The job field

[daws901]

Hi all,

I have been reading quite a bit about how bad the industry is at the moment and that job prospects are very low. I am currently in Vancouver having activated my visa (originally from UK). I have worked in the financial audit for 3 years (qualifying as an accountant in the process) and then as a market researcher/ energy consultant for an electric utility company. I definitely want to do something more practical and have always loved the idea of flying. I have great spatial awareness, technical ability, fantastic physicality and seek a level of professionalism in a job which I think piloting can deliver. 

I know anyone new to the aviation industry has an incredibly hard time breaking into it, but I feel my past skills (in finance) offer something more than just piloting (once trained) that would give extra value to a company hiring me and would limit the chances of me washing people's boots/ sweeping floors. Ideally, I would absolutely love to break into the tourism industry/ heliskiing trips. I've probably got my head in the clouds, but am extremely determined to make it a reality.

The cost wall is becoming less of a concern as I get older (currently 28). I am looking at Chinook Helicopters as training providers, partly because I think they look the most professional and Cathy's connections might be highly valuable (it isn't what you know, its who you know logic)

Does anyone have any constructive comments they can offer? 

Thanks!!

[Longline]

Keep you accounting job!!!

[Heliduck]

There’s no shortcuts to gaining experience, so if you want to sidestep sweeping the hangar floor you could try focussing on a full time accounting job with a company & hope to get a few flights occasionally as opposed to a full time flying job & doing accounting on the side. Eventually you’ll have enough time & might be able to shuffle onto the flight line.

Whatever you do, don’t run the budget on what it will cost you financially to leave a well paid professional occupation & chase flying, it will demoralise you. If you really want to do it then go for it, by the time you have invested enough to get your licence you’ll have a lot more information on which to base your decision on. 

[freck]

If you think washing boots and sweeping floors is beneath you then you really have no idea what it takes to get flying. But go ahead and give Cathy your money it's good for our economy. 

[ridgeline]

One of the best bits of advice I've ever been given was by a co-worker of mine when he looked at my resume. We were both in the process of looking for new jobs, and I had the flying job I had at the time, as well as all the other jobs I'd ever had on there. He said "you want to keep flying helicopters or build more decks and finish some more concrete? Get those other jobs off of there"  He was right.

Don't offer your accounting skills, or your self proclaimed spatial awareness (whatever that is), or your fantastic physicality (whatever that is) to your future employer, you're trying to get a job flying, not a job as an accountant with good spatial awareness.  Pick up a broom, be willing to spill some fuel on your boots and wash other guys windows.  (not trying to be a prick here just my honest 2 bits...)

Other than that, I second what Freck said.

 

 

[R0T0R]

If you seek a professional environment I’d suggest fixed wing. 

[bs205]

Start out heli skiing. Sounds great. Maybe some firefighting on the side. 

[DGP]

I thought that was a good one as well...start out heli skiing.Maybe try moving drills on a longline for a start up job....or like a certain company i won't name...start by going spraying...saw that guy  roll up a jetbox his first week on the job.Haven't ever seen him again...strange.

[shakey]

Hi all,

I have been reading quite a bit about how bad the industry is at the moment and that job prospects are very low.

That first sentence should answer your question. The industry is so bad that even the Australians and Kiwis are whining about having there jobs stolen by foreigners.

[Bif]

15 hours ago, ridgeline said:

Don't offer your accounting skills, or your self proclaimed spatial awareness (whatever that is), or your fantastic physicality (whatever that is) to your future employer, you're trying to get a job flying, not a job as an accountant with good spatial awareness.  Pick up a broom, be willing to spill some fuel on your boots and wash other guys windows.  (not trying to be a prick here just my honest 2 bits...)

It's the ultimate low-timer trap. If you establish that you are good at something non-aviation that benefits the company in a significant way, be prepared to have that skill exploited @ 100-hour pilot pay and your flying progression put on the back burner. Next thing you know, you're earning just enough to make it unappealing to return to a straight 100-hr pilot job, but you're severely underpaid compared to your non-aviation peers, and you haven't logged a meaningful flight hour in so long that your skills have degraded and new hires are bypassing you while you fly a desk. Not that I'm speaking from personal experience, but it's a trap I've seen more than one person fall into.