What should I do?!?!?!!?

[Sparker]

Well.... time is going by awfully quickly!

 

Some of you know I have moved. I just got in last week to our new home in Monterey, CA. (So long, Nebraska!) After I pass my medical, I need to find a part time, or temporarily full time job to help get me through training.

 

I applied for a part time position as a TSO. I am wondering if the part time job I get will be of any help later on. For example is there any good aviation experience that can help me look better to future employers? Should I go for something high paying or low stress so I can focus on learning?

 

What jobs got you guys through it? Anything to avoid? Should I take the first offer?

 

I have retail, construction and computer repair experience.

 

Jobs I have thought about:

 

Hotel Night Clerk

Motorcycle Shop Work

Retail: Best Buy, Home Depot

Golf course Security (Pebble Beach)

Construction

 

I want it to be enjoyable, but I also need the casholla, so I don't know what the priority should be. If the jobs sucks, I won't be able to focus, if it doesn't pay enough I won't be able to keep up without getting a loan.

 

Thanks for the advice guys.

 

Bye.

Edited February 4, 2008 by Sparker

[brushfire21]

Welcome to Cali Sparker! Unfort I do not have any ideas for you, but maybe check craigslist and check the local ads which I am ure your on top of.

 

But my vote is for Construction or Security maybe? But working retail could make you more money inthe end if you can sell good and make a percentage of what you sell.

[mechanic]

Sparker,

My plan was to continue to work full time at up to 50 hrs week while flying part time. Well, it hasn't gone as planned. I still do the same job flying part part part time...... Life happens when we least expect it.

 

I would suggest flying full time through your PPL, then get a job. By then you will have gotten past a lot of the newbie-ness of learning to fly. I should have waited myself until I could have devoted full time to my PPL. Learn from my mistakes..

 

Good luck!

[rjl2001]

Something to think about might be getting a job as a lineman at the local airport. May not pay what you're looking for, but you can get information from lots of pilots, or even make some contacts for later on.

 

Aside from that, I would say go with a relatively stress free job. Don't want to be stressed out from work to go fly and get even more stressed learning to fly. And if a job was slow enough and they allowed some studying in the downtime, that couldn't hurt.

 

Couldn't tell you what got me threw it though, as I've yet to start my training also.

[ADRidge]

Maybe ask around the FBO's, see if anyone needs a fuel guy, or someone to wash planes. My buddy paid his way through CFI washing a King Air 350 and being the all-around gopher for some small fixed-wing 135.

[betr_thn_Icarus]

I have recently decided to quit temporarily. I have my private and am nearing 100 hours. I quit my cushy corporate job in Nevada and moved to Florida where there are a ton of schools. The goal was to get away from where there were little schools and SSH. I already went through the whole school dropping out from under you thing and wanted something better. Now I have not been able to find work even with a lot of experience and a degree. I spent a lot of money starting a handyman business and the economy here is about to crash or in the dive already. I have seen $15 to $20 an hour jobs drop to $8 to $10 in just 6 months. I am quitting to enter the police academy and have a stable job. Then I will have 3 days off then 4 days off rotating every other week. THEN I will be able to go back to flying on those days. But for 6 months in the academy I will not have time to fly. It will be every day from 8-5 M-F and some SAT.

 

Why do I do it? Because I can....but sometimes I wonder if it's worth it.

[Sparker]

Thanks guys- I think a front desk at a hotel is looking more appealling.... unless I can wash some rich guy's plane. I would be able to study in my down time.

 

 

Keep um coming!

[Guest pokey]

I was talking w/ an older gentleman quite a few years back & he was good at retail & construction too. He told me he put his 2 sons thru engineering school. He built his own trailer/weenie wagon & claimed to make 30 thousand/year (mostly under table) workng not all that hard & part time. Let me know your location & make sure you have onions, chili, hot peppers, & i'll be there for lunch too, i love hot dawgs !

