it's a regular thing for you to be a big bundle of nerves at work who's prone to angry or other kinds of emotional outbursts. This is a very small industry, and there's probably about two degrees of separation between you and everyone else who dispatches. It's surprisingly easy to get a reputation that follows you around to other dispatch jobs.
 
Misslindsley said:
So, I am still hemming and hawing over whether I should go for this. My boyfriend has no doubt that I am capable of the tasks, but has raised a concern and i see his point.

I tend to not be able to stand over-stimulation with noise. I will give you two examples:

1) At my current job in retail, I was trying to figure out a dilemma on the register having to deal with a gift certificate. I had to pay attention to the details, because this company is so outdated and fossilized. Luckily, there was no line, but the woman I was helping with this GC kept trying to intervene, and offer suggestions, and telling me what to do. And then my spazz of a co-worker kept talking in my ear, she tends to speak very fast and repeats herself 3x in a row. Meanwhile, I cannot figure out what is wrong with the system(in the end, it was the system's error, not mine.). But I was extremely close, and may have toed the line, of snapping at the customer. *small side note to also understand, for some reason, people do not listen when I speak. So they talk over me after I had already said what they're now saying, and it is infuriating. And that is what this woman was doing. So, I sort of got tunnel vision and an anxiety level I am not comfortable with.
2) Any time we have a family event. My family is very loud, talks over one another. Then add a crying baby where her mother isn't paying attention and I am freaking out due to the noise. I have to leave the space, because it feels like tunnel vision and I want to curl into a ball.

Now. I understand the duties that have to be done simultaneously and the serious responsibilities involved. Knowing what you deal with and do, and knowing my noise issues, do you honestly think this is a wise career move? I am looking for honest answers.

Thank you.
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In any job or profession, there are going to be times of high stress/activity/workload/noise/etc. Some industries, like transportation, are more prone to it than others, but I don't know of any industry where you won't experience that kind of work environment at some point. So, instead of worrying about whether or not this profession suits your temperament, I suggest you work on getting control of it. There are medical/counseling/educational professionals who can help you learn these skills. Your family doctor might be able to provide a recommendation as to how to get started.

Many people, from all walks of life, have overcome personal characteristics to pursue their goals. You can do it too.
 
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