Top 100 employer

[RVR6000]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-o ... le2169342/

Only Canadian airline to make the list, great job...

[stickontheice]

Nap room for employees?

[LisaS]

The flightdeck?

[slowstream]

That's awesome, congratulations Westjet!

[Bede]

I have a lot of friends in other professions (doctors, lawyers). I easily have the best job.

Pilot working for any Canadian airline have a better job than the vast majority of other people.

[jjj]

Bede,

I love my job too but am wary about saying I have the better job compared to fellow friends who are also Doctors and Lawyers etc...

What criteria makes pilot win in this case?

I find your statement a little too broad.


I have always thought there is something bitter sweet about being a pilot. Though I have never envied anyone else's career - I would also not wish anyone to follow in my footsteps.

Later.

JJJ

[thisgoodone]

Nap room for employees?

I was thinking the exact thing, bed bugs anyone

[KAG]

There are few jobs out there that afford 15 days off a month, travel perks, an ever changing view, and that ability to get paid to read whatever you want. I can bid for YZF layovers to experience the midnight sun, or take a sun layover to escape the snow. I can even bid to sleep in my own bed and eat my own food.
If I tire of my co-workers (or they me) - no worries, I get new ones in 5 days on the outside.

Sure it has it's drawbacks - missing my wife and child while on the road while enjoying Hotel beds/food, messed up sleep schedules. Sitting for long hours.

It's not perfect but no job is.

[loopy]

Hey KAG,
Check your PM's.

[jjj]

Well said KAG.

We don't win over everybody but we must relish the pros and take the cons on the chin.

JJJ

[Bede]

jjj,

Fair enough. There are some con's to this job, but on an hourly basis, FO's at WJA make about the same as GP's or junior lawyers, and captains make as much as the higher end specialists. Plus we can decide how much we want to work. Other professions don't have that flexibility.

Pro's: lots of days off, travel benefits, not starring at a cubicle all day, never have to deal with bad bosses (even at poor airlines, if you stay out of trouble, you're only ever dealing with coworkers)
Con's: take many years to get a good job with good pay, often boring, away from family

I've often thought about switching careers to something more challenging like research, medicine or law, but every time I revisit the the issue, I cannot find a better job than what I have now.

[FriendlyBear]

Great responses I couldn't agree more! Congrats to WJ, well deserved.
I concur, not very many other jobs offer the flexibility and enjoyment that aviation does.
It sure is better to have a career by choice rather than by chance.
Bear

[FSS2552]

jjj,

[...] FO's at WJA make about the same as GP's or junior lawyers, and captains make as much as the higher end specialists. [...]

As far as medicine jobs are concerned, I doubt it.

If an FO make 150k/yr and a Capt make 350k/yr then you guys are overpaid but I would keep that job for sure!

Maybe we don't have the same stats about physician wages...

[flying4dollars]

My sister is a doctor, and yes she makes oodles more than I do, however she also works a ridiculous amount and her hourly wage when you break it down is much less than my own. Our jobs are unique in that a lot of the time, the work we do can lean more towards a recreational hobby than a job. Yes, flying is a job, but it's fun (most of the time) and when you consider job satisfaction, working hours and other perks, we have a pretty sweet gig. I may make a lot less than my sister, but I work far less, my job is not nearly as hard, and I get great travel benefits. Personally, I'm okay working a max of 14 hours in a day (which has yet to even hit 10 hours at my current company) compared to a 36 hour shift at a hospital.

To each their own. It's all what you make of it.