AVIATION CAREER UPDATE – October 27, 2009

By Gene Benson

In my last two career updates I gave some very pessimistic views of hiring prospects in the aviation industry. Most of the information coming out of the industry is still quite negative, but for now, lets look at the glass half full rather than half empty.

Though the economy is still suffering some business aviation operators are beginning to tip toe back into airplane ownership. They might not be going into the high end, ultra luxurious jets of five years ago, but they are getting back in the air and that means more employment opportunities.

I have said many times in this space that airline hiring drives the industry. But it appears that any recovery in the industry will have to take place aside from filling gaps left when the airlines hire folks away from other industry segments. I don't see much hope that there will be any significant airline hiring in the near future. But maybe that's not all bad. Maybe the industry needs to mature to the point that it no longer regards every other industry segment as an airline training ground. That's probably going to take awhile, but it would result in more stable and prosperous careers in all other aspects of the industry. We'll have to wait and see on that one.

On the bright side of the hiring picture, it's now been about a year since the industry imploded upon itself. How is that good? It works like this. In the first three months after a major layoff, employees are still available for a call-back. After about six months, some have moved on and don't go back. After a year, very few are still available and that opens the door for new hires.

So my current advice is this. I'll cautiously say that it might be OK to start training if you haven't already done so. Just don't put all your eggs in one basket. If you are employed, consider training part-time and still keeping your job. Don't go way into debt to pay for training that might not lead to employment as soon as it is completed. And by all means, concentrate on building a career that can serve as a safety net if an aviation career is delayed or possibly never happens. If you have completed training and are looking for a flying job, keep yourself current in the cockpit but also work toward having a fall-back plan if you don't already have one.

There are always opportunities for those with the skills and drive to succeed.

If you would like to discuss your career goals and possible ways to reach them, please contact me at gene@genebenson.com or click here for a handy, secure comment/inquiry form. If you would just like to chat, call me at 585-392-3068. I do not charge for career advice or for answering a few questions.

If you are not a rated pilot yet, advice that will always stand is to choose the flight training program wisely. Click here to read the first part of a four-part article on choosing flight training.

Check back often, I'll update this feature as necessary.

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