I’m working now as a waiter, so sometimes my shift doesn’t start until 4:00. So on days like these I indulge in my guilty TV pleasure: Court Shows. My two favorite are Judge Judy (classic – can’t be beat) and The People’s Court (a close 2nd.) Although these shows themselves could probably be the source of plenty of commentary, I’ll refrain for now.
What gets me more is the advertising that is shown during the commercial breaks. Most of it, predictably is cheezy… “Bank turned you down for a loan??? CALL US!” “Need a car??? CALL US!!” “Need phone service?? CALL US!!!” Then there are the career focused commercials. Most of us can probably recall Sally Struthers quickly reading the list of home degree programs including such professions as TV/VCR Repair and Refrigeration. Although that classic is not to be seen anymore these days, it has been replaced by what I’d like to call the 2nd generation cheezy job ads. The most popular career advertised is as a medical assistant. You know those annoying people that stand between you and your doctor with hundreds of forms? Yeah, those people. This I have been used to for a while. The other top category is as some sort of minor level creative professional… i.e. graphic design. But I’ve recently seen commercials for a different job.
Aircraft engine maintenance.
Yep. So I guess that the demographic which needs the “Local Phone Company” and career options as massage therapists is the same from which individuals who service the engines of the aircraft we fly are drawn. Now, don’t get me wrong. Jobs as medical billing specialists are honest jobs, and it is good to have a country of workers, not public assistance recipients. However, when it comes to maintaining aircraft engines, be they Pratt and Whitneys in Cessnas or Rolls Royces in Boeings, I’d rather the mechanics not be drawn from the daytime TV crowd.
But, perhaps I’m being a little harsh. After all, with the way the economy has been for manufacturing jobs, there are probably plenty of former workers whose jobs have been shipped off to China or Mexico watching Judge Judy tell it like it is to minor scumbags. I am, after all, haunted by Michael Moore’s Roger and Me. So whether this is just a scary fact or an indication of a larger sobering reality, I’m not ready to say. But as soon as I see Homeland Defense on the big list, then perhaps I’ll duck, and cover.
I remember the list of jobs that one could attain and thought it would be fun to do one of those courses over the summer just for fun. I did not end up doing it, but I did think it would be interesting to take the general mechanics course.
Here is the thing, aircraft maintance takes on two forms: onsite and offsite. Onsite is the kind of repairs that are done at the airport while you wait. Generally repairs last a few minutes to an hour or two and are pretty straightforward. This is the kind of repairs that the commercial you saw would lead you too.
The other kind of repair is offsite. This is when the airplane needs to some major repair and is either sent back to the manufacturer(such as Boeing) or is sent to a central airline repair center. These jobs are typically more extensive and more complicated then onsite repairs. These jobs usually require more specific traning.
I think its wonderful that these types of jobs exist though. As much as I hate waiting in the waiting room at the doctor’s office, I am happy that these people have jobs. I admire a person who is willing to take a job to put food on the table for their family. If this type of advertising helps them get a job, I am thrilled for them. While there are still some people that are out of work, its good to see some people take advantage,and find jobs for themselves.