Update to Career Plan

Update to Career Plan

Career plan wise, I’ve always said that I’m not the kind of person whom likes to have a direct -- firm career goal or path.  Sometimes you need to expand your horizons and keep an open perspective, and as such, maybe you'll find something along the way that interests you more. Though, every person is different and everyone makes decisions differently. Nonetheless, I prefer to keep an open mind, and I have preferences as to what I’d like to do career wise, but no firm dead-set path. The 'general direction' where I’m going is certainly aviation related, but where in aviation is something that'll remain to be seen. I'll say this, though. One thing for sure, I’ve learned that in the 4 years I’ve had here at Eastern, I’m certainly not the kind of person that would be interested in anything to do with the corporate world. Nearly all of my business classes (for the business minor required per the Aviation Management) degree, I just couldn't stand. It's interesting though as just two years ago, I thought to myself -- you know, once I get that business minor, I could use that to work my way up to grad school and get an MBA (Masters in Business Administration), since most (if not all) of those classes are prerequisites anyways. After taking all of those classes, I can guarantee you I’ll be staying clear away from an MBA, yet alone any further business related classes. I just have zero interest in accounting, finance, management, or business. Aviation management's another thing and if I was going to use my management degree for something, I’d use it to work as say, 'Director of Operations' for an airport, or something of the sorts. I've never had an interest in corporate aviation and I still don't, probably even less so now (after taking those business classes) than I did before. That's just not my forte.

After school, going back to potentially going for a masters degree, while I’ve completely lost all interest in the business-side of things, and an MBA overall, I’ve found a secondary interest (secondary to aviation) in economics. Sure, most people completely hate economics, have a hard time with it, etc. Though, when I took macroeconomics and microeconomics here at Eastern, I loved it. It made perfect sense, I felt like it was perfect common sense emphasized through graphs, numbers, and a bit of theory. In fact, I came extremely close to declaring a double major and getting a second bachelors in Economics, but turned it down since it'd take another year of school. Sure, 1 year isn't much, but I may as well get a masters in it instead. Therefore, maybe after graduation, it's possible I may return to school to pursue a masters in economics, not particularly because I want a career in economics, but more less because I find it fun, which I’m sure sounds pretty crazy to most people. Though I think it'd be a pretty cool degree to have. I've also considered something aerospace related (I love aerospace), but not anything engineering related (no interest in engineering). I've also considered a masters in something aviation related, but that seems somewhat redundant, I think an economics masters would be a nice 'out of left field' kind of degree to portray on a resume, same can nearly be said for an aerospace degree. Therefore, with respect to career plans, it's possible that I may not pursue a career for another year or two; perhaps I’ll go to grad school for economics (or some other degree).

Career specific with respect to aviation? Assuming no immediate grad school, I've always wanted to be a pilot and that's that, really. Will I be one? I'm not sure. I can't answer that, really, as a career. I'll be a pilot (private pilot and such), but as a career, I’m not sure. There are a lot of pros and cons involved. Become a pilot and I’d be immensely loaded in debt. Or, take another route and not be loaded with debt. Tough choice. Never thought I’d be interested in dispatch but again, taking classes over the years can kind of coerce you in different directions and interests (goes back to my mentality of keeping an open mind), some you may never have thought of. Having taken the dispatch courses, I love the material, I enjoy it a lot, and it’s a lot of fun. With that being said, maybe I’ll become a dispatcher? Probably only as a temporary job for a few years while I work through the pilot ratings. I think it'd be a lot of fun. Flying is fun to me, as is the dispatch coursework, along with economics. I think it's important to do what you find fun. Doing my business minor? Absolutely dreadful, because I had zero fun in the process (zero interest in the material). Doing dispatch, economics, etc. and classes that I’ve enjoyed? A lot of fun. Take that interest and attach it to a career, and you'll have a fun career. That's all that really means.

Couple other avenues -- I’ve thought about ATC. In fact, it's something I highly considered the last few years, but recently I’ve just seemed to have lost interest. No particular reason why, perhaps its lack of knowledge about it, lack of hearing about it, etc., I’m not sure. Last I checked (a few months ago) and over the last year, they haven't been hiring anyone from the general public, only ATC graduates (ATC degrees) from accredited schools. While they get paid well, would I enjoy sitting in a dark room for 8 hours a day? Eh. I can't answer that because I don't know. I know if I was sitting in the tower cab at an airport, I’d be sitting there wishing I was flying the planes I was talking to, and not sitting in this dark room talking to the pilots of those planes. How much I was getting paid wouldn't matter at that point. I've also thought about the military; Air Force & Navy. Military just isn't my thing, really, but it's crossed my mind. The Navy just recently sent me a letter in the mail (a week ago) trying to recruit me as a naval aviator officer (somehow they knew I was graduating in a couple weeks). With that, I could fly planes in the navy (F-18's, helicopters, etc.), get all my flight training paid for -- and I’d enlist as an officer (since I’d have a bachelor’s degree). Sounds great, but there's a commitment involved (I believe its 10 years). Still something that's on my mind but more less a "last resorts" option if I was set on becoming a pilot and by all means necessary couldn't due to something financially related.

All said and done, I want to fly, preferably for the airlines. Or I’d like to dispatch (most likely temporarily, till I can get to the airlines). And, or, perhaps the midst of all this, pursue a masters degree, probably in economics or something aerospace related. Who knows where I’ll end up, but to me the uncertainty of it is pretty exciting. It's like rolling the dice and seeing what you get. I've never been concerned about my career, nor worried about it, I know where I’m going is the right direction, and I’m sure I’ll end up where I’m supposed to be. A good analogy is that I feel like I’m in the right parking lot, I just haven't found the right parking space, yet.