One of my favorite quotes from "Independence Day." But, really, I am a pilot and I can fly. So, I decided to go to my first pilot career conference.
It just so happened that a company was holding a career conference and a bunch of regional airlines were in attendance in Orlando, Florida. The only requirements were that you needed a Commercial Multi-Engine Land (check) and an instrument airplane rating (check). Even better, pilots with less than 400 hours could sign up for $50 less than those with over 400 hours.
Some of the people I talked to, more specifically the lower time pilots I talk to, thought it was silly. They said that there was no way I was going to get hired when I went there so it was just a waste of money. On the contrary, I thought it was massively successful. In an age where you are mostly a number or a name with no face or any personality, I felt that talking to recruiters would give my resume that extra oomph. Now, it's entirely possible that they took my resume, chatted with me and then just tossed it in the "this guy isn't close" pile. Of course, from a pessimist's point of view, even that isn't bad. It shows that I am going out of my way to get a job. I'm not just sitting at home spamming peoples' email account using as minimal effort as I could. So I had to spend $30 and drive 2 hours to Orlando. Big deal.
Anyways, I showed up at the conference with a friend and we went table to table talking to recruiters and "head pilots." A lot of the information I received was pretty much what I thought. I need more time. I have all the multi-engine time I need, but I need more total time. It isn't a secret that in order to be hired, you need 500 hours total time compared to my 210. You do hear of the rare case of the guy with 350 hours getting hired but never a guy with 200. I knew that going in.
What I did get was some good face time. I talked to an assistant chief pilot at Air Wisconsin; an airline that, ironically, only has one flight to Wisconsin. I asked him what they were looking for in new hires. He said: ability to learn lots of information, enough total time, and personable or can hold a conversation with him. Being that you can spend upwards of 16 hours a day locked in a room with just one other person, not being a douche is probably a pretty good thing. So, after chatting about Ohio State and going to the Academy, I once again realized why I was there. Even though I didn't meet minimums for hiring, I was networking and making connections. It was far more valuable than that meager $30 I paid to enter or the $30 I spent in gas.
When I left the guy before heading out, he said that as soon as I get the required time, to email him. He wasn't the only one who said it. I was now a face and a name. I was someone they could work with. Now, to start building time...
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