Originally Posted by
Waitingformins
That's not how they look at it. What was was the upgrade time when you got hired? "5 years". How long did you stay? "3 years". Why did you you quit? "Upgrade time was taking too long, brand x was 8 months". So you knew it was 5 years the day you took the job and you didn't stay there and wait for what you agreed to when you took the job? Our upgrade time is 15years do you plan on leaving in 3 if brand x is only 8 and they hire you? "No sir" Well you have already proven that you would.
For anyone looking at a regional job or considering a "lateral move" that includes a 20K a year pay raise or quick upgrade think about this.
If you stay with a company that has no movement, and little flying or hope of getting off of reserve for 2 or more years you're not helping your position at all. In the above case you may have 1000 hours after 2 years of reserve, after 3 years maybe 1500 hours as SIC. If you get lucky and get an upgrade in 4 or 5 you'll have 2000 SIC, and maybe 500 PIC. Lucky to get an interview with that. For the majority of time you will be holding a reserve line. This is not what the regional contracts, or major airlines are looking for. You will live a miserable life commuting to reserve and not flying, you will not be making money, and you will not be getting flight hours. After 5 years you will be broke and have a marginal resume for a major airline. You did nothing for yourself, you had little personal growth, little quality of life, this is the hazardous attitude labeled resignation. No major airline is looking for that attitude, loyalty is a two way street.
Make the lateral move. Get 1000 SIC 121 hours within a year, get an upgrade to captain. Movement and growth allow you to get a line quickly, couple months vs. more than a year. You're now two years in have a predictable schedule and captain wages, you're getting hours, and probably holding the domicile you want, and you have 1000SIC, and 1000 PIC. This is a stronger resume than sticking with a contracting airline not providing upgrades. You showed initiative, took control of your life and career, made the tough choices that allowed for the personal growth needed to be a true professional. This is what any winning corporation is wants in an employee.
On one of my last flights with XJT I mentioned to the captain, who had been flying the same jet for 10 years, I was considering leaving. He mentioned that his sim partner made a lateral move for a quick upgrade time. The captain mentioned he didn't want to go through initial again, and it sounded like a lot of work, this conversation ended with him stating he was now happy where he was and probably wouldn't leave XJT. This all begged the question what happened to his sim partner, "oh, he's flying for United now."