Breaking into the corporate world

[27 driver]

I am about to get furloughed again. I am tired of starting over in the 121 world and would like to find a corporate gig. I have been told that many corporate gigs won't look at people that have the "121 stink" on them. Is this true. My question is how do I get started. I plan on making the rounds to all the local FBO's. Any other suggestions. I need a job bad. I have plenty of international experience and glass as well. Help a cracker out.

 

[Gulfstream 200]

I am about to get furloughed again. I am tired of starting over in the 121 world and would like to find a corporate gig. I have been told that many corporate gigs won't look at people that have the "121 stink" on them. Is this true. My question is how do I get started. I plan on making the rounds to all the local FBO's. Any other suggestions. I need a job bad. I have plenty of international experience and glass as well. Help a cracker out.

NO, the 121 "stink" wont keep you from getting a corporate job at all....just dont bring the bad 121 attitude and customer service with you the interview....common sense stuff. The ones who claim this "stink" is what's keeping them from breaking into corporate are usually in denial.

2 of the last 2 newhires we had were 121 pilots. They are making the transition pretty well.

Start networking like crazy, join all the other corporate flying boards, they are about $10/year and will provide you with a ton of information.

I'd also call before visiting anyone these days, sometimes drop-ins are not welcome...I have seen it many times.

Good Luck!

 

[400A]

I am about to get furloughed again. I am tired of starting over in the 121 world and would like to find a corporate gig. I have been told that many corporate gigs won't look at people that have the "121 stink" on them. Is this true. My question is how do I get started. I plan on making the rounds to all the local FBO's. Any other suggestions. I need a job bad. I have plenty of international experience and glass as well. Help a cracker out.

From what I have seen, It will not keep you from transitioning, but it will slow you. As G200 said, attitude is everything. No all day union complaining in the cockpit. There are some on are field that 121 is the kiss of death, others may pounce on your international experience.

Fractionals do not mind at all.

What ever you do, don't say "Help a Cracker out" at the airport or near any HR person.:laugh:


Good Luck!

 

[jet2work]

Another consideration is that many 121 guys that have been furloughed in the past and claim to have found Fortune 500 religion have bolted back into the arms of the Devil whenever he came a callin'.

That is to say that your fellow furloughed airline brothers gave the same story as you whenever they were laid off. A corporate operator hired them and sent them to school (20K to 45K for a jet type) and a few years later, when the guy gets recalled, he's gone.

Well, this is America, and that is his right. But fool me twice....... I think the biggest impediment to a 121 guy getting a corporate job (besides the union mentality, and lack of customer service thought) is the fear that the guy is only using this job to get him through the furlough. Why should we spend the time and money on him???

Lastly (and just a complete ramble without any empirical evidence to back it up...) I have met precious few airline pilots who were not absolutely obsessed with experiencing the real estate between a flight attendant's legs. I know guys who bid their schedules based on who the FA's were. Well, in the corporate world, that is a huge liability. You might be able to get away with that in a 121 environment, but in a corporate flight department that is poison.

Good luck.

 

[Capt1124]

I hear you saying that your airline job is down the tubes, and you need a job, so you would like to find a corporate job. Apparently because no airlines are hiring now and you want someting to pay the bills until job cycle turns upward again. Not to be harsh, but why is that my problem?

Awhile back when times were better, every once in awhile a regional pilot would ask "How do I get into corporate?" Apparently feeling sick of the grind, and without upgrade prospects at the regional, a nice cushy corporate gig might be more fun. Again why is that my problem?

I used to get resumes from retired airline captains with 20,000 hours who were applying to fly a light corporate jet. I had trouble believing a 65 year old guy like this really is of the mindset to do all the chores required to keep an operation like this going.

In 121 the customer is nothing, zero, a threat on a bad day, an annoyance on a good day. In corporate the customer is not always right, the customer is not even king, the customer is *GOD*.

If you want an aviation department manager to offer you a job, he will have to believe you will make his life easier rather than harder, not embarrass him, and not cost the company a bunch of money.

 

[learflyer]

It's amazing all of these "I want to quit 121, and break into the corporate world" posts over the last two years or so. This is on all of the message boards. I remember when corporate or even fractional guys (most airline guys never even heard of NJA) were frowned upon. I remember one specific instance where a Delta Captain asked me when I'm "coming over." And "you have a vested interest to come here." Good luck, and I hope you find something.

 

[BoilerUP]

Capt1124, may I ask if your 727 experience was 121 or 91, and if you did that before or after getting your Lear and Westwind types?

Respectfully,

A former regional airline FO turned corporate pilot

 

[imisscorplife]

I hear you saying that your airline job is down the tubes, and you need a job, so you would like to find a corporate job. Apparently because no airlines are hiring now and you want someting to pay the bills until job cycle turns upward again. Not to be harsh, but why is that my problem?

Awhile back when times were better, every once in awhile a regional pilot would ask "How do I get into corporate?" Apparently feeling sick of the grind, and without upgrade prospects at the regional, a nice cushy corporate gig might be more fun. Again why is that my problem?

I used to get resumes from retired airline captains with 20,000 hours who were applying to fly a light corporate jet. I had trouble believing a 65 year old guy like this really is of the mindset to do all the chores required to keep an operation like this going.

In 121 the customer is nothing, zero, a threat on a bad day, an annoyance on a good day. In corporate the customer is not always right, the customer is not even king, the customer is *GOD*.

If you want an aviation department manager to offer you a job, he will have to believe you will make his life easier rather than harder, not embarrass him, and not cost the company a bunch of money.

Please stop assuming that all 121 pilots think like this! A majority care about their passengers and make an extra effort in customer service to say hi and meet/greet people as they come on the plane. Also you might be dealing with 50-300 passengers on 1 flight vs. 1-15 on a corp flight. So obviously its all about quality vs. quantity in corporate and 121 has to make sacrifices sometimes. Ive been in 91 corp and 121 regional and I have flown with many good people on both sides, but trust me, there are a$$holes wherever you go. Attitude is key no matter where or what you fly!! Good luck with a new job!! We need to support each other!!

 

[jet2work]

<<Ive been in 91 corp and 121 regional and I have flown with many good people on both sides...>>

Given your screen name I'm guessing that you are no longer a corporate pilot.

Given that you have worked both 91 and 121, I'm guessing that you worked a corporate job and left it to pursue the "brass ring" of an airline job. No?

This is a familiar and tired story for many corporate operator. We hire you. We like you. You like us. We TYPE you. You leave because flying a 747 is the only thing that you think will impress the ladies (I'm just kidding).

You got a Citation type. Again, I am guessing that your employer paid for it. Given your low total time, I'm guessing that maybe they even gave you a break in the business. In the good ol' days many pilots flew for many thousands of hours before getting a jet job - some never did (and that's OK - a King Air is a GREAT aiplane).

Lastly, you probably used that type to prove your worth to a "Commuter / Regional" airline.

Why on Earth would a corporate operator hire a guy who left a corporate job to fly for a regional (poor judgement).

Please do not take this as a personal assault against you. This is just a guy on the other side trying to explain to you why you will not be getting any responses to the resumes that you send to corporate flight departments. We get so many of them, that it has become sport around the office.

I wish all of you luck in finding employment.

 

[BoilerUP]

Why on Earth would a corporate operator hire a guy who left a corporate job to fly for a regional (poor judgement).

I know a guy recently hired at a F100 company that did exactly that...