... Stuff about how others are "treating you" (thinly veiled in calling it a societal problem): There's an aspect of this that is "victim goggles". Others can see the blame in your head, without you even realizing that it shows. You'll ooze it. People give off a feel of distrust when they think others are against them and others really do pick up on it.
If you let that repeating message play inside your head while acting happy to someone, you'll still say little things in a way that gives it away. ...
This is critically important wisdom. I have interviewed hundreds of people for jobs over the years and my interviews have evolved to the point where there is only one question that has become a clear disqualifier:
"Tell me about the last place you worked. How did you like the people you worked with? How about your supervisor and the company management?"
There is a concept in psychology called "projection." A psychologist would give you a complicated explanation but my simple takeaway is that we see and expect from other people the behaviors that we ourselves exhibit. This is why, for example, an honest man is the easiest man to cheat.
So when applicants tell me that their co-workers were liars, lazy, idiots, politicians, ass-kissers, .... whatever, they usually project the same things onto their supervisors and company management. The vast majority of the time they are also telling me about themselves. Sometimes not, which I can usually tell when specific examples of bad events are included, but when it is a general blast at the world, which they mostly are, I end the interview fairly quickly.
David, when you say you lost your Fedex job for "stupid reasons that were my fault" I wonder how you would answer my qualifying question.
On a positive note, I agree with the many who have encouraged you to talk to smaller companies. I also agree with the comments on networking -- particularly among pilots and aviation-savvy people. If I am Joe Blow hiring supervisor I assign no value to your CFI because I don't understand it. I assign a little value to your Aviation Management degree because it is a degree but I don't understand that one either. Your win probability is higher at places where the hiring supervisor understands the effort and skills involved in your accomplishments.
Lots of good advice here. A few people who don't understand that most of life is about luck, but don't worry about them. Before most of us here had pooped in our first diaper, we had already won the lottery. American, white, middle class, parents who valued and could pay for education, ... It's a tough world out there. No matter how hard the garbage picker in Delhi works and no matter how smart he is, he will never be the president of General Motors. Said another way, luck is a necessary but not sufficient precursor to success. Good luck!
