Flying Kites

With a free afternoon in the Dominican Republic (I know, sucks to be me), we took some time to explore the city and enjoy a bit of the culture down there. It is a very poor culture with a high school graduation rate that hovers well below 20% and the poverty cycle is rather vicious. Along the coast near our hotel was a park where locals and tourists alike were gathered to play.

With a good breeze off the water, conditions were ideal to fly kites and boy did the kites fly! There were several street vendors wandering around a local park with simple 18" square paper kites they hawked for about 2 bucks. I figured my girls would love them so I bought two and encouraged my captain to join me in testing them out. The park was barely an acre and there were a couple of hundred of these little kites in the air!!

As we tried to get the kites airborne, several local boys stepped in and took charge, getting the kites aloft and then giving us glances as if to say 'are you sure you really want this back?' before reluctantly handing it over. From my very limited grasp of Spanish, I finally figured out that the boys expected tourists to leave the kites with them when we finished playing. Being suckers, the captain and I both bought a couple of more kites to repay the boys for their 'help'.

As darkness fell, we reeled ours in -quite a task to pull in 100 feet of string using a pencil diameter stick - and as we walked away, there were still hundreds of kites in the air flying by the moonlight!

Coast Pong

I haven't been on the job long and my first assignment is to be sent out from Atlanta to the west coast in San Diego where I'll copilot an air-ambulance Lear Jet. With one good night's sleep our first assignment comes - pick-up in Los Angeles and drop off at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL. Next assignment - pick-up in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and drop off in Oakland, CA before returning back to base. Up next? Hawaii? Singapore? It's good to be flying again!!!

How many applications does it take to get a job?

Ok, this blog largely arose as something to do while on the road away from home - while home I found better things to do so the blog fell by the way side. On the road again, it seems appropriate to revive it!

I was furloughed September 1, 2009 (effectively fired with recall privileges) and took the time to create two nice resumes (one for flying, one for engineering). I averaged about 10 job submissions per week, several with very detailed online applications and I managed 2 interviews, although I did get back 4 rejection letters. I only applied to jobs in my fields that I was qualified for and was still largely ignored! On February 17 I interviewed with a charter aviation company for the second time and they actually brought me aboard! For those who were counting, that was 5 1/2 months of unemployment. That's over 250 resumes submitted with a 0.4% success rate!

To keep me honest though, I have to point out my spouse lost her job too, submitted one resume and had to chose from one of two jobs offered to her, though neither was in her field. Guess I shouldn't be so picky, eh?

Stay at Home Dad?

I've always been somewhat insulated from economic down turns, either by being in school or having a stable job when they occur. This time I have been surprised to learn that despite being a commercial pilot with experience and being a civil engineer with experience, I can't even get calls for entry level positions in either field! I may be recalled to my regional airline position by 2011, but that's a long time to be out of work.

My wife, who is currently part time, was recently informed that her job will be 'abolished' at the end of the year. No joke, that was exact wording! On the bright side, the city/county who she works for has promised her first shot at any job in the county that she minimally qualifies for. Currently, she's hoping to get a dispatch position that will be equivalent pay and full time with benefits.

We can last much longer without my job if she's full time again, so we won't be forced to move to chase a job I qualify for, but it's going to take much longer for me to find something, especially in Georgia. So, for now, I am a dedicated stay at home dad!

I've actually gotten rather good at some aspects of it: I join all the other moms at story time at the library with my toddler. I actually cook breakfast every morning for my Kindergardener. And best of all, I save more on groceries every week using coupons than I actually spend! Not how I ever imagined myself, but I am enjoying it and meanwhile, the job hunt goes on!

Encouraged unemployment?

I realize that this isn't news to anyone, but our government actually encourages people not to work! Here's how I arrived at that astonishing conclusion -

Earlier this month I was contacted by a former student who needed his biennial flight review to keep his pilot certificate current. I was only too happy to get paid to fly, if only for a half day's work. However, when I filled out my weekly unemployment claim online and had the gall to list that I had worked and earned wages, it automatically posted this message: "Your PIN has been suspended, contact your local GDOL office."

So I did as instructed and the nice receptionist explained that the message simply comes up so that we will contact them with details, so I filled her in and she reset my PIN. As the week passed and no payment posted, I simply assumed that the process was delayed, however when I logged in to fill out my weekly unemployment claim for the next week, I got the same lovely message. So I call back and the same nice receptionist reset my PIN again and then transfered me to a 'tech' because 'Your payment for last week should have been processed!'

Well, the tech didn't answer so I leave a message. When she doesn't call back, I leave another message the next day. Would you believe I left five messages on five different days and never got a call back? On the sixth try, the lady answered her phone and quickly diagnosed my fatal error. When I filled out the form to explain why someone else would pay me to work, I didn't find a category for 'Pilot' or even 'Transportation' so I listed it as 'Other'.

