Hey. 😁

A short email today, just to sum up everything that happened this busy week.

The outlines: how competitive Skylens’ candidate pool was, why I think that was, what it likely means for the other companies, what you could do about it.

Debrief on Skylens

I just got the Tier 2 email this morning, and I’m bummed, to say the least. If you’ve been reading for a while, you know Skylens was THE job I wanted, thinking I had a decent shot at an interview at least, for a C172 seat, not even an Aztec seat.

It didn’t go as planned, but it’s reason more to now start networking harder and striking more conversations to find something else. Back to square one, I’m sure you know how it is!

This facebook post sums up the entire situation pretty well: lots of candidates (over 300 resumes in 12 hours), and only 13 seats available. With 27 highly qualified Tier 1 candidates selected, there shouldn’t be any need for Tier 2.

Why such an interest for a low time job from higher time guys?

First and foremost, probably because the job is great. But I think there were other factors this year.

One, Skylens pilots from last season are returning. Which is why out of 20-ish seats, only 13 are available.

Another reason could be the state of the industry. It’s slow, so taking a good job that will get you a lot of multi-time and lock you in for only 7 months, instead of the year-long commitments, is a no-brainer for those somewhat closer to their next steps. Probably the reason why Skylens guys are returning for an extra season too.

I also believe Skylens’ transparency in their hiring preferences made everything even more competitive. Pilots who met and exceeded competitive and insurance minimums have been placed in Tier 2 this year, although we would’ve made Tier 1 last year.

What that means now…

It means we MIGHT be back to buying our way to the good jobs. If you didn’t know, a bunch of pilots got some Aztec time to get the job at Skylens, only to make Tier 2. I don’t think that was a waste, a bunch of other survey operators fly that bird, just an illustration of how $$ could be a factor now.

My point is, when competition is crazy like this, it’s all about you and your hours. As Jesse said, a referral only gets your resume looked at. If you don’t have the experience they are looking for or if you suck at interviews, you’re done.

I think it’s going to require you (and me) to be more resourceful in your job hunt before hiring season ends. Reach out, maybe rent some hours, and consider every opportunity very carefully.

We’re in this together. Best of luck!

Deep Dive next week! It will be on Air America Aerial Ads. 🫡