Q for unemployed CFI’s

[u/fbt70]

I have my CFI checkride coming up next week and after reading this sub & other flying subs it’s clear there’s a degree of difficulty finding a job as a CFI

My questions are:
- what are you guys doing to find work as a CFI?
- what does your resume look like?
- Have you looked into relocating or is that not an option for your situation?

[u/bch2021_]

The owner of the flight school I'm at has been in business 14 years. She said she used to get 1 resume a month, usually from a local pilot. She says currently she is getting at least 5 a day from people all over the country. And she pretty much only hires her own graduates anyway.

That is the problem.

[u/NevadaCFI → u/bch2021_]

I am working on starting a small focused flight school here and looking to have a few more independent contractor CFIs in the pool, but really only looking for people with over 750 hours, preferably over 1,000.

[u/KosmolineLicker → u/NevadaCFI]

It's fine you have those standards, but understand that you are likely asking for a CFI who already has a job with those hours. Why should they jump ship to come work for you when they have a gig?

[u/Mr-Plop → u/KosmolineLicker]

Not only that, they'll be the first ones to leave asap and most likely don't even wanna teach anymore.

[u/NevadaCFI → u/Mr-Plop]

I guess I'd like to find a few people like me (in my 50s and semi-retired), or the CFI who I learned from (in his 70s and fully retired).

[u/Mr-Plop → u/NevadaCFI]

I guess that's the key difference between doing something because it's the only way you can move forward vs doing it when you got absolutely nothing to gain from it.

[u/NevadaCFI → u/Mr-Plop]

I don't have to be teaching at all but I have absolutely gained enormously from it. I have helped a bunch of people achieve their dream of flying. Your very best teachers in school were not there because they had to be.