Crucero

No dog is this fight, we all know a degree (BA or higher) is an absolute MUST to have a chance at a Legacy, we get it.

But I wish people would realize that a degree without actual experience in the field isn't always the safety net some believe.

Don't be surprised if you become UBER drivers if you get furloughed because your 20 year old degree has essentially become worthless.

Also, college isn't what it was 15 or more years ago, some of the academics have been diluted, it's way more expensive, and more and more people have other things going on while they attend college..(Family, deaths, divorce, illness, regional pay or other life altering circumstances.)

It's great that certain companies won't hold that against them in the interview, but as mentioned before, ON paper it makes it difficult to get a call for the person who has had it tougher, even though said individual is building more character than the guy/gal who had daddy pay everything.

Again, I'm not arguing the importance of getting a degree to be competitive, just debunking the myth that a degree is a reliable fallback, affordable to everyone, attainable by anyone (smarts) and should be done quickly because that shows more determination.
Not necessarily!

Just another point of view!

CheapTrick

Well, Liberty U. is steeped in Dispensational Theology and most of the a application readers are Covenant type theology guys (or complete reprobates). j/k. Bottom line is really this: they are mining for excellence. If your application, resume, recommendation letters, and interview reveal character you go to the top of the hiring pile. They love Horatio Alger stories - seriously. They have character that is self-evident.

One of the DAL interviewers is a buddy. He had five hand delivered applications of pilots he considered "must hire" that he hand walked. One got an interview with-in a year (and was hired), three waited over a year (2/3 hired), and one yet to be called. This is a guy that DAL trusts to say yes or no on hiring, but he couldn't move those apps past where they were scored and put in the que.

crewdawg

I recently flew with a Captain that graduated from Wharton and worked at Mckinsey while he was furloughed, and chose to come back with the recall. Having a few buddies who have worked for Mckinsey, all of which went on to very lucrative careers, I was interested in why he came back. It all came down to how much those guys are work and are gone from home. Sure those guys can go on to high paying jobs but they work their tails off for that $$$. He figures he can make 250-300k here, work <half the year and actually have time to spend his money.

scambo1

I don't think that's as much a detractor as you are concerned that it is.

First check the degree block
Second get invited to the interview
Third nail the interview.

Break those three steps down into their smaller pieces and don't worry about the rest.

scambo1

I know who you're talking about. Does he still do some side work?

rickair7777

Not sure why this argument keeps coming up...

No, the degree is not as directly relevant to flight operations as in some other careers.

But yes, it is essentially required for the best jobs and that's not changing for at least five+ years.

As for being a fallback...

Any degree, recent or not, with experience or not, will help you land a generic white-collar job more quickly and at a higher pay than a HS grad.

A technical degree will typically require some refreshing if you try to enter that field years later so it's more useful in the event you leave aviation for good and it's worth putting in some effort to get yourself on the track you want to be on. Also rusty technical degrees work just fine in technical sales which is often a good fit for pilots who have more people skills than most engineers.

Grumpyaviator

Pilots I know who finished school later got hired not long after finishing, even at DAL.

F2TH

I'm sure people will disagree or criticize my post, but I don't think that college was a "huge waste of time writing papers, etc". Even though it did not directly relate to my abilities in flying an airplane, it served a different purpose. It allowed me to continue to grow and learn. I completed my degree earning a Bachelor of Science in Business. I really enjoyed the classes, especially the elective courses. I looked at it as a way to glimpse through a window of other cultures, people, etc. Whether it was philosophy, foreign languages, history or statistics, I was able to walk away from the experience with a lot more than just a diploma (or an expensive and ridiculous piece of paper) as others have called it. Sure it was expensive, but I have NEVER regretted the decision to attend college. Just my .02 cents.

forgot to bid

College is what you make of it. I like learning. I liked the library. I liked hanging out with friends. I enjoyed my job in college. I enjoyed it from start to finish, all 3.5 years I was there . I should've stayed longer and worked less. I did learn a lot. I knew kids that didn't darken the door of the library for 5 years. Now I go to UT, UVA, USCe, UK and some other colleges and I don't even see books in their library. Which i get. But weird. For the record, I'd go back to school to get a degree for the fun of it... or just build a plane.

Anyways I think there was some bit of crap/"old school" studies (great books comes to mind, calculus) in that first two years that absolutely needs to be eliminated, while at the same time "old school" that needs to reinstated. I like you F2TH enjoyed exploring other things in the electives.

But i'm not in charge. Yet.

A330Pilot

FAA Air Traffic Controllers don't require a degree, I know because I was hired without one in 2007...ATC at level 12 facilities( center controller)will out earn a Legacy Airline Pilot and have a REAL Pension...
So Yes, there are others things in life that pay well that do not require a four year degree...