[Sparker]

I was talking w/ an older gentleman quite a few years back & he was good at retail & construction too. He told me he put his 2 sons thru engineering school. He built his own trailer/weenie wagon & claimed to make 30 thousand/year (mostly under table) workng not all that hard & part time. Let me know your location & make sure you have onions, chili, hot peppers, & i'll be there for lunch too, i love hot dawgs !

 

Apparently I am missing something.....

 

Thanks pokey.... I think

[John90290]

I second the craigslist opportunity as well. There are a lot of retail and hotel type jobs available in that area. Career builder had quite a few jobs in neighboring Salinas.

 

http://www.careerbuilder.com

 

 

You could always find this guy and ask him for work..

 

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/pop...15&src=news

 

 

Good luck and welcome to Cali!

[Guest pokey]

Apparently I am missing something.....

 

Thanks pokey.... I think

 

oh sorry Sparker, maybe this site will help you understand what i meant?

 

 

http://www.hotdogbook.com/

 

 

i am in no way connected to this man OR his site,,, i just googled it for clarity & i love a good streeet vendor hot dawg !

 

 

ANLOTHER PLUS !!! i bet ya every hot dawg lover ya serve owns a computer & you can fix 'em too? i bet my last bottom dollar that every hot dawg lover has puter problems now & again !!

 

 

<edited for additional brilliant idea>

Edited February 4, 2008 by pokey

[Sparker]

oh sorry Sparker, maybe this site will help you understand what i meant?

 

 

http://www.hotdogbook.com/

 

 

i am in no way connected to this man OR his site,,, i just googled it for clarity & i love a good streeet vendor hot dawg !

 

 

ANLOTHER PLUS !!! i bet ya every hot dawg lover ya serve owns a computer & you can fix 'em too? i bet my last bottom dollar that every hot dawg lover has puter problems now & again !!

 

 

<edited for additional brilliant idea>

 

"I'm Mike Chilton this is my website, and there are no others like it." Nuff said.

 

Pokey- You have changed my life! Forget helicopters! hotdawgs4life!

 

" 450 hot dogs are eaten every second of every day of every year " (By Rosie O'Donnell)

Edited February 4, 2008 by Sparker

[Sparker]

I interview at the airport tomorrow as a Lineman. I have no experience in this. What should I know about the job(skills needed, job duties, etc..) to impress my prospective boss?

[JeffmK]

I interview at the airport tomorrow as a Lineman. I have no experience in this. What should I know about the job(skills needed, job duties, etc..) to impress my prospective boss?

 

I'd just make sure the employer knows you have an interest in aviation, they usually prefer that in line service over someone who can't identify a C172 from a Kingair. Other than that the job is mostly about safety; making sure you use the correct fuel grade and type, staying away from props and rotors, preventing static electricity, sampling fuel, not towing wings/rotors into buildings, etc. Customer service is the other thing, since you are usually the first person a customer sees representing the FBO. So things like offering to wash the windows, wash the airplane, giving rides, and all that helps. It's pretty easy stuff, and you'll learn some things about aviation you wouldn't have otherwise.

[Sparker]

Well,

 

I had an interview at a FBO. Sort of. He said he wanted to meet with me, so I arrived at the agreed time, he got in late from a flight and was getting ready for ground school. He said "Your gonna have to walk with me while we do this thing" So we had a walking interview, the most awkward in my entire life. No eye contact... he called me Scott. (Not my name)

 

After he got his stuff in order, we went inside to take a seat. He said "Mind if I eat, haven't had lunch?" The rest of the time I watched him eat. I was so caught off guard, it had to be the worst interview ever. Pretty bummed. Guess its of to the lumber yard to build a Hot Dog Cart.

[Hovergirl]

Well,

 

I had an interview at a FBO. Sort of. He said he wanted to meet with me, so I arrived at the agreed time, he got in late from a flight and was getting ready for ground school. He said "Your gonna have to walk with me while we do this thing" So we had a walking interview, the most awkward in my entire life. No eye contact... he called me Scott. (Not my name)

 

After he got his stuff in order, we went inside to take a seat. He said "Mind if I eat, haven't had lunch?" The rest of the time I watched him eat. I was so caught off guard, it had to be the worst interview ever. Pretty bummed. Guess its of to the lumber yard to build a Hot Dog Cart.

