rude people

[acmech]

People just do not get it anymore in this country. When one goes to an interview, the interviewers are generally rude, insenitve, and lack good judgement. In trying to change careers from an airline background, other companies away from the aviation sector just do not understand what has happened to the airlines. It is that lack of understanding that has caused more than one job opportunity to fizzle on me in the last year since I was displaced from my job at an airline that is no longer around, bought by another.
Interviewers at other companies assume airline people are going to bail on them ( their biggest unfounded fear) when the airlines start recalling. Not true. The airlines continue to layoff right and left.

 

[RDU Jetblast]

Hang in there acmech. It is not an easy transition to make. I was an A/c/-Avionics mech and made the transition in '94. I found a manufacturer willing to hire me as a field technician to install, start up, and troubleshoot their machinary.

There was a lot of travel involved but it gave me great exposure to many technologies that I couldn't believe existed. Now I work as a tech for a bio medical device company. It was the field service job that got me here.

I took a 50% pay cut from aviation and never really caught up to friends who remained with the airlines but I look at it as I do my 401k portfolio. I'm diversified now and can weather slow economies while my former coworkers are not diversified. They take a higher risk and reap the rewards but if bad things in aviation continue, they'll prone suffer a huge loss.

Just hang in there. The transition and suffering are worth it. Look for entry level work. Because you're an A/C mechanic, you're smart, meticulous, hard working and will advance rapidly. Trust me on this.

 

[acmech]

My hope for the last year has been to find a new job that I can do. Companies outside of the aviation/airline industry just don't get it when it comes to understanding the dynamics of the industry. I have been suffering from their lack of knowledge. All I want is to go back to work and make a living for myself again before I loose my house.

 

[lstwhknight]

[blockquote]
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On 11/20/2002 12:58:39 PM acmech wrote:

My hope for the last year has been to find a new job that I can do. Companies outside of the aviation/airline industry just don't get it when it comes to understanding the dynamics of the industry. I have been suffering from their lack of knowledge. All I want is to go back to work and make a living for myself again before I loose my house.
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[/blockquote]
I know the feeling,everywhere I applied I was told I was overqualified or some other reason,only to see a less qualified person get the job.
Part of it is I believe the company wants young entry level,people willing to take low pay.As they believe it is just a stepping stone to a better job later,for a more qualified person,and the beginner will stay with the company.So they see training them is worth the risk over training you.Which isn't fair,because I have know alot of people feed up with lay offs in the airlines and just want a solid job in any field.
Good luck hope you find something good soon.

P.S. Smaller companies at airport love to hire trained mechanics,as they know what they are getting for far less money.Normally about half.Thats an area you can check out if you can survive off that till better things come along.In either the airlines or non airlines feild.

 

[lstwhknight]

[blockquote]
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On 11/20/2002 12:58:39 PM acmech wrote:

My hope for the last year has been to find a new job that I can do. Companies outside of the aviation/airline industry just don't get it when it comes to understanding the dynamics of the industry. I have been suffering from their lack of knowledge. All I want is to go back to work and make a living for myself again before I loose my house.
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[/blockquote]
Just one thing I forgot to mention,I applied at a chevy dealer for work.I was told cars have changed since I worked on them.I just shook my head in disbelief as I do all my own work on my V12 jaguar XJS.How hard could it be,new cars with remove and replace electronics.I think I can handle that lol.Cant be any harder than trouble shooting a 777.the rest of the car is pretty basic,but the lady service manager didn't think I was good enough.Yeah things have changed employers don't have common sense anymore.

 

[RDU Jetblast]

Some people rightfully think you're overqualified. Jet liners are sophisticated, fascinating, and mysterious to outsiders. Most outsiders think a/c mech's make over $60,000 (& a lot do) and know that the more you make, the more you spend because you've grown accustomed to a life style and less money may give you the incentive to leave when a better job comes along. It happens.

You need to take the mystery out of the equation and educate the interviewer. You're exposed to hydraulics, pnuematics, and aerodynamics. You're exposed to advanced electronics, mechanical principles, have good health, no drug history and should pass a background check with flying colors. Most important- you have valueable troubleshooting skills! You are an ideal candidate. You just have to appeal to the right person.

Engineering firms, manufacturers (of anything)are great places to focus your job search on. Techs at these companies transfer into those positions from places like shipping and receiving. These people learn through trial and error and took the job for the pay increase. They, actually, are the ones responsible for mechanics' reputation as dumb grease monkeys. They are also the reason the pay, in general, is low for technicians.

YOU, however, went out of your way and trained to be a mechanic and will get things accomplished with less trial and error.

You will prove your value to an employer in less than a year. Then, they'll give you decent raises to keep you.

Just accept the fact that you will start at $35-40,000.
You'll be ok once you get over that hump. In the long run you'll be ok.