Resume Concern

Hey Mentors,

I have a question that has been worrying me a little bit. This is obviously very premature, but I’m a little worried about my past work experience being an issue when applying for the regionals or majors. I am 30 years old now and for the last 2 years I’ve been working in real estate. However, before I got into real estate I worked a wide variety of different jobs from a bartender, divemaster, EMT, etc. all the way back to when I was a kid. There was probably 10 different jobs with lengths of employment ranging anywhere from 6 months to 2 years. Do you think this could pose an issue and be seen as a lack of stability with my job history?

My best friend was killed when I turned 21 so I decided to go out and have fun for a few years to get different life experiences. I moved all over the place and worked in a lot of different fields. I just don’t want this to be looked at negatively when applying and I’d rather know now if it would affect my chances of being hired down the line.

Thank you so much for your time and any feedback.

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Brian,

First obviously there are no guarantees but I believe you’ll be ok. Right now the Regionals are hiring like crazy so as long as you have the hours and no other blemishes (DUI, checkride busts) you’ll be fine getting hired there. Then after maybe 5-7 years at a Regional you’ll have the consistency a Major would be looking for.

Adam

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You should be fine.

Remember, one of the things the interviewer is asking him/herself is do I want to be in the cockpit with this person for 4 days? I bet you have better stories from your EMT, Divemaster, Bartender days than most other jobs.

If I was the interviewer, you listed 4 jobs where you had to be personable with people you didn’t know. For 2 of those jobs listed you had to be prepared for emergencies that could evolve and change at any moment. It’s all how you look at it.

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Thank you both for getting back to me and for the feedback. It makes me feel a lot better. I really appreciate it.

I’m 46 years and would like to pursue my childhood dream to become a pilot, what’s the cut off age for a career as a regional pilot?

Anthony,

There’s no formal cutoff age that I’m aware of (I know a few that were hired in their late 50’s). BUT, keep in mind mandatory retirement is 65 so you really want to get crackin’. If you start now you could be at a Regional by 48, that gives you a 17yr career. Not too bad.

Adam

The FAA mandates that all pilots retire prior to reaching their 65th birthday, so you actually have plenty of time left. The regionals are happy to hire pilots your age as they value the maturity that they bring to the table.

That being said, you don’t have a lot of time to waste, I would move rather quickly to make this happen if I were you.

Chris

I’m looking for a school, thanks for your advice…