Phone interview for Airport Ops position!
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tmyers
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Well you know you are on the right track if you made the top five. Polish it a bit more for the next one. It will be a better position for sure.
Kiddo's Driver
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Jim
So now that we know you are looking, how about filling us in on your degree, where you want to live, and what you want to do.
Jim
Jim
overdrive148
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This Sunday, actually, in the evening. Still excited, just a bit bummed considering the whole job thing but I'm trying to keep my head up.
Yeah, it was a bit of a consolation but still. I guess 4 other people are going home disappointed as well! I'm still glad I got an interview and I'm definitely going to keep digging. I learned from the experience and now I know how to handle the next one. I think.
Yeah, I'm actually half a day out of California still (on the road at a rest stop) and I'll send one when I get home. I was going to send one anyway before I heard the result but yeah. What should I go about saying instead? Thanks for the interview etc?
No harm in that! I'm 22, currently live in OK, have an interest in an aviation-centered career. If I had my pick, I'd love to fly for a living but I don't have a commercial ticket or an instrument rating or or or... (yet). Airport ops actually seems pretty nice but I'm not sure if it's 100% my career field. I was hoping the internship would allow me that experience to see if I could handle it and if it would be rewarding for me. I tried applying for ATC but from what I've heard it's an incredibly stressful job for the outstanding pay that you get.
For a flying job, I'd prefer something other than airlines - I want something more hands on and more specific, but again I haven't anything specific. From what I've also heard, flying is often an unforgiving career that can leave you jobless and underpaid for the majority of your early career.
Come Sunday, I'll have a Bachelor's degree in Professional Aeronautics from Embry-Riddle Aeronautics University (with a 3.84 CGPA). The degree gives me a wide base of knowledge on human factors, security, aviation safety, occupational safety and health, air traffic control, aircraft maintenance, and aeronautical science.
I also graduated with minors in Management and Aviation Safety, although personally I think that these are just a way to get a foot in the door to learn those subjects as they actually apply in the real world at work. I have never been a manager.
I was looking into UAV work for a while as that is going to be something major coming up in the next few years. After taking an unmanned aerial systems class, I was told that people like me would be in demand - technical and computer oriented younger guys with pilots licenses. At the same time, I don't know how to code or build the things or do anything else other than learn to fly the things as it relates to my experience.
I tried a year and a half of AFROTC in southern Cali and decided that it was not for me. I just believed I'd be better off staying on the civilian side of things.
Honestly, I think i'm like a lot of fresh graduates who still don't know exactly what they want to do with their lives, career wise, except in a certain field. I love aviation, and the industry too, just have to get my feet wet and try a few different things to see if I can push it further.
I have an ASEL license with something like 96 hours total time between a Cessna and a Musketeer. I haven't flown since 2008 because of college and have put on some 'holy crap I'm free from parents' weight. Eating an entire rotisserie chicken, as it turns out, is a bad idea. I'm working to lose it again, I don't think it'd disqualify me from getting my medical renewed but I'm still not financially set enough yet to go throwing 100-200 dollars at a medical and still not being able to afford more than an hour a month to fly in the first place. I was kind of hoping I could grab a job somewhere else in aviation to help support the flying habit that I hope to eventually grow into a career.
As for where I want to live, the best part about me is I'm pretty much geared to move anywhere for the right job. I'd like it to be somewhere less tornado-infested or sun-scorched than the Central US and west/southwest. I'd prefer to stay in the US as well.
If you guys have any questions or would like to see a resume, I'll post it here for you to take a look at if you want.
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You tell them you aren't desperate and you're telling them there is someone that will do better for them.
Mistake Not...
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Mistake Not...
that's not been my experience. Desperate people are sending a message they aren't wanted by anyone.
IMHO, job shop like you're looking for the best fit, and there are plenty of jobs to choose from. I'm not saying be arrogant or disinterested, but damn.. .don't agree with everything they say. "Why yes, I love sleeping under my desk. Overtime? Hellz ya, I'm the king of overtime. Unpaid you say? I live to serve. I am a door mat, please.. use me."
Uh, no.
"How do you feel about overtime?" "Well, it's occasionally necessary and I'll do what it takes to get the product out the door, but if it's happening consistently there's a problem with the process. I'd work to fix that."
IMHO, job shop like you're looking for the best fit, and there are plenty of jobs to choose from. I'm not saying be arrogant or disinterested, but damn.. .don't agree with everything they say. "Why yes, I love sleeping under my desk. Overtime? Hellz ya, I'm the king of overtime. Unpaid you say? I live to serve. I am a door mat, please.. use me."
Uh, no.
"How do you feel about overtime?" "Well, it's occasionally necessary and I'll do what it takes to get the product out the door, but if it's happening consistently there's a problem with the process. I'd work to fix that."
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SkyHog
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Everything Offends Me
Did you tell them "I am not desperate?"
That's not a good thing to say in an interview. Its a good thing to demonstrate, but not a good thing to say.
That's not a good thing to say in an interview. Its a good thing to demonstrate, but not a good thing to say.
overdrive148
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I didn't say "I'm not desperate" about the job - I actually was asked a question about hours and overtime and holidays and pretty much said it the same way Mistake put it. Pretty much that I would work as emergencies dictated, large traffic flows, overtime would be fine but not a rule, and 40 hours a week, pretty much. Holidays I'd work if it was required, but I did mention that I would like to visit family at least one holiday a year.
overdrive148
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Tiny bit necro but I think it's relevant to update the thread!
Thanks to the help of OkieFlyer here, I was able to get an (in person) interview for an airport operations and general maintenance job for the Shawnee airport here in town. I ended up nailing it and got the job last week! Today was my third day on the job and I am enjoying operations quite a bit - it's nice to not look at the clock and ask myself 'when am I out of here?'. It's only part-time, but it's better than nothing!
I'm towing planes, fueling planes, mowing things, it's a blast. And I'm being paid to be around aircraft all day, how great is that? It's no Aspen, but it's a much better environment to start in I think - much slower and less complex than it would have been starting with private jets everywhere
Some pics:
Graduation in SD - hotel view (grad pics incoming still)
Look what I got to bring out of the hangar...
Congrats!
I missed this thread earlier... I worked line service in college and still consider it the most fun job I've had. I couldn't see doing it for a career, but it was fun to be around an airport and get paid.
My brother lives near Aspen, and while it is a very cool place, I'd venture to guess that your quality of life there at $16/hr would be awful. It is quite expensive, and service-type workers have to live in rent-controlled employee housing (which of course there isn't enough) and/or live with tons of roommates, or rent just a room somewhere. Everything costs more of course, so you'd be left with very little money to save or to spend enjoying the area (ie buying gear to hike/bike/camp/climb/ski/etc.).
Enjoy your opportunity in OK and make the most of it!
I missed this thread earlier... I worked line service in college and still consider it the most fun job I've had. I couldn't see doing it for a career, but it was fun to be around an airport and get paid.
My brother lives near Aspen, and while it is a very cool place, I'd venture to guess that your quality of life there at $16/hr would be awful. It is quite expensive, and service-type workers have to live in rent-controlled employee housing (which of course there isn't enough) and/or live with tons of roommates, or rent just a room somewhere. Everything costs more of course, so you'd be left with very little money to save or to spend enjoying the area (ie buying gear to hike/bike/camp/climb/ski/etc.).
Enjoy your opportunity in OK and make the most of it!
denverpilot
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Congrats.