Leave a $165k/year Corporate job for UPS?
02-11-2016, 11:03 AM
#21
Proponent of Hysteria
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Position: 3B
Posts: 1,052
Been at FedEx for 14 years. Not UPS, but we both fly at night and have similarly adversarial relationships with management.
If I was you, I would stay put. I'd rather have a more flexible schedule but get to fly during normal hours than fly night hub turns for the next 25+ years.
But hey, thats just me. Good luck with your decision.
If I was you, I would stay put. I'd rather have a more flexible schedule but get to fly during normal hours than fly night hub turns for the next 25+ years.
But hey, thats just me. Good luck with your decision.
02-11-2016, 11:11 AM
#22
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: May 2006
Posts: 983
Originally Posted by FXDX
Been at FedEx for 14 years. Not UPS, but we both fly at night and have similarly adversarial relationships with management.
If I was you, I would stay put. I'd rather have a more flexible schedule but get to fly during normal hours than fly night hub turns for the next 25+ years.
But hey, thats just me. Good luck with your decision.
If I was you, I would stay put. I'd rather have a more flexible schedule but get to fly during normal hours than fly night hub turns for the next 25+ years.
But hey, thats just me. Good luck with your decision.
I know someone who had a similar decision recently and left a Fortune 500 corporate gig. I believe he was interested in long-term stability.
02-11-2016, 11:20 AM
#23
Proponent of Hysteria
Joined APC: Mar 2005
Position: 3B
Posts: 1,052
The majority of our flying is night hub turns, thus the majority of pilots are going to be doing that type of flying. If not you will most likely be doing long haul international flights departing in the middle of the night (local) and crossing many time zones on your 10 day trip. Either way, much more fatiguing and stressful on the body than flying what he describes as pretty easy corporate trips. I can put up with a lot of schedule uncertainty for daytime flying, stay in place hotels and rental cars, as opposed to leaving Memphis (or Louisville) in the middle of the night, landing in Narita 14 hours later and trying to figure out when I am going to be able to sleep before my next bag drag.
Just my opinion, as the OP solicited.
Just my opinion, as the OP solicited.
02-11-2016, 11:44 AM
#25
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Jun 2014
Posts: 306
There are several people I know in very similar situations as the OP. Corporate jobs are extremely volatile, depending on the nation's economy, some more than others at any given time.
He could jump ship for UPS and fly nights for the rest of his career, or decline the job offer and look back on it as being the biggest mistake he ever made. Meanwhile, doing the corporate job hop every four or six years because most of them come and go so often.
To the OP, listen to most of the advice here and take the offer if it's given and don't look back.
He could jump ship for UPS and fly nights for the rest of his career, or decline the job offer and look back on it as being the biggest mistake he ever made. Meanwhile, doing the corporate job hop every four or six years because most of them come and go so often.
To the OP, listen to most of the advice here and take the offer if it's given and don't look back.
02-11-2016, 11:49 AM
#26
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Sep 2006
Position: Retired
Posts: 3,717
M40,
I can certainly understand your lifelong dream, but you should understand that you're not the only one to have had that very specific dream, and for some it came true. Some of those very same guys have given you their thoughts here. Consider them as you may.
From what I understand, just because you've been put in the UPS pool doesn't mean that they've offered you a job. As an example, if you were the only one in the pool, and someone interviewed months after you were placed in said pool, and UPS thought that that candidate was more suited to their needs than were you, they'd be hired and you'd continue to swim. This could happen over and over again, for....forever.
In your initial post you mention all the pros and cons you have at your current company. Well at UPS (and FedEx too), with the exception of "good equipment/nice hotels", all the other Pros you list, are actually Cons at UPS/FedEx. As well, all the Cons you list, with the exception of "no real schedule", will still be there as Cons. I mention the above for perspective only.
Your question: "would be is it worth leaving my current job and a well established corporate career for making $39k the first year and being at the bottom for an indeterminate amount of time.", is something only you can answer. It's my opinion that once one has enough money to satisfy ones current and future needs (if that's even possible to predict), than making more, at the expense of other things like: spouse; watching children grow up; parents; health; etc, is somewhat foolhardy. Of course, the question is how much is enough, and only you can answer that.
It does sound like you've made your mind up and that's fine. Just go into it with your eyes wide open, armed with as much knowledge as you can gather, both about the job as it is now (because no one knows what the future holds), and the industry you plan to work in. Flying freight for UPS or FedEx can be very rewarding, but that reward is not come by cheaply.
If you get the call, best of luck with however you decide, and remember the grass is always greener on the other side.
I can certainly understand your lifelong dream, but you should understand that you're not the only one to have had that very specific dream, and for some it came true. Some of those very same guys have given you their thoughts here. Consider them as you may.
From what I understand, just because you've been put in the UPS pool doesn't mean that they've offered you a job. As an example, if you were the only one in the pool, and someone interviewed months after you were placed in said pool, and UPS thought that that candidate was more suited to their needs than were you, they'd be hired and you'd continue to swim. This could happen over and over again, for....forever.
In your initial post you mention all the pros and cons you have at your current company. Well at UPS (and FedEx too), with the exception of "good equipment/nice hotels", all the other Pros you list, are actually Cons at UPS/FedEx. As well, all the Cons you list, with the exception of "no real schedule", will still be there as Cons. I mention the above for perspective only.
