Degree to help get a job

[Caoimhghin]

Hello, I have a quick question. I already for for Delta Air Lines in a station ops position, eventually looking to become a dispatcher. I already have my license, PPL and a college degree in aviation sciences. Would getting a masters in atmospheric sciences / getting my IFR help me get in? I have no actually dispatch experience, and I don't really want to leave the company to get it, to then just come back. I just know it is super competitive, so I wanna try to stick out more if possible.

Thanks

 

[TAF_Master]

Short answer is no. A Master's degree is highly unlikely to have any impact on selection and is absolutley not worth the cost if you weren't motivated to get it anyway for its own merits.

 

[OttoPilot13]

If you are set on remaining with one carrier to keep your seniority and benefits I would just continue to apply as an internal. Your experience in station ops and dispatch license / knowledge will be more valuable than the time and money spent on a master's degree as its not required for the position. Experience will matter more and while internals are selected each round, only those who can separate themselves from their competiton get hired. I knew someone who worked at a major for nearly 10 years in customer service who had their license and still left for a regional just to get their dispatch experience to boost their resume. They got hired back about a year later into dispatch.

 

[Flagship_dxer]

Delta is well known to hire a significant amount of dispatch internals that have no license and put them through a licensing course. As weird as it sounds, having a masters degree might not hurt your chances but having your dispatch license as an internal at Delta might hurt your chances at getting hired into dispatch. You might need to consider a move to a regional or supplemental airline to gain experience. I would recommend taking a look at that before getting a masters degree. Working as an internal at Delta limits you to that airline unless you have experience dispatching. The money you would invest in a masters degree might be better saved to help with the low pay at the regionals in dispatch.

 

[LastMinuteAirline]

With your background and halfway decent interview skills you will get into DL dispatch eventually. A masters could certainly help, but I don't think it would pass a cost benefit analysis. Unless you and your family are starving and cannot pay your bills I would wait it out for the internal hire. Try to get on in any position in the OCC. Load control, scheduling, routing, etc. While they do hire from all over the company, the majority are coming from the OCC. Networking helps and its easier to network when you sit nearby.

 

[Heislost82]

With your background and halfway decent interview skills you will get into DL dispatch eventually. A masters could certainly help, but I don't think it would pass a cost benefit analysis. Unless you and your family are starving and cannot pay your bills I would wait it out for the internal hire. Try to get on in any position in the OCC. Load control, scheduling, routing, etc. While they do hire from all over the company, the majority are coming from the OCC. Networking helps and its easier to network when you sit nearby.

any news if there is another Dispatch class this year?

 

[Caoimhghin]

I see. I might still get into it, cause through my partner's job at a university, we get free tuition (but still have to pay other fees and junk), but I understand that in the grand scheme of things, I don't need to. Thank you all for the advice! And I actually spoke with someone in Atlanta who is a current dispatcher, he said it is possible but he didn't think it was gonna happen (for another class this year).

 

[flygirl142]

I see. I might still get into it, cause through my partner's job at a university, we get free tuition (but still have to pay other fees and junk), but I understand that in the grand scheme of things, I don't need to. Thank you all for the advice! And I actually spoke with someone in Atlanta who is a current dispatcher, he said it is possible but he didn't think it was gonna happen (for another class this year).

Free tuition definitely makes a difference

 

[MountainsOrBeach]

I see. I might still get into it, cause through my partner's job at a university, we get free tuition (but still have to pay other fees and junk), but I understand that in the grand scheme of things, I don't need to. Thank you all for the advice! And I actually spoke with someone in Atlanta who is a current dispatcher, he said it is possible but he didn't think it was gonna happen (for another class this year).

any news if there is another Dispatch class this year?

Was told by a dx friend there at DL they have already hired another 6 or so internally that started after this last April class. Internal is def the way to go if you’re on good terms and already working there. If you get free tuition and just want a masters then go for it, but I’d at least stay at DL and go the internal route for sure if dispatch is the main goal.

 

[Acceptable_Risk]

Hello, I have a quick question. I already for for Delta Air Lines in a station ops position, eventually looking to become a dispatcher. I already have my license, PPL and a college degree in aviation sciences. Would getting a masters in atmospheric sciences / getting my IFR help me get in? I have no actually dispatch experience, and I don't really want to leave the company to get it, to then just come back. I just know it is super competitive, so I wanna try to stick out more if possible.

Thanks

You don't need to get a masters. Most majors look for 3-5 years experience (although lately, it seems like they are doing a lot of internal hiring without any experience), and a bachelor's degree in anything helps, but brownie points for an aviation degree like you have. Now just concentrate on getting your dx license and you'll be good to go. Good luck!