by SuperJet International

Is It Best To Join A Pilot Mentoring Program?
A pilot career mentor is someone whom you can talk to and discuss choices in your career. You can expect to receive sound pieces of good impartial career advice because mentors should have gone through the whole flight school process. Usually, you can find your mentor among the experienced and higher ranking people in your flying club or organization, even in your work environment. Aside from all the advice you can get, mentors are extremely important for new, young and aspiring aircraft operators because they motivate and serve as a force to help you go on with your career. This is really important especially for those who want to climb up the airline ladder.
Now to answer the question if it is best to join a pilot mentoring program, the answer would definitely be a huge yes. It is true that there may be some really good pilots who successfully entered the airline industry without a mentor but the question is, how far did they make it? As we all know it, pilot training is not the same as normal college or university degrees. Aside from the high standards, the rigorous training, and strict requirements, the fees to pay to become a pilot is relatively huge- leaving almost no room for any wrong step or unwise career decision. The amount of money a trainee pays for flight training is substantial and incorrect choices are practically irreversible. The risk is really high. You make a wrong choice and your flying career is as good as gone.
A good mentor helps you lower down chances of falling into these kinds of trap. He or she ideally can provide you with wisdom that could guide your decisions- either or both in training and job selection. Not only can he or she teach you a thing or two, a mentor will definitely be a key to you landing on coveted airline job interviews. A credible mentor also imparts pointers and helps his or her protégée prepare and do well in the interview itself. Big airline company interviews do not come knocking at everyone’s door so you better be fully ready to get over it. Perhaps the keyword here is credibility. Along with your personal skills and excellence, working with a mentor with high credibility enhances your chances of getting and making it through the interviews by big time airline companies than those who have none.

However, keep in mind that having a so-so mentor is no better than not having one. Read below some guidelines to consider to help you make sure that you find a mentor that is suitable and helpful to jumpstarting your flying career.
1. Find someone who has a common goal and the same interest with you. The interest should only be about working together to make your career as a pilot as fruitful as possible.
2. Somebody with a higher position and more experience from your company or club is suitable to be a mentor. If not from your club, your mentor should be someone excellent, motivated and passionate, and still within the flight industry.
3. Most importantly, it is all about respect. Find someone that you greatly respect and admire to be your mentor. You can still be friends with him or her but respect should be valued more.
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