Just to be argumentative [/sarcasm]... it's simply a question of how much you are willing to gamble. This career is like Vegas: You can put a lot down for the possibility of a great reward, or you can take your chips and go home to the safety of another job which has better stability and less reward. I have thought many times about pursuing my father's career in federal law enforcement. He retired after 34 years of service making just over $100,000 a year. He had great government benefits, and a solid pension plan. Definitely desireable. However, after seeing how hard he worked for that money, and the life associated with that job, I would rather take the aviation gamble.
The aviation gamble for me is the opportunity to have very decent pay and work rules/days off/benefits for doing my hobby as my job. In the meantime, I'm enjoying the opportunities this career is providing me that I otherwise would not have if I had selected another path. If I do not attain my goals, I won't blame the system... I'll blame myself for taking the gamble. I looked at the big picture and made a decision.
But, even though it's a gamble, it doesn't mean we can't have some control of the system. Our careers should not be determined by a white collar bean counter at the main office. But too many of us allow them to dictate our lives.
You may say I'm young and naive to think that a major airline career with a decent paycheck and plenty of days off is attainable. I say you're right. There is a benefit to being young... it's the ability to not let life beat you down and let anyone think you can't achieve your goals.
I guess I'm also young enough to back out of this silly career, go back to school, and become a surgeon or something. But that just doesn't sound like much fun. I wouldn't mind going back to college... but it wouldn't be to study!
