Fly on the Wings of Attitude

The Women in Aviation Conference last week was fun, exhausting, and incredible all wrapped into one. I had the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people who were striving for their dream jobs, while others were there to support, encourage and educate others reaching for the sky. Mostly I met people who were optimistic and hopeful.

Yet some were discouraged.  If you ever have a chance to attend one of these events, you will see the thousands of people vying for the same jobs. You, too, might feel discouraged. You don't have enough hours, you have too many hours, you are civilian, you took too long to get your degree, and when you were  22 you got a 2.5 GPA while you were working two jobs and attending college, and then 20 years later those grades haunt you.

If HR departments only looked closer at the why of those lower GPAs, and at those who took longer to earn a degree, they might be surprised and find the qualities that exemplify an outstanding pilot.  By investigating the reasons behind the grades and varied education path, companies would learn that these people rank high on perseverance, dedication, and commitment.


And then those regional pilots who have been flying for 9000 hours, dedicating their services to legacy carriers who are shunned because of their high hours. Those are the pilots that would bring tons of relevant experience to an airline.  So we can see how they are can be frustrated.