Get a degree

[ChrisB]

I'm entering second year of flight management at confed. I came directly out of highschool.

Most uni/college program first years are now entirely online. I'm thinking of doing a first year online while I finish confed. A bit expensive for an insurance policy but it could come in handy the way things are going. I would instruct part time while I finish the other 1-3 years.

What would you go for? Do airlines hire pilots with business degrees to do management as well?

Chris

[TalkingPie]

All I can say to this is that up until Covid I'd been employed at the big airline for 12 years - data controller in the engine shop, flight attendant, and service director. Along the way I completed a B. Comm. in management on the side. Let HR know that I was looking for a new challenge once I'd finished; they didn't care. Applied to a dozen or so posted open positions for which I felt qualified, most of which paid considerably less than I was already making. I didn't get so much as an interview - not even for a "baggage recovery manager," a job which consists largely of getting yelled at by passengers whose bags we'd lost.

I'm just one data point, and not even I know what other factors may have been at play, but in general the airline I work for hires people for a specific purpose. If you're a pilot there (which is a decent accomplishment in itself) they're not going to be looking at you to be performing any other function.

Would you maybe have a leg up on getting a pilot job with them if you'd already been an employee in good standing in another position? From what I read, that's a decent possibility.

Much smaller airlines/operators may well value someone with multiple skill sets more highly, but a big airline has no reason to care.

[ayseven]

That is true for bigger companies, and was basically my experience too. I was a pilot working on the "ground", and that fact meant absolutely nothing to the hiring powers at the Flight Ops end of things. Or maybe they just didn't like me, which would be fair enough.

Back to the OP: your studies will take energy and time. Don't get too spread out or your marks will suffer. Concentrate on one thing at a time.

[dialdriver]

Management and recruiters will not care or will feel threatened.

[TT1900]

Depending what you’ve completed and how well you’ve done at confed you may be granted transfer credits/equivalencies at some universities. Something to look into even if it only saves you a few courses.

My experience. I have an MSc and an MBA. My current employer cared more about my prior work experience and internal recommends. I’ve found network and experience to be more important than formal education, but also believe you can’t go wrong broadening your education both formally and informally.