To intern, or not to intern?
 

Hey Guys/Gals,

Just a quick question I would like to throw out to y'all. I was offered an internship with Piedmont from one of the "top dog" guys in the training department. (I think he is second from the top...) Should I take it or not? The deal is, is I would have to live away from home (no big deal) down in CLT for about 6 months, not paid, (I would Instruct on the side to get by) I would get free SIM time whenever I want, I would get to know tons of pilots/big wigs, etc. and then at the end of the road, I was told that I have an interview and almost a guaranteed hire. What do y'all think? I need some advice. My father has been in aviation since the beginning of time, and used to fly for Reading/Suburban Airlines (which was then changed to Allegheny...which is now Piedmont) and I would prefer to have a non-byes opinion on the matter. Any input would be appreciated. Thanks!

DW

go intern...
 

Instead of a list of positives , make a list of negatives to not interning....now put the empty sheet of paper back in the printer, call your contact and get a start date...:)

Congratulations!!! You'll do just fine...

One tip from someone who manages people / projects for a living - don't promise to so something unless you can deliver. You don't have to say 'yes' just to be liked or to please the big shots...

V/r,
LA

DW,

There are ups and downs to interning. A lot depends where you are in your career and the company that you want to intern for...

As a former intern myself (I interned for 4 months at Atlantic Coast back in 2000), I can say that intern programs can be a great way to get in the door- I was hired with a LOT less time than people nowadays need to get on (roughly 660 TT and 100ME + Aviation Degree from UND).

The upside of the internship was that it allowed me to learn the inner workings of an airline and work on a daily basis with people in managment. These contacts served me well when I eventually became a line pilot and continue to do so, even though I no longer work for the company (furloughed).

The downside to an internship is that it may or may not result in a job, and can be a big hit on the checking account. It took me almost 3 years of flying the line to dig myself out from the credit card debt that piled up during my internship and the 2 1/2 months of training that followed when I was hired.

An internship is only as good as the company allows it to be. It's also only as good as YOU make it. If you go into an internship with the attitude that you want to learn something and make yourself useful to the company, you can turn some heads and almost certainly create yourself an opportunity. However if you go in there with the attitude that you are just "checking off the box to get an interview/hired" you are in for disappointment. Remember, an internship is essentially a 6 month interview...

If you sit around in doing nothing, drinking coffee, and complaining about the menial tasks they give you (and you will do menial things like filling copiers, filing paperworks, being a gopher, etc)... then you are probably better off not doing an internship. However if you can work independently and show enthusiasm for taking on new tasks and challenges, the sky is the limit. During my time as an intern I worked closely with the Director of Training and the Manager of Training Scheduling to research, develop, and implement more effective procedures for sending pilots through ground school and sim training. My work ended up culminating in a 25 page, bound, recommendation of changes that went the whole way to the CEO and presidents desk with my name on the cover.

It certainly helped me get my foot through the door. Somethings to consider are:

Are you at a point in your aviation career where you could go to work for the airline that you are interning at (in terms of flighttime and experience)? If not, go get some more time and intern later- it's best if you can interview while you are an intern or right after so that you are fresh in everybody's memory.

Are you financially sound enough to work 6 months without pay, wherever the internship may be? Don't forget about transportation, living expenses, food, etc.

Is the company where you are interning a place where you would want to work? (If not, don't intern there... there is very little benefit to you personally).

Does the company have an established intern program? Sometimes the companies that do have more organization for the program, which may (or may not) be of benefit.

What will your duties be? Who will you report to? Will you be able to move from department to department from time to time? (Some of the places that you could work as an intern: Safety, Flight Ops, Dispatch, Ramp, Administration/Chief Pilot, Training, Airport Ops, MX, recruiting).

Finally, do you have everything in order to begin a 6 month interview?

If so, have at it! Good luck. ~Josh

Do It!!
 

With as saturated as the hiring pools are getting, this is a great way to set yourself apart from the crowd. Friends who had internships are getting hired much sooner than guys like me that didn't. Even if it's with an airline that you don't think you'll be working for soon (IE majors) it will help get your foot in the door and you'll gain a valuable behind the scenes look. Most will still allow jumpseat privileges while you're there so you'll also see how the big guys do it.

Look into housing options more. A couple friends did some talking and rented a room at a local crashpad pretty cheap. Again, great way to network.

Pip,
Buddy, go for it. I interned at Alaska Airlines over the summer of 2004. It was great, I got my letter stating that they will review my application when I get their mins. My log book also has 3.5 hours of 737-700 time and 2.5 of MD80. There are no negatives to the internship.
One word of advice, give it your all. 2 of the 12 of us got fired. Think about it, getting fired from a non-paid internship is hard, and could be career ending. Good luck.

Intern. It's who you know and the more people you know, the better. I interned with Continental Airlines back in 1999. They told me to give them a call when I got some flight time and they'd send my resume down to Express down in Houston. I wound up sending it to them with 750 TT and 90 ME and I got a call a week later with an interview offer. I knew guys (who didn't intern with CAL) that sent their resumes to COEX with 1200+ TT and 100+ ME who either got the, "We'll call you when we need you." letter or didn't get a letter at all. It's who you know to get the interview and then what you know to get the job. Needless to say, this was back in August of 2001 and my October interview as subsequently cancelled after Sept 11th, but that's besides the point. ;)

The whole "intern working for nothing" thing is just another symptom of the screwed up industry. My nephew worked for two years as an "intern" at Palm (of palm pilots computers) He started the summer before his senior year in high school. They paid him $16/hr while laying off hundreds of full time adults. How the airlines can employee people while paying them nothing is unbelievable. Isn't there a minimum wage?

That being said, an internship is a great way to get a foot in the door. Just make sure you are not disliked by ANYONE. You will be surprised how a seemingly insignificant person can derail your career with a simple statement like, "Oh yeah, I remember him/her, I did not like him." Boom, your done. Thanks for playing. Try again.

I don't think an intern is considered a full time employee entitled to wages, but I'm not sure. I interned for about 4 months (1 college semester). I didn't get paid money, but I got free sim time, 6 college credits, 3 of which went towards a $4,000 flight training course in a B737 sim, not to mention unlimited domestic jump seat priviledges, standby pass privilidges, great experience and had some of the most fun I've ever had in the aviation industry.