Thanks Freightdog, I'll pass on the info to my FO, and yes I'm SLC based (we have met).

I'll admit, I've seen some bad FO's, they don't progress in their career for good reason. Seriously, if anyone's arguing that people are "buying" their careers, I strongly disagree. For the most part, the slackers stagnate in their attempts to get a job (regionals, AMF, or anywhere). The ones with a good attitude, unfortunately, have to deal with the "PFT" label/stereotype.

It's not just about the career opportunities either. I'm a firm believer that your first few encounters with hard IFR shouldn't be as the sole occupant of the aircraft (or with someone just as inexperienced as you are). Idaho in the winter is great for exposing my FOs to hard IFR.