Originally Posted by
BridgeBuilder
Interesting article and it seems the hiring flood gates are starting to open. Me personally, I'm sticking it out 'till 20 for the exact reasons 2Loud points out (plus bonus locked me into 20 yrs and 1 day, wasted that last day). Medical alone will be key later in life. Plus the retirement will help ease the pain of "lower" salaries in the beginning.
My questions is, how "easy" will it be to get picked up as time goes on. I am 4 yrs out from this decision point, which means 2 yrs out on tying up ATP, networking for LORs, etc; and 3 yrs out on applications. I know a lot of guys in the last few years had to rely on guard/reserve gigs to hold them over until getting hired. I wonder how long or short the wait will be to get hired directly to the majors will be once hiring is in full swing. Ie, will it be possible to start a training class while on terminal? Pipe dream maybe!
Lots of guys are doing that right now. The key is to have a plan, network, and apply. When you are done doing that, network some more. Be prepared to have a few months off and/or work other jobs to stay current until your dream date arrives. I would highly encourage you to take your ATP written prior to July 31st if you haven't already.