College degrees and flying

[weilke]

Doctor calls out a plumber for a leaky pipe. Plumber fixes the pipe in ten minutes, gives the doctor a $200 bill. "Wow", says the doctor, "I don't make that much as a surgeon." "I know", says the plumber, "I didn't make that much when I was a surgeon either."

My house is on county water. Every year, I have to pay one of the 3 county selected master plumbers $140 to do a 5min test on the sprinkler system backflow preventer to certify that I am not leeching pesticide into the public water supply. Even with the paperwork, he can do three of those calls per hour.

I want to get in on that racket.

 

[SoonerAviator]

Not a problem. Accountants dont do any math, arithmetic maybe....

Agreed. While I was a Finance major, I had the minor in accounting, with no intention of ever being an accountant. First job: basically cost accounting/bookkeeping with some buying mixed in. Second job: G/L Finance accounting, Current job: Accounting Manager for O&G equipment manufacturer, with heavy FP&A emphasis. I've never been laid off, and when I've looked for new jobs, there's never been a shortage of opportunities. Accounting is about as future-proof as it gets.

The problem with accounting is that everyone thinks of lots of math and a room full of guys with adding machines and green visors. The manufacturing side is much more enjoyable, in my experience. Tax accounting is probably taught at Guantanamo as a torture tactic.

However, I always liked math and excelled at it. If I were independently wealthy, I'd likely pursue a degree in engineering or similar just for the fun of it.

 

[airdale]

... Accounting is about as future-proof as it gets.

The problem with accounting is that everyone thinks of lots of math and a room full of guys with adding machines and green visors. ...

Excellent points. The computers and the data entry clerks do the green eyeshade stuff these days. Degreed accountants are closer to being puzzle-solvers and strategists than they are to the stereotype.

That said, when I advertised for a Controller a number of years ago I was buried in resumes, people asking for relatively low salaries, too. So like a lot of jobs it is probably somewhat cyclical. I don't know the market well enough to be sure of the cyclicality, but an accounting degree has been repeatedly suggested to the OP here and I think its an option worth looking hard at. Success with the mental arithmetic that a pilot has to do routinely probably indicates that the pilot can handle accounting math.

 

[still learning]

I was asking if these two majors (poly sci and psych) were too out of left field and I think I got my answer! lol. I am not locked in with any major quite yet as I am in general studies currently. With all the advice from this thread as well as research I will probably look towards business degrees and some sciences (I like geology and environmental) I disagree with the person that said an undergraduate degree in business is useless because I know a few people with them that have decent entry level jobs. Like others have said, business will always be around and is applicable almost everything. I understand the importance of math in everyday life and I know that any useful major will have some math. It's not a case of not liking it as much as not being able to perform well in the subject. I can get through a couple of courses of math I am sure, but I don't want too much of it. This is why there is no way I could go with engineering or physics. I know my strengths and weaknesses. I know realistically I cannot completely avoid math, but I also know realistically I would not pass extremely advanced math courses. And since I'm not financing myself I do what my parents tell me to do because they allow me to fly, so that's why I am "wasting my time" getting a degree. I figured education and expanding the resume wouldn't hurt and I would rather do it now when I have the opportunity.

 

[JoseCuervo]

Any degree will serve you well if you need it in 10-15 years if flying doesn't workout.

If you have to go into business, or government, or a non-profit, and they are swamped with resume's, the first filter is "Degree? No Degree?". You need to get past that filter to get considered.

If you like business, go for the business degree. And, here is a hint. In many cases, it is far more fun (and profitable/rewarding) to ride in the back of the plane than the front of the plane...

 

[beestforwardspeed]

Any degree will serve you well if you need it in 10-15 years if flying doesn't workout.

If you have to go into business, or government, or a non-profit, and they are swamped with resume's, the first filter is "Degree? No Degree?". You need to get past that filter to get considered.

If you like business, go for the business degree. And, here is a hint. In many cases, it is far more fun (and profitable/rewarding) to ride in the back of the plane than the front of the plane...