 

See there? If you'd had a hot dog cart you would have gotten his attention!

 

Good luck out there. Get something with minimal stress so you can focus and sleep at night. Don't forget to sleep once in a while....

 

HVG

[Billwants2fly]

See there? If you'd had a hot dog cart you would have gotten his attention!

 

Good luck out there. Get something with minimal stress so you can focus and sleep at night. Don't forget to sleep once in a while....

 

HVG

 

I owned a hot dog cart and its not as easy as some would like to make you think it is. You have to deal with the health department and you need a commisary...not that easy to get a restaurant to let you use their facilities to store your food,prep your food and then clean your equipment up when your done. The big reason they don't like it is the health department must inspect their restaurant to see if they qaulify to be a commisary...make sure they have enough storage for your food etc. They just don't want any more health dept visits than they already get. I also think you should get a minimal stress job and focus on your flight training.

[Crusty Old Dude]

Well,

 

I had an interview at a FBO. Sort of. He said he wanted to meet with me, so I arrived at the agreed time, he got in late from a flight and was getting ready for ground school. He said "Your gonna have to walk with me while we do this thing" So we had a walking interview, the most awkward in my entire life. No eye contact... he called me Scott. (Not my name)

 

After he got his stuff in order, we went inside to take a seat. He said "Mind if I eat, haven't had lunch?" The rest of the time I watched him eat. I was so caught off guard, it had to be the worst interview ever. Pretty bummed. Guess its of to the lumber yard to build a Hot Dog Cart.

Not to laugh, but all I can say is "Welcome to Monterey!" Very typical. My wife is from Prunedale and I can relate.

 

Are you looking at going to Specialized or ??

[Sparker]

Not to laugh, but all I can say is "Welcome to Monterey!" Very typical. My wife is from Prunedale and I can relate.

 

Are you looking at going to Specialized or ??

 

I am enrolled at Specialized, The owner of the FBO wants to meet me today, so maybe all is not lost..... let you know how it goes in a couple hours....

[Crusty Old Dude]

I am enrolled at Specialized, The owner of the FBO wants to meet me today, so maybe all is not lost..... let you know how it goes in a couple hours....

I like Chris @ Specialized. He spent quite a while on the phone with me, and seems like an up-front guy...always there with good advice even if he's not going to make $$ from you. I'm actually envious.

 

Some advice on employment: avoid fisherman's wharf like the plague. There are some A-1 nuts that work on the docks...and while you probably didn't even consider it, it's hard work. The glass bottom boat tour guides are ex-cons I'm fairly certain. Take a ride on one (only about $5.00) and you'll see what I'm talking about.

 

[Sparker]

OK guys...

 

I have never found a job this fast before....er.... a good job this fast before.

 

Barring any drugs in my urine tomorrow I will start as a parts guy/part time lineman. They also like my computer and construction experience. They are the middle of a huge remodel so they put all of my skills to work. It seems like a near perfect fit, but we'll see after a couple weeks of actual work...

 

Thanks for the help and ideas guys!

[BOATFIXERGUY]

Good luck Sparker!!!

[Spierman]

OK guys...

 

I have never found a job this fast before....er.... a good job this fast before.

 

Barring any drugs in my urine tomorrow I will start as a parts guy/part time lineman. They also like my computer and construction experience. They are the middle of a huge remodel so they put all of my skills to work. It seems like a near perfect fit, but we'll see after a couple weeks of actual work...

 

Thanks for the help and ideas guys!

 

Good luck and GOD's Speed Sparker!

I have been following your story. Thanks to all on this thread for keeping me laughing. Especially the weenie wagon guys. I actually thought about the very same thing at one point.

 

Spiderman