more attractive?

[Chick Deflector]

As a student working towards my commercial, would it be wise to further my education with a management diploma/business diploma to make myself more attractive to a potential employer? Or would it be best to get stuck into the job hunting ?

How many pilots out there have added to their bag of tricks? It is my understanding that when it gets quiet a few skills other than coffee making/broom pushing can come in handy. Any thoughts? Can I fit in another Question?

[skypig]

No
Yes
Lots
Not realy unless those skills can earn you some money while looking for a job.
See above
Yes

[wheatbix]

No
Yes
Lots
Not realy unless those skills can earn you some money while looking for a job.
See above
Yes

Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed

As for all your questions Chick, I suspect that the time/money you'd spend getting the degree/diploma or whatever would be better spent on getting IREX/ATPL done, and maybe a nvfr on the side.

The problem as I've found is that if you start a degree, you spend half your time at uni which means two things: a) you can't take up a full time job without leaving, and b) you're tied down to where your uni is (ie you can't move somewhere else).

It really depends where you want to end up. If you want to do utility/fire bombing sort of work, then you might not even need IREX & ATPL - concentrate on getting the job, whereas if you want to end up in offshore/EMS sort of work, then IREX & ATPL will look a lot better.

I'm currently stuck in uni at the moment. While I know I'd rather be a pilot, it's nice to know that I'll always have a fallback position if my medical ever gets pulled, because no matter how many hours you've got down in your logbook, they're not going to get you a job.

Just some food for thought

[Chick Deflector]

Good, good listening all ears but I’ll be a little more specific. Lets say it was an eighteen month Adventure Tourism Management Diploma course with six months of that being in an internship, 30 hours a week pay with a major heli operation? Not sure if it changes the basic idea of getting something a little closer to aviation such as ATPL/IREX but what do you think?

[wheatbix]

That sounds alright, but it just depends on how busy you are and whether or not you can score a job while doing the diploma. I'd say get your licence first, then if you really want to, do this diploma. Having said that, if you manage to get a job flying after you finish your licence, take the job, otherwise do the diploma. (I think i just went around in circles).

If you're able to study and fly, great. But if its one or the other, i'd take the flying option.

Wait and see what the others around here say...

[Capt Hollywood]

It might sound blunt but do you want to be a pilot or something else. Put all your energy into what you want to do and there's a good chance you'll get what you want.

CH

[wheatbix]

It might sound blunt but do you want to be a pilot or something else. Put all your energy into what you want to do and there's a good chance you'll get what you want.

CH

That's what I was trying to say, only nicely

Once you've got the hours in the logbook and you want to move on (into management or whatever), do the course then.

[skypig]

I think sometimes having other skills can work against you. I’ve seen it happen.

Remember inexperienced pilots are “10 a penny” (sorry but that’s the way it is)

Eg: a big survey/ferry job comes up, boss say’s “sorry pilot A, I’m sending pilot B on the job because you are needed here to; answer the phone/make tea/close the sales/do the accounts, as B can’t do that”. Then next time - “we have to send B because he’s got the experience”.

Less scrupulous people might see you as a cheap (insert title of qualification here) and use the lure of flight time to save money – leading to the above situation.

The best way to get hired is a positive attitude and persistence.

As Captain Hollywood says if you want to be a pilot, be a pilot.

SP

[six-three Bravo]

G'Day CD,

I have a masters degree in business and a science degree. If I had my time over again I would apply all my energies and money into becoming a heli pilot and getting a job doing tourist work possibly in the Territory or WA.

Once you get your licence camp yourself im Katherine or Kunnanurra and you will get a job if you are prepared to wait and do anything and not complain.

Forget uni it doesn't mean anything in the heli industry.

Cheers

six-three bravo

[Chick Deflector]

It has been good to hear from a few out there. Skypig it had crossed my mind, what you had to say about getting stuck behind the desk because of other qualifications. Yes getting out there sounds like the idea rather than being a student for another year although there is a large temptation at the end of the tunnel, I shall work it out. Thanks for all the talk, cheers.

[Euroslapper]

Well said 63B, I have a science degree and a law degree and CPL(H) and CPL(A) with a command instrument rating and have been working as a lawyer for the past three years. I got sick of driving a desk all day and resigned two weeks ago to hit the road and concentrate on building some flying hours and actually doing a job i enjoy.

I have found that my other qualifications tend to be a detriment rather than a benefit, to the extent that I am consdiering removing them from my resume.

If I had my time over I would concentrate on what I enjoy and focus all of my energy on that. Figuring that out when you are striaght out of school is the hard thing, and Uni is a great time.

[helothere]

Some interesting points raised but there is also the other side of the coin when it comes to extra skills. If I was a small operator looking at a list of low time pilots, I'd certainly be interested in what else each could offer. Sales and marketing, computer skills even building skills might be useful. Sure I'd be employing a pilot but there is more to a day than just burning around the sky.

I guess what I am trying to say is that extra skills can make you more attractive to a potential employer as well. I basically earned my first few hundred hours in return for web stuff and other work. It was certainly a good hand to play when trying to get myself strapped in to someones machine. It took a while but it was easier to talk to someone else with 400 hours than it was with 72.

[skypig]

Euroslapper raises another point about resumes.

We are all proud of our hard earned qualifications and like to see them on a resume, especially a resume that could have a few more hrs on it, but.

Consider carefully what you do put on – surprisingly including IREX / ATPL subjects might not be in your best interest if applying for a job that doesn’t require them. To some employers these subjects say “I’m just here flying your 44 until I get the call from Bristow”
Putting law degree on might say “this guy/guylett will never be happy working for the wage I’m paying.
Less may be more, and I’d suggest gaining non aviation quals would rarely be worth the effort when it comes to a career in professional flying.
Just my opinion

SP

[six-three Bravo]

Could any operators, chief pilots and ops managers shed light on what they prefer. Do they want us to put on our non flying high powered corporate and tertiary quals on our resumes or is this a waste of space? Thanks to the pig for your opinion. I just want to see if this is the concensus.

If some older low time pilots are prepared to leave our high paying corporate jobs its because we are miserable with what we are currently doing and truely value flying helicopters, our real passion.

We are choosing lifestyle and job satisfaction over money and corporate bullsh-t.

Believe me once your experience the slow death of corporate 9 to 5 and sitting in a box all day looking at a computer screen you will accept the low pay flying initially offers.

Cheers

six-three Bravo