My experience

[Flanker]

Hello everyone,

I am an Avionics Apprentice who is looking for a job, as all of you already know, the situation is pretty sour, very few jobs are available, however, I got extremely lucky, and was offered a job at XXXXXX. Just to get things clear, this is my first aviation interview ever, i have ZERO experience and don't know too much about the operation of the industry, shifts, hours etc etc. Getting back on track, the interview went well, a week later the company ran a police check on me, that was good as well, another week later i finally got a job offer, woohoo. My salary and my shifts were outlined in that offer, however, it didnt say a thing about my hours. I was told that ill be working day shifts "for now" until i get experience!! Mind you, at first i was told ill be working 2-2-2-3, then i was told it will be on a 5-2 shift. So i emailed the director of maintenance, asking more about my shifts, he said ill be working Friday, Saturday, Sunday, Monday for a period of 6 months. I wasn't ok with a shift like that at first, so i asked him if there were more options, he said no, so then i thought, I gotta start somewhere right? So before i signed the job offer, i asked what my night shifts will be like? From to??? The guy said, call me. Called him a million times, and he never picked up!! So i thought to myself, who the heck cares what the hours will be, so i signed the paper and emailed the copies. I got a reply, "call the director of maintenance", so i did. He said come see me tomorrow, i said ok. Then i asked if everything was ok, he said yes. I went there today, 1 hours drive, just to hear him say that we are recalling the job offer. So i asked why?? He said, I dont think we will get along well and because you ask so many question, we feel that you are not ready to start this job. This is when things got serious. He started yelling at me, saying how can I know better than him, what the best time for me to work is? (Because he said ill be on a 5-2, i thought my 4-3 shift would also be starting Monday, just like a regular 5-2 workdays shift)Yada yada. The job was recalled after Ive cancelled my rent agreement, resigned from my current job, and emailed the offer. THATS HOW NOT READY I AM TO START WORKING!!!!!!

Let me know what you guys think.

I thought it doesnt hurt to ask, but apparently it does. I thought all workers have the right to know.

[ahramin]

I guess you need to ask yourself: do you really want to work for a person like that?

[Bobby868]

From your description you've done nothing wrong. In fact I would have been impressed that you asked lots of questions and got clarification on things. Asking lots of questions is a definite plus in my book.

Asking if there are other rotation options is totally fair. They said no and that shouldn't be a strike against you. It's not an unreasonable question.

I get the feeling that whoever ends up working for this guy is going to be miserable. It hurts to lose out on that first job but keep looking and keep asking questions.

Look at the bright side now you have a bit of interview and job application experience. When I was young I used to practice all my lines and moves on the ugly girls first. This employer is your ugly girl, now you'll be better rehearsed for when a good employer calls.

[ahramin]

This employer is your ugly girl

Jeebus, I think that's going to have to go down as some of the best advice we've ever seen here.

[Colonel Sanders]

Free advice: Most people really don't like their jobs very much.

This is easy to prove. Stop paying them, and at least 99% of
them will no longer show up.

[xsbank]

You've had a narrow escape. As you will soon find out, the industry is full of *ssholes. Why, I recall that some on here even think I am one... how drole.
Anyway, just because you are new doesn't mean you should be treated like dirt, however, because you are new, you will likely be treated like dirt...
Keep looking, chalk one up for the experience. By the way, break a leg.

[iflyforpie]

Free advice: Most people really don't like their jobs very much.

This is easy to prove. Stop paying them, and at least 99% of
them will no longer show up.

I guess I'm a 1%er. I often show up on my days off.



A couple of things though. I've seen this before where one side gives their story and then the other side who happens to read this forum comes and tells what really happened. The truth probably lies between.

One thing I can say is, if I am hiring somebody and they are asking too many questions... like basic stuff that anybody with common sense should be able to figure out... then they probably aren't suitable for the job. I have seen my fair share of dead weight during my career. Most DOMs and Crew Chiefs are overworked, baby sitting tons of apprentices, keeping things going, and appeasing the management types. They don't have time or energy to answer every little question.

You also have to consider that many people in aviation have to endure terrible schedules. To have somebody with no experience coming with a sense of entitlement for hours (perhaps better than those who have been working there for years) doesn't bode well for a good employer/employee relationship.

Maybe they did you a favour... I've been yelled at but it was a person compensating for their lack of management skill (they were fired shortly after that) but if I were you, I'd keep the questions well-rehearsed and to a minimum and your standards low as far as work schedules go... they will usually improve.

[Flanker]

Thanks everybody for their replies.

For iflyforpie:
I will agree with you, my shift would be an absolute piece of shit, if it was 3-2, 4-4, or anything floating, I would be ok with it, but when i know ill be working Friday-Monday for a period of 6 months, ON-CALL, **** THAT!!!! If the guy took the time to explain what I can expect, I would also be ok with it. but when i get a paper saying 4-3 and nothing else, thats complete and utter bullshit. If he said, you can expect to start at X,Y,Z, during your workdays, thank you, you've answered my question. But when you start yelling at me over something that simple......no comment. My guess is, the a-hole wanted me to be on stand by 24 hours, but he can go f himself, as much as flexible i need to be, thats BS.

I probably did sound like Id want a different shift, but after all, I signed the damn paper.

