Jon Belote

How did you pick your career? Did you know all along?

I had ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what I was doing. I simply picked a few I thought I'd be good at in the military. It turned out I was lucky that I knew myself that well because I enjoyed every second of it when I was active, in the service. WITH THAT SAID, I'm sure if anyone puts their mind to any ONE career, they'll achieve it. So, don't think so hard about it. And if you haven't heard this yet, then I believe in YOU and in whatever YOU choose!

What is the biggest challenge you had to overcome to get to where you are now professionally? How did you overcome it?

Fear of feeling UNACCOMPLISHED. Ever since I was young I'd always compare myself to more experienced people which was never a good or rational thing to do. If I'm honest, I've done it even into adulthood. In my opinion, it was a great motivator for me but if I ever failed or made a mistake in my life, I always felt I've failed not just me, but everyone else around me. It turns out that getting stuck in that mood isn't good for you nor does it make any sense to do since, ultimately, other people are really looking after number one, which is themselves. So, I've started to really focus on myself and where I want to be in my future. I think if you sit down and actually think about the future, it'll help you out. I overcame this self-obstacle by really envisioning myself in the future as a successful person. But in order to get there it's going to take a lot of hard work and discipline. There are no shortcuts but you'll have a better experience in the game of life if YOU'VE earned it. So, don't worry too much about the pace at which you go through life, you got this!

In layperson terms, what do you actually do at work?

I fix and make sure my aircraft is able to fly at the scheduled time that it does. I do this by taking care of its logbook and online documents to make sure there are no errors and that the aircraft is ready and in the best physical condition.