m3113n1a1

No he's not.

DenVa

You’re on the right track. The idea is to make yourself stand out. A master will help. However, working yourself into a management position where you are may be better time spent.

Buck Rogers

I'd bet dollars to doughnuts that Delta "doesn't really like on-line degrees".....because if they did, the majority of Delta pilots would have"on-line degrees".( Seems pretty reasonable too me)

Nobody said you couldn't get hired if you have an on-line degree......just that statistically you'd be in a very small minority....ergo...tougher to do.....tougher.....NOT impossible

Kinda like it can't be said that you have to have a bachelors degree to be a Delta pilot.....Yes, we do have Delta pilots that don't have a bachelors.....but the % is very,very small

Kjazz130

MOGuy, the important thing is whatever you do make it because you wanted to do it. Not for DAL, not for any job. If you are interested in the area you will study in the masters program and you see personal benefit, then do it. If you are getting a pay to play online degree to impress DAL, skip it. If you volunteer with an organization because it is a cause dear to you then devote more time. If you are calling around to see which volunteer organization fits best in your schedule so you can log the hours don’t bother. If you like the place you work and feel like your skills and leadership will help the company and give you job satisfaction, then apply for an open management position. If you get hired into a management position and are working 60-80 hours a week at a job you hate then it will not benefit your application to DAL. There are things that look good on an app but in the end if you get the interview and have nothing good to say about those experience then they won’t matter. Good on you for putting your family first in your decisions, keep that up and you will get where you want, and are suppose, to be.

Gunfighter

The image of an online degree has improved in the last decade. Over 2/3 of Delta pilots were hired before online degrees were a consideration, so generalizing based on total pilot pool is not a correct interpretation of the statistics. It's like saying "Delta doesn't hire F-35 or KC-46 pilots". There weren't any until a few years ago.

Just like traditional colleges, there are ways to rank online degree programs. An online degree in Aerospace Science from ERAU would be a better choice than underwater basket weaving from Pay to Play U. More importantly, study something you find both interesting and useful.

If you like your current flying job and the motivation is mostly financial, a profitable side gig may be a better choice.

ChecklistMonkey

It's all about the quality of everything on your resume. Having a degree isn't a guarantee spot in class, so your argument that "if Delta accepted them, everyone would have them" is a silly one. Quality and verifiability of flight time, education, military experience, community involvement, and company involvement are what matters. Obviously if you have an online degree and have just been Joe line pilot, you're not going to get a call. Same as if you went to Harvard and were just Joe line pilot. You would probably get rated higher than online guy, but that's not the whole picture. Same thing with an online master's degree. All other things equal, if you and another guy are fighting for the last spot to get a call to interview and you have a master's but he doesn't, you're getting the call.

Gooner

Good rule of thumb for standing out on your app and especially in the interview is to follow your passion and take a level of responsibility within it. Into home brewing, compete and get prizes; into running, run a marathon, kids play sports, coach; flying club, be the treasurer. It really doesn’t matter, they want to know that you are willing to step up as need be to lead or guide a group; not unlike what is expected flying the line occasionally. Then most crucially, put it on your app, find a bubble to put it in and let them see it.

As far as degrees go, good advice already given about only do it if it means something to you. There are multiple ways to expand your responsibilities while working at smaller companies, find something that fits your interests or skills and throw it on your app, you don’t have to do it forever but make sure it’s long enough to show you weren’t just checking a box.

Failures are not the end of the world, the further back they are the better. Just be honest and don’t put one in your app then admit there are actually two more in the interview.

ChecklistMonkey

I wholeheartedly disagree with the premise of your post. If your goal is Delta and you have an opportunity to be management(assuming flight time requirements met), there is no way it would be hamstringing yourself if you didn't take it. Why wouldn't you take it? Even a miserable management job is a huge resume booster as long as you can talk about lessons learned and how it improved you. Obviously there are reasons not to take that job but saying it won't help you at all is completely incorrect.

Same goes with a master's. It is possible to get an online master's that may interest you and devote time to the charity on your choice. If you have the time and you're thinking of doing it, do it. Even if you have to take a short break from your charity. Having a master's and volunteering at a charity is better than having one or the other.

Buck Rogers

gunfighter

I agree with all you said....but since no relevant info was given(institution/degree/GPA etc) it's hard to "handicap" the question. I flew with a 25 yo FO, who came from the commuters....had an undergraduate degree from Embry Riddle in airport mgt, but also had an in-residence technical masters from a top line state school with a 3.93 GPA and was a minority.....so what got him the job at Delta? We could pontificate all day long(I weigh in with a masters 3.93 GPA technical degree set him heads and shoulders above his peers coming from the non-military background) but who really knows ?

Changing the hiring metrics is a long slow process, and while you are right about the on-line stigma(or lack thereof), it takes the hiring dept longer to ferret out the creds......Most people think having an app that is "clean" is a bonus.....having an app where you have to "explain" the info(busted check rides, poor GPA, lengthy time to get degree, MIP, etc.) is not as good

If you are the only candidate to apply for a "must fill" pilot slot, then your cred's don't hardly matter. If however, you are 1 of 12,000 app's that meet the mins then I would go with the "approved" solution if given the opportunity. Some don't have the time or money to attend in residence and don't have that option(the hiring dept understands) but it is a less "clean" app. I think, if you are doing on-line from a reputable institution with a reputable field of study with a good GPA while flying as a day time job, it would win bonus points during the interview......It's just getting the interview that gets sticky

I think Kjazz130 and Gooner summed it all up pretty nicely

Gunfighter

Absolutely correct Buck. The only definitive answer is that 100% of the interviews were granted to applicants. Accurate handicapping requires knowledge of the application scoring matrix.