My perfect problem

[WIPilot]

To anyone willing to give it, I need some advice...

I am just nearing graduation from college and I should have my instructor lisence and comm multi by mid summer...aviation has always been my goal since I was very young...guessing not much different from anyone else who is on these formus. I have always also liked internet gaming and got to know a lot of people in the industry.

So about 2 weeks ago I get a phone call from one of them and I get a job offer working for a gaming company. The pay starts at about 30-35k...plus benefits...2 weeks of vacation..etc...very attractive offer considering starting pay at most regionals, let alone flight instructing full time, would be significantly less. The only catch is I would have to move to the east coast from the midwest. I would get to set the hours I want pretty much as long as the job got done. So, in theory I guess I could get a job part time flight instructing also.

So in short...I dont want to end my life with aviation...but I am not sure if I should pass up this oprotunity.


Thats probably only 1/2 of the things I am taking in consideration for both...but does anyone have any serious thoughts on this?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Standby 1]

Okay, I'm sure I'll somehow get flamed for this but......

TAKE THE JOB TAKE THE JOB TAKE THE JOB TAKE THE JOB TAKE THE JOB

If you enjoy gaming, you'll be working in a field you like....that's cool. You can always work on your ratings on the side and make a career change later if you'd like.

 

[wmuflyguy]

ditto

 

[JediNein]

Let the gaming job pay for the student loans and 1500 hours total time and 500 hours multi time.

Fly SAFE!
Jedi Nein

 

[jtf]

Take the job and instruct on weekends and whenever else you can fit it into the schedule. You'll be making money and paying off school. Do you best to save up a bunch before you get into aviation full time since you will probably qualify for food stamps when you get on at a regional. If you get a ton of students and can make it instucting full time then you could switch over then, but having some money to start is much more than most can get. Depending where on the East coast your job is, there should be plenty of flying opportunities to find since that part of the country is so population dense.

 

[timeoff]

So in short...I dont want to end my life with aviation...but I am not sure if I should pass up this oprotunity.

30-35k outside of aviation is peanuts. With a degree you can make that starting out in just about any field. Build your time now while you are young and can "afford" it. When you are 29 with a kid and a mortgage you don't want to be lying in bed with your wife telling her how much you hate your job, trying to justify selling your house and living off CFI wages.

 

[rickair7777]

You would have to measure your passion for flying vs. software.

$35K is high-end but achievable for a CFI, and would be about 3rd year FO pay at a regional.

However, for any kind of IT job, $35K is technician pay, ie chump change. If you have CS/CE degree, you should be looking at $60-80K jobs in that industry.

I found that IT/software was pretty interesting, but the people I had to work with were another story...pilots are usually more fun to hang out with.

If you can get any kind of IT job paying $60K+, you should probably take it and subsidize your flying and save up until you can get a regional job. By then you should have a better gut feel as to what you'd rather do for a living. I have several friends who did CFI, regional, then got regular jobs and fly corporate on the side...they are home a lot and not subject to the economic problems of the airline biz.

 

[coloneldan]

There is a saying in aviation. The smart people get on the airplane and turn right.

I would agree with most of the people above. Take the gaming job and work toward your flying career in your spare time. You eventually will come to a point where you will have to make a decision, one or the other. Make it then, not now. You will have a better oppertunity either way then.

Of course, if you're like me you might be dumb enough to turn left when you get on an airplane. Most people who fly for a living don't do it for the money, glamor or babes. They do it because they love flying. If you have a good enough job "in the real world," you can pay for your flying. If I had it to do over again, I'm not sure I would do it this way.

 

[falconvalley]

Go with what you think will make you the most happy, man. Don't be afraid to make a choice and find out that it wasn't for you. You have to choose and actually experience something to find out what you do and don't like. You won't know until the excitement level drops and you realize you could be doing the same thing decades from now. When you really realize that and think well, I could do this until I'm ready to retire, then you're on to something. Happiness is key.

Forgot about the money. Unless you have what you want to make and spend planned out to the dime until the year 2050, forget about starting pay. Everyone pays their dues (in some form), whether they start at $15,000 a year or $50,000 a year. I've never heard anyone say "WOW! I just graduated college got hired right after taking a break this summer! And I'm making more money than I could ever want or need!!! I could retire at 25! But I'm gonna keep doing this until I die and donate most of it to charity!!"

