time for change?

[Almerick07]

Im currently flight instructing at a reputable flight school flying nice airplanes, getting paid very well for a flight instructor and am on the verge of possibly stepping up (or down however you look at it) to the airline world to further my career. Flying is a passion of mine but I also have other passions which include money management and finance (exciting I know).

Basically I've been offered a stock broker position at a very large investment firm after a what the heck online application. The position really appeals to me but I dont know if Im going to regret leaving professional aviation if I do take the stock broker position. Any experiences from people who have left aviation and came back would be helpful, Im really at a cross roads and need some advice/experiences from anyone.

 

[Junkflyer]

Maybe go the broker thing for a few years, save some money, then you can afford to have an aviation job.

 

[Mr. Irrelevant]

If you want to be a salesman then being a broker is an opportunity to make quite a bit of $$$. If you're good at it, you won't regret the move. If you're not so good at it, you may see it as a waste of time at some point in the future. I started my career as an intern at Bear Stearns. Ended up at a large money management firm before I left for aviation a few years ago. Be very aware that there is a big difference between selling stocks and bonds and being involved in money management(i.e. portfolio management). Lots of pressure in that brokerage job. As in daily pressure as opposed to a typically more relaxed atmosphere at an actual money management firm.

Good luck with your decision.

Mr. I.

 

[B-J-J Fighter]

What flight school are you CFIing at?

 

[navigator72]

Make sure you ask for a cubicle with a window so you can watch the planes fly by. When the aviation bug hits, You will always be looking up at the slightest buzz of a plane flying by. Maybe on those power lunches you might take the long way back to the office by cutting through the airport. You will probably be better off financially with the broker job but plan on being stuck with the aviation bug forever.

 

[Princedietrich]

Im currently flight instructing at a reputable flight school flying nice airplanes, getting paid very well for a flight instructor and am on the verge of possibly stepping up (or down however you look at it) to the airline world to further my career. Flying is a passion of mine but I also have other passions which include money management and finance (exciting I know).

Basically I've been offered a stock broker position at a very large investment firm after a what the heck online application. The position really appeals to me but I dont know if Im going to regret leaving professional aviation if I do take the stock broker position. Any experiences from people who have left aviation and came back would be helpful, Im really at a cross roads and need some advice/experiences from anyone.

Take the broker position. Go for the paycheck, the QOL, the bennies, and the absence of a lingering fear of a furlough. Fly on the weekends as a hobby, you'll be able to afford some hundred dollar hamburgers.

 

[Almerick07]

Thanks everyone for the input, this is hard. The brokerage position is with Edward Jones as an investment representative where I would do everything from money management to sales. Ive got a a couple more weeks to go through the entire application process so I have some time to decide but I really dont know what to do. Maybe find a part-time gig flying on the weekends....or maybe build an RV??? Still have no clue what to do.

 

[Benu]

If you don't love it, don't do it. This desire must come from your heart. If flying is a better joy, then stay like the rest of us. Please never live for the greed of money. If you're doing something that you love, you'll never be broke or unhappy. No fame in aviation or stocks; just a piece of mind in one.

 

[Rxflyer]

Trust your gut on this one.

 

[unreal]

Im currently flight instructing at a reputable flight school flying nice airplanes, getting paid very well for a flight instructor and am on the verge of possibly stepping up (or down however you look at it) to the airline world to further my career. Flying is a passion of mine but I also have other passions which include money management and finance (exciting I know).

Basically I've been offered a stock broker position at a very large investment firm after a what the heck online application. The position really appeals to me but I dont know if Im going to regret leaving professional aviation if I do take the stock broker position. Any experiences from people who have left aviation and came back would be helpful, Im really at a cross roads and need some advice/experiences from anyone.

Well, lemme tell ya. Right after college, I wasn't so sure that I wanted to fly professionally. The market was looking like hell, and I was sick of being a broke college student. In my quest to figure out what I wanted to do, I went and sold cars.

I pretty much sucked at it, but the money was there. I remember at one point making in a single sale the amount I make in a month as a CFI. Pretty sweet, but everytime a plane flew over the lot, I couldn't help looking up.

Fast forward a bit, and I'd left that job to go be a CFI. They told me at the dealership that within a few months I'd take home $6,000+/month, which everyone was doing there. That's a pretty good hunk of change for a 21 year old fresh out of college, but I hated the job. I now make $1,300/month flying airplanes, and I never looked back. Yeah, money's tight, but I really enjoy my job. Being happy to go to work means a lot more than a nice paycheck, IMO.

I have a friend I graduated college with who went out and did the whole car sales thing as well. Still does it. He makes $80,000/year and drives a nice BMW. But, he still tells me that he wishes he could be in my shoes. Go figure.