I've been compiling a "to-do" list and incorporating expenses.

Here's some of it.

ATP written
All ATP's - $295 for prep and exam
Sheppard - $75 prep, $90 for exam at lasergrade
Dauntless - $24.99 prep, $90 for exam at lasergrade

Ditto above for FE written

FAA 1st class - $90 with local AME

FCC license -$60

Professionally prepared resume and cover letter - $150

joining airline apps $54.95

joining Air Inc $199

Air Inc job fairs $175

Interview prep $300

decent suit $400

737 type rating $7000

Now, I'm a fairly smart guy, and I am pretty savvy with studying on my own, computer based training, microsoft products, etc. With that in mind, I have no problem generating my own resume from a good template or studying on my own for the ATP or FE written. The question becomes, how much am I willing to gamble my future career on by being cheap?

I spent roughly $60,000 of my own and taxpayer (ROTC scholarship) on my first career because I needed a college degree, and the degree itself did nothing for my career other than meeting a pre-req and some base-line skills I've used (such as math, how to write, etc).

Considering I'll probably spend at least twice as much time in this next career as I did in the first, I have no problem dropping $10,000 if it will make a difference, but the key point is make a difference. Is the extra $50 for sheppard's ATP prep software worth it over dauntless, is the extra $150 for all ATP's worth it over sheppard? Is it worth it to pay $150 for a professional resume and cover letter that others on this board could write in their sleep but that I might struggle with and end up with something tossed in the trash by HR.

I've seen many debates on here about the 737 type rating. Suppose I get it but say I end up at Delta on the MD-88 or 757 instead. Being a military fighter guy, is it a waste of money if I can show up to training at Delta with 2 weeks more experience of classroom, CRM, and sim experience that I wouldn't have had otherwise even if its on a different airframe? Once you're hired you still need to pass the training. I don't look at it as a waste if the experience I get at HPA even marginally helps me get through Delta's initial training even if I never fly a 737 in my life.

What about some of the other stuff, like Air Inc? Is the package worth it? I guess I could cheap out with airline apps and submit a bunch of individual apps for free, but my time is worth more than $54 for the 2 hours it takes me to fill each one out.

Am I off-base here, a sucker for anybody with a sales pitch?