Originally Posted by
EPICguy
...but it seems the consensus is that I should hold out.
You should do what you want to do. If you would rather be flying a 767 than an RJ, you'll do that at ABX. You could do that at another airline, too...if they ever call.
My resume is diverse but I am a staunch opponent of job fairs, etc.
As am I. But I played the game all the same for the last three years, punching up my résumé with "community involvement" and all of that extracurricular stuff they want you to have. It got me nowhere. I have multiple internal recommendations at my first choice legacy airline, introductions to base chief pilots, and lots of, "You have everything we're looking for. Just keep doing what you're doing." The only thing that got me was three years older and no better off than I was before.
So I broadened my horizons, and ABX called. And I didn't jump. I did eventually go for an interview and thought about what I would do if I got the job - whether it would be worth what I was giving up. For me, it probably means a really lean year with potential for a lot more. I get experience that I wouldn't get by following the advice to keep doing what I'm doing.
My admittedly limited impression of ABX is this: There are good people there. When good people get together, they usually have a good time, even if conditions are less than ideal. There is friction between labor and management. OK, so what's new? Show me a place where that isn't the case. They don't play interview games. The system chief pilot at the legacy I referenced earlier has said that when you interview, you should be able to identify the key management personnel, list the company's core values, and talk about your community involvement. It just occurred to me a few days ago that when I interviewed, I didn't think about any of that stuff, and they didn't ask. They are looking for people who can get the job done. Legacies are looking for mannequins to dress their windows in television ads.
Now it could be that I've got it all wrong. I am, after all, a new hire half way through initial training, although I'm hardly new to the up-and-down business of aviation. I am not some bright-eyed junior bird man pursuing his dream, but I do have a lot invested in making this work because I left a pretty good gig. But I also wasn't going to achieve my goals there, either, and I certainly wasn't going to get there waiting for a call that's never coming. I'm a lot closer at ABX, whether it's sunshine and daisies on the ramp every day or not. If the call ever does come, I can decide what to do then. In the meantime, I'm done standing still.
Take that for what it's worth (considering what you paid for it), figure out what you want, and then do it.