During the interview, we agreed on a 5-2, then he says 4-3. That why i started asking questions. His excuse??? I asked if you had any questions during the interview. Well no shit Einstein, things have changed, hence the questions started rolling in.

Do i really wanna work for a guy who goes ape shit after a few questions?? Probably not.

Dont get me wrong, i dont have high standards. but I have the right to know when Im working. So you might ask why did i sign the offer after all? Probably because I didnt have a choice, i knew its hard ti get your foot in the door.

[longjon]

Could you tell us what city or town this was at?

[Flanker]

Not too far from Toronto, Pretty big company, 12 Boeing fleet

[AJV]

Thanks everybody for their replies.

For iflyforpie:
I will agree with you, my shift would be an absolute piece of shit, if it was 3-2, 4-4, or anything floating, I would be ok with it, but when i know ill be working Friday-Monday for a period of 6 months, ON-CALL, **** THAT!!!! If the guy took the time to explain what I can expect, I would also be ok with it. but when i get a paper saying 4-3 and nothing else, thats complete and utter bullshit. If he said, you can expect to start at X,Y,Z, during your workdays, thank you, you've answered my question. But when you start yelling at me over something that simple......no comment. My guess is, the a-hole wanted me to be on stand by 24 hours, but he can go f himself, as much as flexible i need to be, thats BS.

I probably did sound like Id want a different shift, but after all, I signed the damn paper.

During the interview, we agreed on a 5-2, then he says 4-3. That why i started asking questions. His excuse??? I asked if you had any questions during the interview. Well no shit Einstein, things have changed, hence the questions started rolling in.

Do i really wanna work for a guy who goes ape shit after a few questions?? Probably not.

Dont get me wrong, i dont have high standards. but I have the right to know when Im working. So you might ask why did i sign the offer after all? Probably because I didnt have a choice, i knew its hard ti get your foot in the door.

not saying I agree with it, but this is your first job with no experience an you say Ef that to a friday to monday and you don't want to be on stand by??? seriously??? get some experience and then you can pick and choose. my first job I worked sunrise to sunset for an a hole (in NWT so you know how long a day that was) with no days off for very little money.
I say get off your high horse and earn your keep before you flame a first job. Although the guy sounds like a prick and you would probably hate yourself and want to punch him in the face with a steel chair daily.....

[Flanker]

not saying I agree with it, but this is your first job with no experience an you say Ef that to a friday to monday and you don't want to be on stand by??? seriously??? get some experience and then you can pick and choose. my first job I worked sunrise to sunset for an a hole (in NWT so you know how long a day that was) with no days off for very little money.
I say get off your high horse and earn your keep before you flame a first job. Although the guy sounds like a prick and you would probably hate yourself and want to punch him in the face with a steel chair daily.....

I am sure ill have more places to choose from, if this one does not suit me, im sure other ones will. Regarding your first job, i am sure you could of quit whenever you wanted, no one FORCED you to work right? It was you decision to go to NWT and work fof very little money.

This guy i graduated with, works at WestJet, days 4 on 4 off, night 3 on 3 off. I would take this shift any second. Like I said, as ling as the schedule is floating, but here.....no way. I have a life too, and I hate people like this guy, just because he is hiring me, he wants me to be his bitch.

[5x5]

Holy sense of entitlement, Batman!

Someone is going to hire you, take on the responsibility of benefits, training, supervision, scheduling and everything related to keeping a company going and because he expects to set up shifts and schedule employees as the business requires - this equates to "being his bitch."

Good grief. Of course it's within you're purview to decline any job where you don't like the conditions, but don't sit around crying about how hard it is to get a job and how the "friggin guy can ef himself" and on and on.

My heart weeps for the current generation and the future of humanity.

[Flanker]

Whatever man, thats only my point of view. If you are ok with sitting next to your phone 24 hours a day and waiting for a call to go in for work, be my guest. Like I said, my firend at WestJet and this other classmate from Thunder Bay, all have set shifts, whether its day/noon/night, at least they know what to expect.

Its not even the point, it all started because i was asking question due to lack of my experience in the industry, he started going ape shit on me, if he cant manage his anger, I dont see why he has to get it out on me. Just so you know, this exact guy from WestJet was offered a position at this place in August, and if you look at the calendar, its been 3 months, yet they are still looking for 4 AME Apprentices. Weird eh? They cant find an apprentice....in aviation, with the amount of job seekers out there, hmmm, I wonder why. And one more thing, a user from avcanada emailed me, asking what company I was talking about, and it turned we were talking about the same one. He did well on the interview and they said they will get back to him regardless. Its been close to 3 weeks and still no answer.

I am not sitting around crying how hard it is to get a job, most of the people I know didnt even have a single interview after 5 months, so I consider myself more successful because at least I got one after 3 days of searching, and 1 more potential position that might be available in December (3 hours away). Reason why i went here was because this was the closest one.

[Pat Richard]

Im curious who it is also, would you be able confirm/deny that they have a sister company in Kelowna, BC?

[Flanker]

Im curious who it is also, would you be able confirm/deny that they have a sister company in Kelowna, BC?

KFC?

[L1011]

KFC does not have a 12 Boeing fleet. But I think you're getting warmer....

[Flanker]

Im sure we all know what it is.