Career Changing

[braidkid]

This career comes down to how bad you want it? You have to want it pretty bad to put up with all the BS involved. Remember, you can always have another profession and flight instruct on the side. This way you'll have a stable income and fullfill the flying bug at the same time.

I wouldnt talk anyone out of a flying career but would warn them of the tough road ahead.

 

[jtrain609]

Tell ya'll what. I'm pretty good with computers. Good enough that I could make a career in it. I could go learn a few additional things about Unix and become a server administrator.

After working for 8 months at a help desk and working closely with server admins I don't think I could stand it. In fact I'm posting this from work, and I can't wait until I'm done with this job in April and I can get to flight instructing.

Regular jobs suck, and I can't wait to start flying professionally.

 

[braidkid]

I hear ya John, I was doing the desk thing before i started flying pro and wasn't happy either....You really just have to try it to see if it's what you want to do. I wouldn't tell anyone not to try it. However, I think once you're in the thick of things making 20k year after year and being gone all the time, the desk job begins to be more attractive. In the end it's all just a job and your attitude that makes the difference. I decided a 60k/year job with opportunities to go back to school and more job security was worth it over 20k/year and less job security even if it is flying a desk.

Its that grass always being greener thing....

 

[jtrain609]

True enough, but almost thankfully I won't see that desk job that pays better. I'm going to go right into the flying and won't know things any differently. From living the college life to the CFI life probably won't make much of a difference to me.

Now the schedule, that's goign to suck.

 

[shooter13]

John, you are going to do fine. My CFI is a recent college grad about to go to his first airline. He has made it work out ok. He basically is just extending the poor student lifetyle a few extra years. Almost like going straight to grad school.

 

[braidkid]

You guys are right....Going from big bucks to ramen noodles is tough. You shouldnt have a problem if you've never had money to begin with.

 

[BCTAv8r]

After talking to Braidkid and he patiently answered all of my questions, it really encoureged me to go into the engineering bussines. However, I still wanna fly professionally. I'll have to decide when the time comes. As much as it has become a cliche, life is too short to not do what you want. No, I'm not saying I'm gonna go out and drink and smoke and do everything ( I wouldn't smoke if I had 1000 years to live). But if I'm never coming back to this world again then I might as well leave doing something I love.

 

[adreamer]

Well, I think someone just put the final button on me. About a month ago, manager at hospital I worked for - " strongly hinted" we may not have job in the near future. The reason - We are losing money. After spent an hour of brain storming, all of us find "manager has made their minds." Therefore, time to move on.


adreamer - not more dreaming, make it happen