Attitude + Work Ethic = Progress?

[Elliott86]

Pardon me for the new guy question here but I was wondering if a good attitude and strong work ethics will have a guy progressing a little sooner than usual or is it more or less what is expected from the newly hired folks? Also no complaining about how long or where a guy is expected to work.

 

Just curious what you may think about it and maybe what you've experienced.

Thanks, from the green horn

[Guest JeffyG]

Kinda a dumb question me thinks

[Elvis]

Pardon me for the new guy question here but I was wondering if a good attitude and strong work ethics will have a guy progressing a little sooner than usual or is it more or less what is expected from the newly hired folks? Also no complaining about how long or where a guy is expected to work.

 

Just curious what you may think about it and maybe what you've experienced.

Thanks, from the green horn

Elliot, of course having a good attitude and strong work ethics will help you progress faster. Just remember being the new guy you will get the crap jobs. Having a poor attitude or work ethics will put you on the top of the list the next time the herd gets culled.

[Elliott86]

Yes maybe a little bit of a dumb question, but good to know that kinda thing gets recognized.

I'm just a little used be the expected side of things.

[Elvis]

[Freefall]

If you don't have a good work ethic, good attitude, and at least a bit of luck, you aren't getting anywhere.

[Whitestone]

You know that old saying "there are no stupid questions, only stupid people..."? WELL in actual fact there are both stupid questions AND stupid people. LOL !

Actually this is an interesting question... depends on where you work. If you work at a place where hard work is appreciated and rewarded then yes it will get you ahead. On the other hand if you work at a place that is filled with slackers who are the favorites of the owners or management (OR HAVE THEIR EAR), hard work will only paint a target on your back. You see this industry attracts a large number of people who got into this line of work because they perceived it to be cool and for an ego boost. What most of these types don't like is a hard worker because they are not and your working too hard only underscores the fact that they are thieves, stealing from their employer every day by not putting in an honest days work.

Now in some cases the bosses like hard workers and in other cases it is more important to hang out and smoke and drink (coffee...) and stand around all day telling stories. The trick for any new employee is to figure out the politics of the place you are working at and how to fit in, that is the most important thing. Work too hard and the lazy crowd will single you out and if you don't work hard enough they will also single you out because it might mean they have to do something (besides sitting behind the controls). It's a real balancing act. You have to do enough to keep the boss happy but not too much so you threaten the lazy crowd.

But beware! Some of those guys (pilots mostly but not limited to...) at work who seem to be your friends, they will go behind your back to the boss and talk sh!t about you so that you don't get to fly, no matter how hard you work, their intention is to sabotage your career. (look up and understand passive aggressive behavior) The sooner you learn this the better. Most pilots will be nice to the guy who cleans their windows, fuels them up and pushes a broom but they will stab you in the back if they think you are progressing to the point where you will take a flight hour away from them. Even those seemingly nice old guys with the white hair... some of them are the biggest f@#kers of all, smile to your face and stab you in the back, they know all the tricks to screw you over because they've been at it so long. Killing you softly, as it were, you would never suspect that they would or are doing it... AND YOU CAN TAKE THAT TO THE BANK !

In short, yes work hard enough but figure out the politics (fit in with out compromising your integrity, if that matters to you?...), that is the key to surviving in this crazy industry.

Welcome to the party and Cheers,

 

W.

[FREDDIE]

Be careful in the helicopter industry your best friend is always willing to step on your shoulders to get ahead. There are no friends in the helicopter bussiness.

[Twin Helix]

Work hard , embrace the grunt work, stay positive. Even if you're the hardest worker in the company, if you're perceived as unduly negative/someone who talks smack about other employees/customers you'll find yourself a perpetual hangar rat.

 

With that being said, there are some places that will promise you the world if you work hard and pay your dues without any intention of ever flying a low-time pilot. Put on some miles, talk to people in the industry (especially recent pilots from your flight school), and do your best to get in with one of the good guys.

 

Welcome to the big top.

[Skidz]

Unfortunately, as Whitestone said, there are all kinds of animals out there. As a general rule though, the hard worker will always win over the slacker.

 

There is one thing in this industry that is over and above all else important for a low-timer looking for that first break, and that's being in the right place at the right time. Unfortunately, all of the hard work in the universe can't guarantee it. If you're looking for that first break, you got to be out there and visible. There's a fine line between being tenacious and being a nuisance, though...

 

Another piece of advice: Never talk sh!it or complain about a coworker behind his/her back. It will almost always come back and bite you in the a$$. The guy you think is your best buddy at work and who you confide in can easily use that against you in the future. If you really have an issue with someone, have it out one on one in private. Nobody likes a backstabber, and when you talk negatively about someone on the job it reflects negatively on you, regardless of whether its true or not. Even if you're in a group conversation and people are being negative about someone else, keep your ears open and your mouth shut. When I hear someone badmouth a coleague or even another pilot in another company, my automatic reflex is to think: "I wonder what this prick says about me when I'm not around"...