Should I blow another $15,00 for BS degree?

[higherflyer]

My experience with a Master's in management. I was tired of being between jobs at age 53. I tried to get into another line of work. 0 interviews, lots of job fairs, lots of professional resumes. I am covered with airline stink, my belief is companies will not touch you later in life for any decent job no matter what degree you have. So you have decide early in life what you are going to do, use the knowledge gained in your college degree or spend 10 years establishing your aviation career. Science is changing so fast that being out of it for 10 years is almost like not being in it.

Wow, that's quite a negative and pessimistic view of higher education. Having been on the hiring side and the applying side of the table, I would strongly disagree. Age and higher education are not necessarily bad and negatives to being hired. What a company is generally going to look at is whether there is something to be gained in bringing the applicant on board. There are benefits to hiring the 65 year old applicant for many circumstances where the 25 year old would not be a proper fit. The same goes if the ages were to be reversed.

I can't speak to your situation, but it is entirely possible that you were not the proper fit for the positions to which you were applying. Whether experience, personality fit or whatever, it didn't work for you. That is not the way it will work for others.

As to Marcus' question of getting the degree-- I would get it as soon as possible if you really want to have a shot at the majors. It satisfies a box for most 'major' airlines out there today. Is it needed for the job, probably not. Does it get you in the door, maybe. Will not having it keep the door closed, probably. Good luck in the degree program and good luck in moving 'up'.

By the way, my background is a BS in a totally unrelated engineering field, a MS in Operations Management, 15 years working for a Fortune 20 electronics manufacturer in various positions (operations and management) and now flying for a major airline. It took work to get to where I am today, but drive and hard work are what it takes to succeed today. Good Luck, Marcus! Ignore the naysayers.

 

[Secret Squirrel]

I would say pay off debt and build an emergency fund. If you think it is hard making $75,000 with $75,000 of debt, try making $40,000 as a first year probationary pilot at your new airline now with $90,000 in debt. If you have resources that will supplement your income during the first 5 years it will take you to catch up to your regional salary, then use it to pay down your debt. And that does not take into account the furlough you very well may get to experience. School loans are not forgivable in bankruptcy. You have years before any serious hiring starts in this industry.

 

[pilotyip]

back to the beginning

Wow, that's quite a negative and pessimistic view of higher education. Having been on the hiring .....various positions (operations and management) and now flying for a major airline. It took work to get to where I am today, but drive and hard work are what it takes to succeed today. Good Luck, Marcus! Ignore the naysayers.

You have to go back to the beginning, he was wondering about getting an easy quick degree to advance his career, to check a box, it has nothing to do with knowledge, it is to please a HR specialist. Or his other option was to get a real degree that leads to a job outside of aviation. To get that degree in whatever and not use it for 10-20-30 years and expect to fall back upon that degree does not reflect the reality that I see in today's marketplace. I know too many college graduates doing jobs that do not require a degree beyond high school. Lets just agree to disagree. BTW I must agree with your hard work ethic, it is funny how things turn out when give 110% to everything you do.