^this^

With exceptions (of course) more often than not, the 4 year degree is a way for employers to thin the herd when making hiring decisions. As is the case in aviation, most could care less where you earned it, or in what field, as long as it is from an accredited institution.

It DOES show an employer that you are trainable and have the dicipline to see through to complete a major endeavor without giving in.

Even a degree in the field that you plan to work in will be largely out of date after 5-10 years a lot of the time.

 

[weilke]

Even a degree in the field that you plan to work in will be largely out of date after 5-10 years a lot of the time.

What has changed in the fundamentals of business in the last 5 years ? Oh, I forgot 'The Cloud'.....

 

[petrolero]

I was asking if these two majors (poly sci and psych) were too out of left field and I think I got my answer! lol. I am not locked in with any major quite yet as I am in general studies currently. With all the advice from this thread as well as research I will probably look towards business degrees and some sciences (I like geology and environmental) I disagree with the person that said an undergraduate degree in business is useless because I know a few people with them that have decent entry level jobs. Like others have said, business will always be around and is applicable almost everything. I understand the importance of math in everyday life and I know that any useful major will have some math. It's not a case of not liking it as much as not being able to perform well in the subject. I can get through a couple of courses of math I am sure, but I don't want too much of it. This is why there is no way I could go with engineering or physics. I know my strengths and weaknesses. I know realistically I cannot completely avoid math, but I also know realistically I would not pass extremely advanced math courses. And since I'm not financing myself I do what my parents tell me to do because they allow me to fly, so that's why I am "wasting my time" getting a degree. I figured education and expanding the resume wouldn't hurt and I would rather do it now when I have the opportunity.

Just consider this anecdote before you assume you can't hack engineering...

I got a foxtrot in Algebra 2 in HS. Fox. Trot. I took it over again and thus I missed taking calculus in HS. I got an A in geometry and a B or C in trig/math analysis. Basically, I just didn't care and I didn't work super hard at math. I graduated with a 3.0 overall GPA, about middle of my class. But it was good enough to get me into a state school. Once there, I decided I really liked petroleum engineering more than abstract business stuff.

I had to take calculus for engineers for the first time as a freshman and I was scared because all the other people seemed to be ___torians from some HS in Texas. Oh great, I'm hosed I thought.

But it turned out that all I had to do was go to class and do the homework and just make sure I understood it. Those *torians - many of them failed out or switched to a major that required less work. Yes I had to work hard at this, including getting occasional tutoring and going to the student resources center to watch VHS videos (early '90s) on some of the stuff or even talk to the TA or prof. There wasn't even the vast internet to turn to like there is now. But mostly I just did the homework and went to class. As a result, I aced calculus 1, calculus 2, and got a B in calc 3. Then I slacked off a bit because I had a girlfriend and I flunked Differential Equations. I took it again and worked harder and aced it. Same story with chemistry, physics, thermo, statics, dynamics, fluids, solids, EE, and all my major coursework.

The moral of the story, if you haven't guessed by now, is that you get what you work for.

You probably can make it through engineering school if you are willing to work hard and grit it out. You only have to do that stuff while you are in school. Once you're out, you'll never have to evaluate an integral again most likely. But you'll have that degree for life. Something to think about.

Engineers make relatively good money because of supply and demand. They're needed but there aren't as many of them - because it's a rigorous degree where opinions don't mean ****. You either got it right or you didn't.

Psych/Poli. sci and education majors are unemployed or make little money because they are not needed nearly as much and there are tons of them. There are a few other reasons but this isn't the spin zone.

Don't sell yourself short. It doesn't require genius, it just requires tenacity.

 

[Piperonca]

Don't sell yourself short. It doesn't require genius, it just requires tenacity.

Quite similar experience here. Agree -- no exotic skill needed, just keep plugging and don't quit. Very good income after flying winds down, too, but money is never the goal. Doing something you enjoy that helps people doesn't require that you graduate at the top of your class in engineering school.