How Important is a University Degree with the airlines?

[pilot-parr]

Hi,.. the title pretty much says it all.
In terms of hiring pilots, and I know its very dry at the moment, but when they do take on low-experience pilots, how important is a degree?

cheers.

[Triplespool123]

Because of the limitations of the industry you just mentioned, my answer is very important. 1000 of Cvs on the table, you need some preliminary filters.

Others will give you more in-depth replies like if you really want to be a pilot, don't worry about UNI, get yourself a job so you can save up and go modular etc etc.

You need a degree to stack shelves in Tesco's by the way. So I think you already know the answer.

[Vone Rotate]

I know plenty of people including airline pilots who don't....

A nice to have sure, can't argue with that but wouldn't agree with the above post at all.

The airlines take everything into account not just academic qualifications so I wouldn't do a 3 year degree purely to make my CV look better for an airline. That said if you wanted to do one anyway then it certainly wouldn't do any harm!!

[tocamak]

Agree with previous post that if it's just for the CV then not really a good use of time although at the moment there is not much recruitment anyway. However hopefully you will get a job flying in the future and the time it may be useful is if you are looking to take on a job within your company other than flying. If your degree lends itself to other aspects of aviation i.e. engineering, IT or whatever then it will stand you in good stead.

[Bealzebub]

A degree is a qualification of your personal educational attainment. It is therefore of prime importance to you. When it comes to employment (any employment) a candidates level of personal attainment is used as filter to process down the number of applications to a managable and practical level, as well as setting the standard that the employer expects of a candidate for that particular position. Obviously the closer to the top of the pyramid you can climb, the more likely are your chances for success.

When it comes to airline employment, you have to ask yourself what is it that the employer is looking for? If an airline is looking for First Officers for their Boeing 757 fleet, and you apply with a neat CV and 2000 hour on type, then you are probably in with a good chance of progressing on to the interview stage whether you have a degree or not. Nevertheless if you have 2 similar candidates and one interview place, the level of educational attainment may well decide the offer.

When it comes to your question about low hour pilot recruitment, that is a sligtly different ball game. If an employer requires a financial outlay from you, then your ability to meet that outlay will play a significant importance in any decision. If there is educational level set (and there normally is,) then your personal attainment will likely be an important factor when it comes to your chances of selection.

It is all about what do you have that makes your CV stand out from the others. Obviously to an employer looking for experience, that will be one of the primary factors. To an employer not looking for experience, there is a high emphasis on the training aspect. How do they decide who is likely to succeed and have the necessary aptitude and commitment? Obviously those who have already shown it in the past, and the primary assessment of that is in their educational achievements. It is always going to be a highly competitive marketplace, and your achievements are one of the main things that will provide you with the required advantages in that marketplace.

It is also worth considering that even though airline flying may be your primary goal, if for reasons within or outside of your control, that ambition is not realisable, you would still seek to pursue success in another chosen field. Here the same factors would normally come into play, where recruiters, trainers and employers are looking to select those candidates who can present a record of achievement that sets them well above the average.

Excellence or mediocrity may be a question of ability, but for the majority of people it is about effort, determination and maturity. Those are the attributes that airlines in this sector of recruitment would (in better times) be looking for, but so would many other industries as well. The choices are yours.

[superdash]

How Important is a University Degree with the airlines?

Not Very if you have achieved other things in life. Anyone who goes out and does a degree because they think it look's good on a CV is mental. Do something that you want to do and will enjoy. Most degree's these days are 100% Mickey Mouse :p.

[josemarb]

I´m totally agree with Bealzebud.
But also any studies you do is always good for your own, whatever it is.

[DeltaT]

I have a degree, and I can tell you it means nothing to the airlines.
The bottom line is your flying experience, or in particular if they are looking for newbies, your lack of experience.
Even the airlines that say that they want it, its all BS.
Do a degree as a back up, another string to your bow to enable you to work in some other field should you end up not working in aviation ever again, or should yet another world event take place that curtails prospects in the relative short term.

[Triplespool123]

Its 2010 or 2011. Airlines (hopefully) starting recruiting low cadets.

1000 Cvs on the desk of every single airline out there. All the standard one page, keep it simple CV showing all 1000 candidates with 250hours CPL/ MECIR and MCC.

How do you filter in order to choose those that go through to the first stage/first interview etc?

[Agaricus bisporus]

Hi,.. the title pretty much says it all.


With respect, it doesn't.

It might mean or imply; "How important is it to have a degree while working for an airline" or "How important is it to have a degree in order to be favoured when being rectuited".

It actually asks neither due to poor wording, and though the literal reading of the question is very much skewed towards the former I rather assume the intention was to ask the latter...Accuracy is a vital part of airline work - despite the shrill objections of the pedantry police. (Asking the correct question is not being pedantic, it is simply being accurate)

In UK? Virtually no help at all. They want to see a flying licence and evidence of commitment to the path you are planning to take, as well as being the "right sort" of character to fit into that particular airline. A degree won't hurt, but I very much doubt it would help much at all.

The UK military have over the years required as little as 5 O Levels for pilots, and their training is at a far higher intensity and level than the civilian, the RAF was rumoured to have suffered a big increase in the chop rate in the late '70s when they went to degree applicants only because they were selecting academic rather than practical skills.

Piloting is not particularly academic, but it is a very practical, hands on application. It involves assimilating vast amounts of information very quickly; it is vital to be able to understand simple Trig and how a piece of machinery works, but being able to write a paper on the subject is of no use at all.

However that degree might well be useful in life after airlines, if that doesn't last as long as you imagine...It certainly can't hurt your chances (as long as it isn't something stupid that labels you as a random)

Good luck - go for it!

[T5 Mole]

If you ever think you might regret not going, then do go and experience uni life.

Don't bother if you are going to study underwater basket weaving at Sodding Common Poly College, but do bother if you are capable of reading History and German at Cambridge.

As always in life, you only get the opportunity once, so make sure you are not wasting it by walking away...

[Keith.Williams.]

As I tell the audience at the start of our Degree Open Days;

"You do not need to have a degree to become an airline pilot.

The majority of airline pilots do not have a degree.

In fact most airline pilots are not very well educated at all!"

[Agaricus bisporus]

In fact most airline pilots are not very well educated at all!"

Fnaaar!:ok::ok::ok: