Career Assesment

     I would say that my career goals have definitely changed since the beginning of this course. I have started this class thinking that there was only one way to becoming an airline pilot. This is the typical path of CFI to regionals to mainline. After hearing the many guest speakers though, almost none of them had this path. It was extremely encouraging to see that there are plenty of alternatives to flight instruction to build time and even completely different career destinations than major airlines. I was always under the assumption that in order to make a great career, I would have to be a major airline pilot. After listening to what some of our guest speakers had to say, specifically Dewey and how he got hired at Netjets, I am now considering business aviation or cargo as well. I also found out that there is also more to picking a career place than basing the decision only on money. I now know to factor in the overall compensation and benefits package as well as what the schedule and overall quality of life will be. This makes it much more challenging to simply pick a high paying airline and try to get hired there. If they pay a lot, but work you to death, it might not be as nice as an airline that pays a bit less but gives you much more time off.

     If I were to pick the ideal scenario for me it would go something like this. First, after graduating at EMU I would be hired as a CFI where there is a lot of different activity going on at an airport which allows for great networking. I would also like to go somewhere warm like Texas, Florida or Arizona so I could fly year-round. I would then hope to get hired as a co-pilot at either a fractional company or a corporate outfit. From there, I would try to upgrade to Captain and find a job overseas whether it be for an airline or private company. I truly believe the best opportunities for pilots are overseas. Countries like China and the Asia/Pacific region really do have a shortage of pilots and the airlines are offering very competitive terms and conditions. My whole view is that I love to fly first and foremost and there really is nothing holding me down to the U.S., so why not travel the world and go with the place that offers me the best overall package? There are a lot of airlines that have contracts that are up for re-negotiation including Delta and American, and it will be interesting to see if the pilots, flight attendants, and all other airline workers can regain some of the concessions they gave up in bankruptcy. I feel there is no reason now that airlines are posting record profits to not give back to the employees and bring back the pay and working conditions once enjoyed before the recession and 9/11. Much of my decision to stay and work in the U.S. will be based on the outcomes of these negotiations and if the relationship between pilots and management can improve and overall morale can be where it once was.