Expert: D. Norkus - 4/13/2009

Question
Dottie,

I have served on Active duty with the U.S. Army for 8 years as a flight operations specialist. I have loved doing my job and it is what inspired me to pursue my degree with Embry Riddle. It is a Professional Aeronautics degree. I enjoy the idea of aviation. I am more interested about the operations and ground support more than I want to become a pilot. I left the active duty in 2005 and that is when I enrolled into the University, hoping that I would be establishing a career move for myself. Although I enjoy school, I'm becoming concerned as to what I will really be able to do in the airline industry. The army only works primarily with rotary wing aircraft. I am always seeking civilian employment for Flight operations jobs, or anything similar, but I am not having much success with my search. I am now a single mother of two young children, with about 16 months away from graduating from ERAU. Please let me know any words of wisdom you may have for me. I don't want to waist my time with school, if it really won't take me anywhere. Thanks for your time.

Jessica

Answer
Jessica

You say you are getting a Pro Aero degree, yet are not as interested in being a pilot as you are in flight operations. It seems your degree program is more suited to the career you do not want to pursue. Unless you need your pilot certificates, how do you see yourself applying your degree? Perhaps one of their management degrees would be more beneficial if you are interested in the ground operations side. Even if you decide to skip a semester or change degree programs, you can always resume or change your major later when you have found a career path that really calls to you. That may be in order first. Also, if you are attending ERAU on campus, you can take courses via their Extended Campus program at locations all across the USA. This way if you decide to take a job somewhere, you can still go back and finish that way or take their online courses.

Here is an airline link you might bookmark for future reference where some jobs of interest might be found:

http://www.southwest.com/careers/positions.html

Although the airline industry is in a slump right now, when it rebounds you may have luck with Southwest as they are one of the stronger airlines and are likely to begin hiring first. They also have excellent benefits.

Also, do visit the regional airlines websites. Often they have a much greater turnover than the majors, so you may find a job with a regional where you can get your foot in the door and get experience. Since you say you are interested in operations, have you also considered being a dispatcher?

http://www.dispatcher.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=44&Itemid=82
http://www.usatoday.com/travel/columnist/getline/2005-05-09-ask-the-captain_x.ht...

Another position you might consider would be ATC. There is a wave of controller retirements creating a need for more ATC specialists. That is surely more stable than the airlines right now.
http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ahr/jobs_careers/occupa...

Here is also a link with aviation job placement sites that may be useful:
http://www.ninety-nines.org/careers/jobplacements.html
Some links are defunct, but many are still good resources.

http://www.faa.gov/about/office_org/headquarters_offices/ahr/jobs_careers/

Unfortunately, the openings are slim and the current job climate is bleak in the aviation business but by the time you have finished your degree perhaps it will once again be on the upswing if the economy improves. I wish you the best of luck!

Dottie