I would have to disagree a bit with this one, I had a really good middle management job climbing the corporate ladder. I was having beers with the big boss one day and asked about their decision to hire me, he said “I figured if you could fly planes you were smart enough for this job.”

I did have to convince them I wasn’t going to leave them to the airlines when things got better. I wasn’t lying, but I did end up leaving them to fly.

 

You give us all hope yet!

 

:d

 

For what it's worth, while the airline industry may be incredibly cyclical, there are few careers these days in the private sector that are well-insulated from economic shocks. Aside from the military or the federal government (plus some state and local governments), I can't think of too many professions that offer any kind of job security.

I've spent 24 years working in advertising, which is just about the first expenditure most companies cut when a downturn looms (or even if they think one is looming.) In that time I have been laid off twice.

I now own a 40-person creative agency that I've spent the past 7 years building, from 2 of us at a kitchen table to (at our height) 46 people. Our biggest client is a household name that I guarantee isn't going anywhere during this depression, but even they are starting to cut back dramatically. I now spend my days (and nights) furiously searching for new projects for my teams, negotiating with clients, etc. The reality is that we're probably going to have to shrink our agency by 50% or more.

Heck, at this point, I am desperate just to go out and do a few jacked-up 4-day trips in the ol' RJ, even with 2 passengers and even with the threat of corona, just because I. Need. To. Get. Out. Of. The. House...and, just for one moment, stop thinking about all the friends I am probably going to have to lay off very soon.

All of this is to say, there are no 'certain' careers anymore. I'm not sure if there ever were. To misquote Steve Jobs, you're going to spend a great deal of your life at work. You might as well find something you love.

 

The military provides only short-term security (3-6 years). Long-term security is zero, it's up or out, if you miss the next promotion, you're out. I think maybe 20% actually qualify for the 20-year retirement... the pyramid gets steeper every step of the way.

You will also need to do a career change eventually, because there are so few slots available at the highest ranks that almost everyone is out before age 50. Really only flag and general officers can get anywhere near age 60 and just retire for real.

So not the rainbows and unicorns some civilians think it is.

Federal civil service on the other hand is a pretty cush gig, other than the inherent toxicity in many sectors.

 

depends on your age... if your in your 20s this will just be a speed bump and you should be able to have a meaningful career with a major... if your in your 30s... that’s a gut check can go either way... if your in your 40s I’d bail and find another line of work.

 

One of my buddies got his BSN (nursing), and flew on the side while working. Typical RN schedule leaves plenty of free time to fly with good pay.

He got his 1500hrs in about four years, went to the regionals at 25, and worked a few per diem shifts a month just to stay current as an RN.

I always gave him a hard time, but the joke was on me. If the aviation industry went to hell or if he lost his medical, he had the RN license to fall back on...and while no industry is recession-proof, healthcare is about as close as it gets. People can stop doing lots of things, but dying ain’t one of them

Just some food for thought for the young bucks considering a degree in Leisure Studies.

 

No kidding. I didn't care how secure my job was when the 107mm rockets were sailing in or when I was flying overhead of two dead aviators in a burning Apache. Also found out it wasn't that secure when they retired our airframe and said "good luck" to 600 good pilots.

 

I’m not military so I don’t know how well this idea would work. For airline pilots who want to join, would it make sense to avoid flying and enter in a different field to learn a new skill? I’m sure the military has IT, healthcare, and trade jobs that could help in civilian life.

 

Yes, that will work. Numerous mil skills transfer directly to civilian professions, although additional training is often required. In some cases ex-mil are the preferred candidates (ex aviation and nuclear power).

Combat arms skills mostly translate to police or security (officers are sought after for fortune 500 management jobs). Ex-SOF can make big bucks in high-end private security, or really big bucks if they don't mind changing the odd regime.

Also... you can go on active duty for a very long time and still retain your seniority number (even if it gets furloughed and then recalled while you're gone).