No Degree

[LoneStarPilot]

Hello again everybody, I have my ratings, and hoping to start cfi training in the near future.I have around 40 or so college credits, but dropped out to run the business I was in. Was wondering how big of a deal this would be to eventually get a job in freight,corporate, or regional. By the way............48 yrs young here

[killbilly]

Originally Posted by LoneStarPilot

Hello again everybody, I have my ratings, and hoping to start cfi training in the near future.I have around 40 or so college credits, but dropped out to run the business I was in. Was wondering how big of a deal this would be to eventually get a job in freight,corporate, or regional. By the way............48 yrs young here

From what I've learned here, most Regionals don't necessarily care if you have a degree, but a) things have gotten a lot tighter and they can be pickier about whom they hire b) if you want to go to a mainline carrier in future, assuming there is even an opening, not having a degree will not even get your resume' looked at.

It's really up to you whether or not having one is a must. But there is ample evidence that having one opens more doors than not.

You might be able to accelerate a lot of your degree plan based on your age and experience - my Dad actually did his MBA at Emory without an undergrad degree due to his management experience.

[dc3flyer]

A lot of people here will say it matters and is very important.... I am not so sure. It may give you a slight advantage, but having real experience (both in aviation and in other fields) can give you an advantage that some people with a degree may not have.

My advise would be to get started on your new career choice. There will be plenty of entry level jobs you will have to go through (instructing then small freight companies, charter, or regional airlines) to get to the jobs that may want a degree. It could be very possible to have time on your hands to work on the degree if you decide you need one, but I would not make it a top priority for a career in aviation.

[t-cart]

You mentioned freight, corporate and regionals. The smaller freight haulers do not require a degree. Start thinking about FedEx or Ups and they do require the degree. Lots of the bigger corporations require a degree. A lot of smaller (local) corporations don't. The regionals to this point don't require the degree,But, there are a lot of out of work,well qualified pilots out there right now that you are going to be competing with.

Make your choice, You will be the one to live with it. Good luck to you.

This from a guy with no degree.

[skydog]

Originally Posted by LoneStarPilot

Hello again everybody, I have my ratings, and hoping to start cfi training in the near future.I have around 40 or so college credits, but dropped out to run the business I was in. Was wondering how big of a deal this would be to eventually get a job in freight,corporate, or regional. By the way............48 yrs young here

I think your business and life experiences will go a long way towards the lack of a degree. If freight or regional is your goal, I think you will be fine. Some corporate gigs may be beyond your reach. The majors are (almost) unattainable without a degree.

[PaulRix]

I'll chime in by agreeing with pretty much everything said above. Personally, I would like to have a degree as some form of safety net, in case I should ever lose my medical. The disadvantage would be the large investment required for that safety net . Up to this point in life (I am 37) I have not found myself held back because I lack a degree.

I should mention that I prefer working for a smaller company where you know everyone by name and you are more than just a number (ie I have no aspirations of going to the airlines or a large fractional etc).