Career Tips

"I have a little shadow that goes in and out with me, and what can be the use of him is more than I can see."—Robert Louis Stevenson

As pilots our employment and training history moves with us, just like a shadow. We can’t eliminate it, but we can and must learn from it lest we be doomed to repeat the same mistakes.

For some of us, those shadows are memories of almost-incidents and training glitches that hopefully will one day remind us to straighten up and fly right. I still recall my “almost” runway incursion some years ago after a two-hour delay in New Orleans. Eager to be on our way, I nearly taxied onto an active runway. Jamming on the brakes, I had to remind myself that our most dangerous seconds are those following a brain spooldown that inevitably occurs during a ground or flight delay.

But failures don’t have to be total downers if we learn from them and move on. One of my clients told me that he’d failed his initial operating experience flying in the airplane while at his first real airline job, but he did just fine in ground school and in the simulator. An experienced CFI allowed his student to land gear-up while he was right there, instructing but not paying close attention. A third pilot failed his pre-oral exam after squeaking through ground school and the company suggested he resign, not wanting him to have an official failure on his FAA record.

These pilots were sure they’d never get another job flying, yet within six months each one found employment at another airline. Each pilot was able to swallow his pride, jump back into the airplane, and learn from the devastating experience. They found that what one airline disliked or found disqualifying in a candidate did not necessarily hold true of another.

Demonstrate that you’ve learned from your mistakes and are willing to honestly face your shortcomings, and you’ll find most employers are willing to give you a second chance. Show that you’ve learned from your experience so that your past doesn’t haunt you. Discuss any glitches in a factual manner, showing how you’ve worked to overcome your shortcomings, and you’ll find a whole world of helping hands waiting to assist you.