Aviation for Women - January/February 2009

expensive than for active employees as COBRA participants generally pay the entire premium themselves. If your spouse is employed, you may want to obtain coverage for yourself and/or your children under his plan.

Do not wait until you are out of work to start building your network. Networking is analogous to crew resource management and involves identifying and utilizing all of the resources available to you. Making good contacts in your field should be an ongoing process. Keep abreast of developments in your industry. Two good sources of information in aviation are online newsletters AVweb Flash and ATA SmartBrief, that can be obtained via email. ATA SmartBrief has recently added a job listing section to their newsletter, which is very helpful for job seekers. Women in Aviation, International provides a Job Board and maintains a list of members that you should consider part of your network. If you are out of work, any income you can earn is beneficial and networking opportunities exist with any job.

Assume that anyone you meet may be helpful to your search. As an example, there is a dentist in my city whose patients include the CEO, CFO and COO of a major airline. Now that is a network! Lastly, attending the International Women in Aviation Conference is an excellent way to meet employers and build

Get thSeafneeBtewtos—rkAinreg Thheelrpe yAonuy?need.
But of course. Your best bet in a tough economy is to be the person who has the least
Go to www.wai.org.

amount of debt. Consolidate your debt into one, tax-deductible payment, if at all possible. This may mean you need to refinance a big loan, such as your home, to pay down

Click on this button.

a WlloymouernhignhAerviinatteiorens,t Idnetbet r.nitaitsionnoat lasCboarpdoarsaittesounds. interest rates are still quite low, and if your FiCO score is good and you are working, there are institutions willing to loan

members are hiring corporate jet pilots, flight attendants, flight instructors, managers, engineers

you money. look to credit unions aligned with your company, or that cater to your pro-

and more! And you’ll find more than just job listings. There is a live chat room

fession for preferential rates.

and bulletin boards full of tips and leads that can help you sort out where you want to go in aviation today.

if you reduce your exposure to debt you should soon find yourself with a few extra
dollars each month. Don’t be tempted to spend them. Save them, invest them for your
Don’t miss our Mentor List, too. Mentors are committed to helping you define
retirement. That’s the safe bet, even in these tough times.

and declare your aviation dream—and then cheer you on as you go for it! Log on to the Members Only section from the WAI home page today, www.wai.org.

All you need is an email address and your member number.

your network in person. Mark your calendar for February 26th through the 28th and join us in Atlanta.

With patience and skillful planning, you will come out the other side of this financial turbulence. ✈ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Dr. Sherry Parshley is a financial consultant and associate professor of accounting, finance and economics. She is a Certified Management Accountant and Certified Fraud Examiner. Parshley is a commercial pilot, certified flight instructor and co builder of an RV 8 homebuilt aircraft. She resides in Phoenix, Arizona. Questions for her? Email her at: c462c@aol.com.

You don’t have to be the top female student pilot in the U.S.
to attend LeTourneau University...but she does.

Emily Brown, LETU Class of ‘08 and winner of the 2007 Candi Kubeck Award (top scoring female contestant) at the National Intercollegiate Flying Association’s SAFECON National Competition.