Your question: "would be is it worth leaving my current job and a well established corporate career for making $39k the first year and being at the bottom for an indeterminate amount of time.", is something only you can answer. It's my opinion that once one has enough money to satisfy ones current and future needs (if that's even possible to predict), than making more, at the expense of other things like: spouse; watching children grow up; parents; health; etc, is somewhat foolhardy. Of course, the question is how much is enough, and only you can answer that.
It does sound like you've made your mind up and that's fine. Just go into it with your eyes wide open, armed with as much knowledge as you can gather, both about the job as it is now (because no one knows what the future holds), and the industry you plan to work in. Flying freight for UPS or FedEx can be very rewarding, but that reward is not come by cheaply.
If you get the call, best of luck with however you decide, and remember the grass is always greener on the other side.
02-11-2016, 12:11 PM
#27
Where's my Mai Tai?
Joined APC: Aug 2006
Position: fins to the left, fins to the right
Posts: 1,731
A lot of people want to work at UPS.
Until they work at UPS.
Food for thought, there are some AA guys at UPS who still have numbers. Some are staying, some are on the fence. To put that in perspective, they have been at UPS almost 10 years and still not sure if they want to stay. QOL is the number one reason they give for thinking about going back.
Until they work at UPS.
Food for thought, there are some AA guys at UPS who still have numbers. Some are staying, some are on the fence. To put that in perspective, they have been at UPS almost 10 years and still not sure if they want to stay. QOL is the number one reason they give for thinking about going back.
02-11-2016, 01:16 PM
#29
Gets Weekends Off
Joined APC: Nov 2005
Position: 757/767 Capt
Posts: 642
OP,
My best friend decided back in 1998 to stay corporate instead of coming to UPS. He flies top shelf G-5's and for great companies like, Amoco, BP! Bristol-Meyers...he lost all those jobs due to mergers (BP/Amoco) and the financial crises of 2008..he thought they were rock solid jobs that you can build a future on, but they closed their departments on the drop of a dime. He'll be working till he's 70 because of all the turmoil, lack of retirement bennies etc. As far as what a lot of these guys tell you, listen to what they say, but I feel some of it is a little over dramatic ( years of Hell) GMAFB! Or that night flying is horrible. Some of this is generational, soft guys, who got trophies for coming in 5 th place..if you look at the history of this business, upgrading in 15 or 20 years is the norm at many airlines, like American, Delta, and United...ask any 1988-1995 new-hire at those airlines how long it's taken them to upgrade. Here's my advice, if UPS offers you the job, take it. You'll enjoy a retirement that's much better than any other out there, I expect your pay will be much higher than what your making now in a year or two, and you'll be flying with a great bunch of guys. Also, retirements in the next decade will be substantial and as long as your wife and mine buy things on their computers, we'll have job security. I spent 28 years in the military and trust me, this job is not Hell! Sitting in a POW camp is hell, storming Omaha beach is hell, not getting paid six figures to fly an ILS at night!
My best friend decided back in 1998 to stay corporate instead of coming to UPS. He flies top shelf G-5's and for great companies like, Amoco, BP! Bristol-Meyers...he lost all those jobs due to mergers (BP/Amoco) and the financial crises of 2008..he thought they were rock solid jobs that you can build a future on, but they closed their departments on the drop of a dime. He'll be working till he's 70 because of all the turmoil, lack of retirement bennies etc. As far as what a lot of these guys tell you, listen to what they say, but I feel some of it is a little over dramatic ( years of Hell) GMAFB! Or that night flying is horrible. Some of this is generational, soft guys, who got trophies for coming in 5 th place..if you look at the history of this business, upgrading in 15 or 20 years is the norm at many airlines, like American, Delta, and United...ask any 1988-1995 new-hire at those airlines how long it's taken them to upgrade. Here's my advice, if UPS offers you the job, take it. You'll enjoy a retirement that's much better than any other out there, I expect your pay will be much higher than what your making now in a year or two, and you'll be flying with a great bunch of guys. Also, retirements in the next decade will be substantial and as long as your wife and mine buy things on their computers, we'll have job security. I spent 28 years in the military and trust me, this job is not Hell! Sitting in a POW camp is hell, storming Omaha beach is hell, not getting paid six figures to fly an ILS at night!
02-11-2016, 01:28 PM
#30
New Hire
Thread Starter
Joined APC: Feb 2016
Posts: 9
I really appreciate all the honest replies from everyone and it has really got me thinking about a lot of things.....
I will get to all who sent PM's
I definetly have not made my mind up even though it may seem so. I would agree the sentimental factor is huge for me, but I can't let that influence my decision too heavily.
My biggest fear is what the job would do to me physically and mentally. I am a young guy in pretty good shape and healthy. I have no idea what flying nights will do to me, but I do know what it did for my father. I know that I dont like the back side of the clock and I don't know if my body can adjust to that type of flying.
Money isn't everything but I definetly want to be able to provide for my family as best as possible. But what good does that do if my time on this earth is cut short because of health and fatigue reasons.
I will get to all who sent PM's
I definetly have not made my mind up even though it may seem so. I would agree the sentimental factor is huge for me, but I can't let that influence my decision too heavily.
My biggest fear is what the job would do to me physically and mentally. I am a young guy in pretty good shape and healthy. I have no idea what flying nights will do to me, but I do know what it did for my father. I know that I dont like the back side of the clock and I don't know if my body can adjust to that type of flying.
Money isn't everything but I definetly want to be able to provide for my family as best as possible. But what good does that do if my time on this earth is cut short because of health and fatigue reasons.
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