So, three weeks later I finally get my unemployment payment. For someone like me who really wants to work, this type of thing can really discourage either seeking out or reporting easy part time gigs! I guess next time I'll call it either 'Teaching' or 'General Labor'.

Interviewing

I managed to land my first interview yesterday and I'm quite excited about it (whether or not I get the job)! To date I have sent in my resume nearly 200 times and I have filled out detailed online applications for almost 30 different companies and government entities. So far I have received 3 automated rejection letters and no other responses. A very impressive 98% ignore rate thus far.

Unlike the agricultural engineering position for the US Forestry service or the single engine cargo piloting position in Anchorage, Alaska, I was highly interested in this piloting position when I sent in my resume. As a testament to the market and my desire to be a productive member of society, I will soon be lowering my standards on which jobs I apply for (not down to Walmart yet, but getting closer!) however, this particular job represents and ideal that I might have actually left my previous position for! They primarily run medical missions and various government operations so, in addition to higher pay to start with, there is a higher sense of purpose than just being a bus driver. I could now drive the ambulance!

I first noticed the ad over 2 weeks ago and sent in my resume along with a nice cover letter. And I heard nothing back - typical! However, during my traditional Monday morning job search I noticed the ad posted again, I send my resume again with a barely modified cover letter that pointed out that I was sending them my resume again. Not five minutes later I get a call from the guy in charge of hiring asking if I could make it in for an interview that afternoon. I quickly agree and then I blurt out, 'Wow, I just sent that resume in!' To which he replied, 'Actually, you sent one in a few weeks ago but resending it this morning brought it back to the top of my stack.' In other words, if you want a job, follow-up people!

So I go into panic mode realizing that I had not showered or eaten and that I had only three hours to do so and make the 87.8 mile trek to their headquarters. Keep in mind there were torrential down pours and rain tends to befuddle drivers in Georgia. I spent more time attempting to remove my month old beard (the chin was particularly stubborn) than anticipated so I ended up with only two hours to make the drive. Normally, not a problem, but with a constant threat of flooding, four accidents and two u-turns, I just barely made it on time!

When I arrived, I was asked to fill out a standard application, complete with one personality profile for me and one personality profile for what I thought the ideal candidate should be like. I really should have looked at page two rather than assume it was a continuation of page one, but in my favor is the fact that I already think most of my personality traits closely match that of an ideal pilot. Please note, on both forms I checked 'self-assured' and 'confident', not 'egotistical'!

I was then ushered in to the interview where we got off to a great start - same first name, his dad was a Georgia Tech grad - always helps to have a leg up, however minor! I also noticed and asked about his map - I have a map of the continental United States with pins inserted for every airport I've flown to. His map is of the world, and has more pins than mine and did not include his visits to the United States. We then spend about two minutes reviewing my resume and then another 30 of me listening to stories about the company. I can only hope this bodes well, but both guys I spoke with had to correct themselves from 'When you work for us.' to 'If we decide to offer you the position and if you decide to accept'.

The second man I spoke with was the chief pilot of the operation. He also spent more time talking about their operation than about my application or resume. Toward the end he stated that he had several standard HR questions that he was not going to ask, to which I replied that I had several standard HR question answers that I would not give!

All in all, it was a fun experience although I definitely did not sleep well last night in anticipation of them calling back sometime today. I like the company, I like the job description and I love the thought of having job security again. But....I have to be realistic as well and point out that I likely one of the least qualified of the several hundred applicants that they had for the singular opening. So cross your fingers and toes and/or pray that I can finally change back to a proper blog title!

Hobbit Meals

Being home most of the day has allowed me to adjust my daily eating habits to more closely align with the very wise (although fictitious) hobbits! I am in no way trying to diet here but I have been told eating multiple meals throughout the day is healthy.

I start my day with my favorite meal, first breakfast, shared with my oldest before she catches the 7:10 bus to school. Next is second breakfast, shared with my youngest when she finally rises from hibernation around 8:30. According to hobbit tradition, this is also my favorite meal. Of course, every meal is a favorite when it is the next to be eaten! Finally, we wrap up the morning with elevensies, a nice snack very close to the implied name.

Afternoon begins with a traditional lunch and then the schedule diverts slightly from the Hobbits. Afternoon tea becomes another simple snack time, heralded by the 2:40 arrival of my oldest's school bus. The girls divvy up whatever the oldest didn't eat for lunch, a very efficient way to avoid wasted food! We finish up the day with a nice supper and are usually too full from the day's conquest to add the final proper meal of dinner.

Mmmm, its going to be a good day, elevensies are coming soon!