ExVermonter

Here is a little bit about my background. I am 30 years old and have been flying since I was 19. I flight instructed at an FBO in Arizona for 3 years and 1 year at Western Michigan University. I flew for 4 years for Part 135 operator in North Carolina. I was laid off in September of 2010 and have been looking for a job ever since.

I love flying airplanes and always will, but flying for a career has made me absolutely miserable. After all of my years in flying, I have only broken the $30K mark once. It lasted one year and then I was forced to take a 40% paycut and then I was laid off 6 months later. The thought of flying for living again honestly makes me want to puke. Having said that, I would love to someday own an airplane and fly for fun on my terms.

I am currently working on a 2 year degree in Information Technology online. I am trying to find non-flying jobs here in the Charlotte, NC area and have not had any luck. I just interviewed for a job locating underground utilities and got a rejection letter today. This surprised me because the interview went quite well I thought.

For those of you who have made the change from pilot to a non-flying job, how did you do it? I have tried to word my resume in a way that it shows my skills outside of the cockpit. Leadership skills, strong computer skills, able to work in extreme weather conditions, etc. It seems that when employers see anything related to aviation, it scares them. I guess they are afraid that I will bail after 6 months for a flying job, even though that is the last thing I would do.

Any advice from other career changers? I do appreciate any advice.

Rnav

Law enforcement/Cop. With that said I think its harder to get into an LEO job than it is a flying job. Have to pass a bunch of test. No such thing as zero to hero 3 months in this job. Starting pay is good, but the bennies is where you come out ahead. I can retire at 50yrs with 75% of pay.

Now for the bad news for any career changes considering it government work. With the way the economy is going agencies are cutting left and right. Unless you find a city/state agency that doesn't have funding problems its kind of risky/hard right now.

Regardless of flying or government work I'd do exactly what your doing with the IT program. Don't put your egg in one basket and diversify. Especially experience wise. Even a successful airline pilot who's got the best job in the world should be diversifying their experience. Who knows when your company goes broke, you lose your medical or you just plain lose your job for whatever reason. Gotta put food on the table. Always be ready for it(guess that's the Copper side trying to prepare for the worse but praying for the best).

Good luck with the job hunt. Sounds like your on the right path with your preparation.

citation35hf

You kind of already pointed it out, departments aren't really hiring right now. State/City gov'ts are flat broke across the country. Thus making getting a job in law enforcement quite difficult. And speaking of hard to get hired...guys b*tch on here about airline hiring practices ....imagine An investigator knocking on your neighbors doors at places you don't even live anymore, and polygraphs tests....

GoPats

My suggestion to you would be to not limit yourself to "IT". Right now, there aren't a heck of a lot of jobs there (one reason is outsourcing to China/India).

My strong suggestion would be to complete either a 2 or 4 yr degree in Software Engineering or Web Development (you could probably take some web development courses right now and make yourself much more marketable).

Right now there's a huge demand for both of those fields. Companies (including mine) can't find enough people, at least in the Northeast and the Silicon Valley area.

Good luck.

ExVermonter

Thank you all for the replies. As far as law enforcement goes, I actually did interview for a position as a Corrections Officer for the North Carolina prison system. I am in a hiring pool, but there isn't any telling how long I will be there. I might get called tomorrow, or it could be a year from now.

I will look into the web development and software engineering as well. Are there any good schools that do software engineering classes online? I have taken one course on basic website design.

I am not being picky right now. Any job that pays a liveable wage and does not involve doing anything illegal will work right now.

pilotca86

It's hard for me to be optimistic in this business. After 25 years with my airline, the last 10 being horrible, I think possibly things might change. I usually rain on everybody's parade but may be changing my tune. My airline has now admitted to pilots in small groups that they are going to have trouble recruiting new pilots in the near future. It's hard to believe since we still have 1500 on furlough. Supposedly they will all be back soon. Some of the chiefs now admit the company has screwed up by jerking pilots around for years. All the pilots have told their kids to stay out of aviation. I did that.

I'll believe a pilot shortage when they are cancelling trips, not before. But the days of jacking people around may come to an end in a couple of years.

If you are thinking of getting out. Hold on if you can. If you don't have a 4 year degree, try and work on that.

Eagle is hiring. I think all the majors will be in 18 months.

bcpilot

+ 1
I agree with pilotca86 100%, HOLD ON IF U CAN.

I don't know your personal financial situation........

But I will tell U a little abt me & may be that helps..... This is not a story, it's my story....

I was in a very similar boat 13 yrs ago as you are today, I had been out of work for 6 months, no money to survive, no where to go. I needed to make money & family responsibillities were mounting.....

Bottom line I was in Full IMC, couldn't see an inch....

That's when I gave up hope, quit flying & left for greener pastures .......
I did good in business, made a lot of money, nices cars, suburban house..

I was broke for 5 yrs working in flying & then I was miserable making a lot of money for the next 13 yrs.

In 2011, I said to myself, I done being unhappy & I'd rather be broke & happy, I just decided to make a comeback attempt.....

The fellow buddy instructors of the old days & even most of the students, all those who held & survived the rough days, all are 4 stripers, are all Captains on 737 or 320, all making a lot of money.

Talk to any senior gray hair captain & he will have numerous tales like these.......

There is no doubt that in the IT field, U will make an easy 80-100k start & reach 150k in a few yrs...........
There is a very likely chance that after 5, 10 or 15 yrs of being miserable & making a lot of money, with family, wife & kids & looking at the sky everytime a plane passes overhead, U will be saying to your self, wish I had held on a little longer.....

Like I said, I don't know your financial situation but...... If U are not married, no kids yet, U still can fight........

Remember........

It is darkest, right before the sunrise.........

GoPats

BCPilot, your story is almost an exact replica of mine (excluding the comeback part).

How did you start the comeback? Are you instructing or are you on with a regional?

Rnav

Seriously I think the next few years will be very telling. For those that have left and want to come back it might be very easy. Go to any flight school and you'll see alot less students. Go online and look how much it cost to rent a twin or any plane for that matter. No loans and viola the airlines have a shrinking pool to choose from. If your already in the seat try and hold on a little longer there may be movement. If you've been out of the seat if you wait a little longer and use the time to get current you may be in the drivers seat(literally) in choosing jobs once the pool really dries up. The airlines may not care that you haven't flown in awhile, just that your current.

Then again I could be wrong and the industry could go to crap... its been known to do that.

bcpilot

I had been thinking of coming back for a long time, just couldn't get the courage of leaving a comfortable life. The turning point was this last decemeber when I met an old student of mine in India, whom I had taken from pre-solo to pvt, he was wearing the 4 stripes & driving a 737 & one of my fellow instructor & coursemate, who is a Check pilot on 320.

So, I started planning my comeback, which had 2 Vital parts, one regain the proficiency(flying & knowledge) back & financial security to survive the 1st two years at regional FO pay... 3rd year onwards looks OK & survivable....

So far the execution is ON schedule on both the fronts........

Next step is to apply for regionals to see if someone would accept a person with a non flying job in last 13 yrs ......

I have put my app in & I am waiting to see what happens.........

If nothing happens, then Instructing & keep pluging the time & keep applying, is what I will have to do.......