Originally Posted by
hrmham
Despite the obvious hiring going on at the present, more senior pilots constantly speak in terms of *when* the next downturn will arrive (not *if*) and how that could flush a lot of the newer pilots' careers/progression, etc. While newbies chase the magic 1500 hours hoping to hook-on to a regional and begin the climb, should they also be *actively* be setting up for a back-up career to hedge against the specter of downturns and furloughs? If so, are they're any obvious, proven go-to non-aviation-related careers?
Backups are good, but DarkSide nailed it. Neither a degree nor skills without recent work experience will help much to get you hired in a specific non-aviation field. Source: my last job included screening job applicants, many of whom had degrees or skills related to the field yet no recent work experience.
I've been at this for a year now. The common theme among captains with whom I've flown isn't so much that they have backup
jobs as that they have backup
income. Real estate, businesses, investments: while they do require knowledge and attention, they don't require recent experience to get started.