No way. Everyone always wants to make as much as possible right out of college. Of course you want to live decently but part of living decently is going home after work happy and looking forward to work after your much relaxing days off.

Go the happy route. Whatever it may be.

 

[WIPilot]

thank you for all of the responses they are all appreciated!

 

[Metro752]

Which game is it?

 

[Princedietrich]

I'll tell ya what. I'll take the gaming job and you can have my flying job.


Seriously though, go for the job stability that an office and a computer will provide. While 35k to start is a pittance and almost insulting in the IT field, it's a freakin forture for a college graduate. As several of my esteemed fellow pilots here have said, take the job and fly on the weekends.

 

[timeoff]

As several of my esteemed fellow pilots here have said, take the job and fly on the weekends.

The grass is ALWAYS greener.

Ask yourself this, why has every respnose been telling you NOT to fly? This profession doesn't possess any form of barrier to entry (with the exception of medical limitations), so any time pilots have the ability to discourage new entrants, they will. Not consciously, but you can read the subtle tone of them not wanting you to fly for a living.

 

[CapnVegetto]

I just bought a laptop and am going to get into World of Warcraft.

Anyway, take the gaming job, and use it to finance your flying habit. Pay off the loans, and who knows, it may even lead to a higher paying gaming job once you get some experience. You're in a better position than most, with the ability to choose. Start out in gaming, and fly on the side. If you like it, stick with it, if not, you'll have your flying on the side, and be building toward a better job in the future.

Good luck!

 

[KeroseneSnorter]

The grass is ALWAYS greener.

Ask yourself this, why has every respnose been telling you NOT to fly? This profession doesn't possess any form of barrier to entry (with the exception of medical limitations), so any time pilots have the ability to discourage new entrants, they will. Not consciously, but you can read the subtle tone of them not wanting you to fly for a living.

It is a stability issue. Right now there is zero stability in the industry. As a new airline pilot you can expect much less than the 35k he is offered outside of aviation. Pay rates for RJ pilots is horrible and going down, the majors are still in bad shape, even the ones hiring are not doing so well.(Even SWA is feeling it as the fuel price goes up)

Right now in the industry a pilot can expect repeated furloughs and having to start over several times prior to any stable position. For me it is two furloughs so far with a third furlough that was announced 2 days ago. So far I have gone from a Boeing to a cessna twice now...and if the newest furlough announcement becomes reality it will probably be a third time to a cessna at least for a while.

Anybody starting in aviation right now has to expect more of the same, if you get lucky, good for them, but do not expect it.

Now where did I put that CFI certificate? Glad I never let it expire.....it has kept the roof over my head more times than I care to count.

 

[dseagrav]

I just bought a laptop and am going to get into World of Warcraft.

This is like saying "I just bought a pack of light bulbs and am going to get into smoking crack cocaine."

 

[smellthejeta]

Crap, I made $43k as a friggin line guy this year, according to my W2. Throw in my 4% company match on the 401(k), my tuition reimbursement for school, the tips I made, and I have a $50k per year job. Company's footing the bill for an MS while I'm waiting for the FAA to get off their ass and hire ATC'ers.

 

[Metro752]

I just bought a laptop and am going to get into World of Warcraft.

Anyway, take the gaming job, and use it to finance your flying habit. Pay off the loans, and who knows, it may even lead to a higher paying gaming job once you get some experience. You're in a better position than most, with the ability to choose. Start out in gaming, and fly on the side. If you like it, stick with it, if not, you'll have your flying on the side, and be building toward a better job in the future.

Good luck!

World of Warcraft is like crack, I've been there and back, and am not proud of it. I'm guessing WIPilot got hired by Blizz.

 

[freeflyer14]

This is like saying "I just bought a pack of light bulbs and am going to get into smoking crack cocaine."

I am hooked on FEAR right now, can't stop between that and getting smoked in HL2 deathmatches by what I assume are a bunch of kids who play all day and night. I don't have WoW yet, but do have a best buy gift card burning a hole in my pocket...:beer: