I'm looking for some advice during COVID?

[avengingjeremy]

So I'm looking to have some community advice on what to do now that my plans have been derailed.

I was a student at Conestoga college and was just about to graduate when COVID-19 started, around that time the lockdown occurred and halted my Instrument rating until September. I finally completed the sign off on my CPL and my Group One, I was about to complete my IATRA when I was canceled by all TC offices in Ontario due to everyone slowly moving to the grey zone (lockdown). Currently my IATRA is not complete, and to graduate (if that's even possible anymore) I need to complete it, which is job number one. Since September I have not been able to to do anything and my main concerns are these:

1. What should I be doing to appear as if I'm not sitting around waiting for the pandemic to end?

2. If I don't have a college diploma what are my possibility of finding a job in the aviation market?

3. When the pandemic ends, are there even going to be jobs available for low time pilots due to losses the industry has suffered?

[Invertago]

Go get a job in what ever field you can. Once things open back up, the experienced guys will be taking the first jobs before you get much of a look. With a job you'll be able to hopefully join a flying club and fly now and then to keep some rust off. Plus you'll have something to put on your resume which will look better then a 1-2 or 3 year gap of nothing. All jobs give experience of some sort. Maybe your construction job will give you an edge over the next guy when you are applying for some northern camp to get on a 206 in a few years. Either way, this will be a long one.

[Heavy Rayn]

Yeah I’d agree to just find any job, obviously a job in the industry would be best, working the ramp somewhere, anywhere. That’ll be tough to find right now. If you find yourself away from aircraft for awhile I’d do my best if I were you to continue to fly. Look at purchasing a block of hours on a 150 or something somewhere if you’re able to financially (here’s where getting any job is beneficial again). If I were hiring someone for a low time job down the road and I had a stack of résumés on my desk I’m hiring the candidate that was also able to continue flying and keeping skills fresh as opposed to someone who hasn’t touched a plane in two years.

[parallel60]

Is moving up north(Northern Ontario, Quebec, NWT, Yukon) an option for you? I think it would be a good time as spring is approaching. You could get a non flying job with a flying company and who know's maybe get a flying job by the summer or within a year. If that is not an option that is ok as well.

I agree with what others wrote in regard to getting something(even if not aviation related) to stay busy and show that you kept active during the down turn. I would for sure hire a person who kept busy and maybe learnt another skill. Show's initiative and increases your range of skills. PM me if you want to discuss some options for up north further.