Leaving a job after 4 months?
 

Hey guys,

I want to make sure I'm not giving the wrong advice. Does it look bad if you've only been at a job (a regional in this case) for four months only to jump over to another regional?

In the 91 world that might not look so hot (small community) but I don't know how it works in the 121 world (I only spent a small amount of time in 121 regional), so I figure I'd ask.

Thanks.

Why the move?

The airline he wants to go to has a base where his home is and the flying is mostly out west as opposed to east. He's not under a TA, but imho it's bad form to leave after they've gone through the expense of training etc. I would think that would raise some eyebrows at an interview when he moves on to somewhere better like a mainline or whatever. I can see moving for the sake of going from a regional to a major but skipping from one regional to another in such a short amount of time seems like it would stir up some unwanted attention.

That's just my opinion though.

Does he already have an offer from the other regional? If not, he still has to pass the interview for the other regional. If and only if he gets offered a class date, he has a decision to make and be able to come up with a reasonable response as to why he switched. Pilots move from one regional to another all the time. As long as he can substantiate why he is making the move in future interviews, it is okay in my opinion.

As long as you're able to give a good answer in an interview for making the move it probably won't affect anything down the road. Mainline recruiters are probably smart enough to know you're not going anywhere for a while once you get hired there.

What base does he want? The west coast bases are usually pretty senior.

He interviewed with them and was offered a class. I guess in today's world where regionals are hurting for pilots it may not be that uncommon. I hope that the place he's leaving doesn't blackball him (he's going to give them plenty of notice). I don't know if that goes on anymore.

He's hoping to get near LAX - he knows that a stretch.. but he's in ORD atm.

Does he always talk about himself in the third person?

Haven't read any of the thread, have you?

I say "go for it".

In '06 there were a lot of guys at TSA who left as soon as they finished IOE for CHQ, SKW, etc. Trans States was hiring guys at less minimums than the others at the time, but if you had prior 121 experience, the hours weren't a concern and the other reigonals were scooping guys up.

While moving from one company to the majors is always the goal, there's never any guarantee that it will happen within the next six months to a year. This guy could find himself sitting at the same company for the next decade, and if being closer to his home will improve his QOL it makes perfect sense to make the jump. While it's a lateral move, and all regionals stink, it makes much more sense to do it while you're already on 1st year pay, than to hang out there for another 6 months to a year when you're about to start making more money and then hop....It stinks to prolong 1st year pay for longer than a year, but it'd be even worse to give up the minor salary increases and go BACK to first year pay down the line.

Go to where you would be okay being stuck for a while, or possibly being out of a job in a while. Or where the best QOL is at as of present moment. Too many factors can and will change. He may not plan on being there for long, but who knows what could happen and he could get stuck or actually enjoy it and want to stay.

If he takes the brasilia at skywest he would get LAX right away in training. Worst case scenario on the brasilia would be commuting to FAT or PSP for a couple months before getting LAX which wouldn't be too bad from LA.

Leaving a job after 4 months?
 

I would say go. Commuting sucks!!

I read the part that said you're giving advice. But the joke is that when people ask questions for a friend, they're often asking for themselves. Like when you start talking to the psychologist at a party: "So I've got this friend who...";)

I disagree. Looks like the most junior FO in LAX has been here just a touch over 5 months now, and some newer folks still have standing bids to transfer in. It also doesn't look like many of the EMB FOs have bids in to transition or transfer out.

Here's a fun fact: would you believe that the most junior LAX EMB FO is senior to the most junior LAX CRJ FO? In other words, if you want LAX, you might be better off on the CRJ right now. I know that's a huge gamble, but it is true as of today. Things change, though.

Another note -

I was on a trip, and over drinks my FO told me he'd thought about going to Skywest to be closer to his family (on the West coast). I said "I'd pull the trigger and go - be close to your family - and ease or eliminate your commute!"

He stuck it out for a few more months and then made the jump as furlough notices were coming through for his current company. After putting in a few years with SKW he's now flying the A320 for Virgin.

Personally, i'd keep our eyes on the prize and find the best way to get their that works for you and your family.

This is it exactly… just be able to give a coherent answer as to why you did what you did.

Pretty simple, and it will not hurt you.

I hear ya lol :)

Well he's jumping from G7 so... I know how you guys feel about that place. I guess from there anywhere is up as long as it isn't PSA.

The more that leave G7 the better

😀

Sent ya a PM, RCFD13. Thanks.

I hope this thread doesn't degenerate into another big G7 bash job.

Anyway.. I say make the move. Go(no pun intended) where you will be happiest or where you at least think you'll be happiest.

There is no such thing as loyalty. They will cut your balls off in a heartbeat if they need to.

If leaving after 4 months to a new place is going to make you a more happier and productive employee, I say go for it. At 4 months, your airline has gotten their monies worth out of you already.

If you are worried about what other airlines are going to think, I wouldn't. The pilot shortage is just getting started and won't even reach its peak of destruction for several more years.

There is going to be plenty of job hopping in the near future, unfortunately most of the hopping pilots won't have the choice as 2 or 3 airlines are certainly going to fail this year and into next year.

Six jobs in six years. Always moving forward. Is it better for my career or resume? If the answer was yes I left.

Be prepared to explain to the final destination why you made the moves.

Be prepared to explain the move - if it was for quality of life, a better contract, etc...so be it. Just be honest, nothing wrong with this...regionals are bottom feeders, and they have no loyalty to you. You having loyalty to them will only hurt you, and help them. Don't let the previous post put you in a "OMG - no major will touch me because I left some crappy regional airline 2 years ago for another crappy regional airline...oh the humanity". It's not going to come down to that.

6 months
 

6 months is generally accepted as the minimum time before leaving an employer. Any leaving prior to 6 months will get questioned.

News flash

Unless you have flown for 5 different companies and never made it out of first year pay, mainline doesn't give a crap. Keep in mind that the regionals are stepping stones and are perceived as nothing more by any end line employer.

Go where you are going to be happy and can build your PIC.

Excellent point. Until regionals actually do something to address this, they have no choice but to accept it.

People have left Piedmont while they were still on IOE or in groundschool...I think you will be ok.

What if one left ground school for personal reasons, but returned to the same airline a few months later?