shift you are out of touch with what is going on on the job market. Good for you. The only people I know who have found a semi decent job were the ones who had the right type ratings and connections. Good luck without a corporate type and good luck after being out of 121 world for 2 years. During the Summer of 08 when the furlough was only a rumor I have found a cargo job, and instructing. I did both. Both looked like a suicide after about 3 months and both paid about $10-12/h. So I quit both and gave up looking in aviation. I would have taken an island hopping job but the part 135s wouldn't even look at you if you came from 121. They knew you would be out of there.

Some options I had early on:
1. Get a walk in to Miami air. I have declined to apply because of the 18k trng contract. I was a real idiot. That contract would be almost done by now. not to mention that my friends over there actually like it. I probably would have stayed anyways.
2. Go to interview at Gojets as a street CA when the door was still open. I have declined the interview because it was Gojets and commuting. I was a real idiot once again.
3. Go to interview with some other regionals. But who wants to commute to the midwest, all over again, for $20/h AND resign seniority? just not worth it.
4. Go to Carmax as a sales rep (friend of ours has been banking there for the last 2 years, however she does have big boobs) but I told them I do want to eventually return to fly. So they turned me down. I was an idiot, I should have lied but then I still had morals.
... go to several other business places using my degree and about 10y management experience, but they all declined me because they all knew I would leave because they could not even come close to match a mighty rich airline pilot's salary.

Which leads me to a hijack. "Having a backup degree". Hahahahahhahahaa.... funniest stuff ever. Couple of things:

1. as a pilot you will not have recent experience in that degree and only entry levels open without but you are overqualified for that
2. you are pilot so everyone will think you will go back flying... and you will
3. when you sit down for your xy management job interview, they will give you the "deer caught in the headlights" look when you explain them what "First Officer" means. Yes I had to explain that on 2 occasions Airline pilot + office job = makes no sense. And it does not.

If it is not a recession you will not need to fall back on it. You can get a pilot job. If it is a recession nobody will ever hire you. FORGET the backup degree unless you can work on your own or start a business. Good luck with that too in a recession.

Yeah so I am too looking forward to return to the 320. I will get sim current, 121 current, and at least I will have more options for 6 months. I have loaded 1600 lbs each night into my C210 for $12/h last time I flew. It can't be that bad.

NO I DID NOT work for Miaramar. I did apply though twice even. LOL...