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Monday 29 August 2022

Flying high with Super

When considering how we move through our lives and careers, Super's life stage model has resonated with many of us. The phases as we develop being termed as "growth, exploration, establishment, maintenance and disengagement” help us to understand what drives us, and what we are likely to focus on, at different times within our lives helps us to feel 'normal' (Inkson et al., 2015, p. 91; Super, 1957).

Super’s growth stage (Inkson et al., 2015) can be seen in children’s imaginative play, teenage air cadets, trial flights in simulators or aeroclubs and careers events. More exploration comes in decisions about aviation degrees versus private lessons and jobs building up flight hours versus joining the Airforce and being paid to learn to fly.

As skills and experience grow, Super’s establishment phase (Inkson et al., 2015) can be observed by changes in aircraft types, or to roles such as flight instruction. It’s an adjusting period, taking on new responsibilities and for military pilots, possibly commercial aviation.

Super’s maintenance stage (Inkson et al., 2015) might mean recycling through previous stages as management or moving into senior instructional roles. Considering Super’s consideration of the family role (Inkson et al., 2015), these “ground jobs” accommodate the family raising stage when frequent travel and irregular hours no longer fit.

Super’s disengagement phase (Inkson et al., 2015) can be seen with the retirement of international pilots at the age of 65 years. In 2011, senior pilots were refusing to retire (Goodger, 2011), interestingly delaying the move to Super’s disengagement phase.

Fast forward to 2019 and a ‘minicycle’ triggered by the pandemic (Inkson et al, 2015, citing Super, 1953, 1957, 1990). Careers NZ (2022) alerts that job opportunities are poor and in 2020, 300 pilots lost their jobs due to Covid and border closures (Radio New Zealand, 2020). Cosgrove (2020) suggested opportunities in other industries but many pilots turned to labouring and call centre work to pay their bills (Lewis & Satherley, 2021). A time for adjusting one’s self-concept and reflecting on aviation as a career.

With reopening borders, will aviators again live this dream?


Helen

References:

Careers New Zealand (2022). Aeroplane Pilot . https://www.careers.govt.nz/jobs-database/transport-and-logistics/transport-logistics/aeroplane-pilot/

Cosgrove, C. (2020, May 29). Transfer your aviation skills to another industry. Careers New Zealand. https://www.careers.govt.nz/articles/transfer-your-aviation-skills-to-another-industry

Goodger, K. (2011, April 13). Ageing Air NZ pilots 'refuse to retire'. Stuff. http://www.stuff.co.nz/business/industries/4882356/Ageing-Air-NZ-pilots-refuse-to-retire

Inkson, K., Dries, N., & Arnold, J. (2015). Understanding Careers (2nd ed.). SAGE Publications Ltd.

Lewis, L., & Satherley, D. (2021, February 19). Coronavirus: Out-of-work pilots turn to labouring, call centre work to make ends meet. Newshub. https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/money/2021/02/coronavirus-out-of-work-pilots-turn-to-labouring-call-centre-work-to-make-ends-meet.html

* Helen Davies-Martin kindly prepared the material for this post

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