I’m Michael and seriously looking into a career change. Currently checking off the prerequisite to become a prime candidate for acceptance into ATP. But a first-time poster, so please be gentle.
I am curious about gathering more information on the availability of projected CFI opening near me? There is a lot of great information in this form, like approximate wait times after completing ATP training and extra training to pursue while at ATP. Besides treating day one of trainings like an interview, is there any other advice? Such as who else to communicate with or how I could increase the prospect of being hired at a location near me?
Welcome to the forum, thanks for poking around before checking in with your questions. Firstly, you’re asking about a location without giving any geographical position. The short answer of the stick to “availability of projected CFI opening near me” is like winning the lottery, you’ll either hit the jackpot, small money or not at all. It’s tough to say where and when a CFI position will open up because ATP strives to keep the student to instructor ratio in a manageable value that way you as a student are getting the best training you can while the instructor is averaging around 80 hours a month (if that’s still the goal, which a presumption is, it is). Near the end of your training, both the Lead Instructor and Training Center Support Specialist would write a recommendation based on your overall performance from Day 1 to present.
Everyday you’re a student at ATP is like an interview, as long as you finish in good standing and get your certificates, you could expect an offer from ATP. For your specific location, boils down to the need of the training center. This is where things can get hairy, if your training center is not experiencing a lot of foot traffic in student population, you may see a few instructors rather than one of the larger locations that have 15 instructors. Other than performing well in the training aspect of things, being a team leader and positive influencer in the training center is something I believed is valued extremely. I always said, I would rather work with someone who is positive, comes with a smile and works hard no matter the circumstances rather than someone that dogs through the day, is sour about what they have to do that day, and finds the little things to complain about. There will always be things you love and not love (unless you’re Adam, have you SEEN his schedules!) about a job, but I believe it comes to the person to find the drive and motivation to perform their very best in their environment. Peer-to-peer assistance will help someone learn more than just reading a book, the interactions you have at the training center and in classrooms will better you off than reading a book (IMO).
Thanks for the quick response, Brady!
Im specifically looking into the TKI location north of Dallas, Texas. The Dallas area seems to be a somewhat busy area for ATP, considering the number of locations around here. However, i can still recognize that the situation for an opening is similar to a lottery. Appreciate the advice and the recommendation for checking out Adam’s schedule!
Instructor requirements are fluid, and you should not plan based on them. As the mentors recommend, focus on your training and what will make you successful. There is a lot of work to be done first. ATP is also always looking at new locations in Texas, there may be even more options available when you’re a CFI. At this time, we are seeking as many as 5 graduate instructors for TKI (McKinney).
The best thing you can do is excel as a student. Once you complete the program and are offered a CFI position, then you can decide what makes the most sense with the available options. So much of it is simply timing.
With that being said, the Dallas area has 3 locations, Austin 2, San Antonio 2, and Houston has 2. Thats 9 locations in your home state. You might be able to get one nearby with the option to transfer a little later on.
