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Old 30th Apr 2020, 15:16
  #14 (permalink)  
crunchingnumbers
 
Join Date: Mar 2006
Location: USA ex-pat
Age: 62
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Passion

When a grad student asked Warren Buffet what industry they should consider for the future, he responded that they should follow their passion not a job. For many of us aviation was the passion but I'm sure it's not the only passion - often there is a second and/or even third choice. I was fortunate in that after 30 years of aviation, i could fall back to my other passion which was IT where I maintained currency/awareness during my aviation career. Heaven for me would be to marry the two but beyond the cockpit, innovation and deployment of technology can be very slow in the aviation sector - I haven't given up .

A degree or an ATPL infers the ability to learn and when coupled to the desire to adapt, no option should be off the table. In the IT world there are specific technology courses available and highly accredited certifications in demand areas which includes everything from help desk support as a starting point to full stack development, or even project coordination/management where experiential analytical skills, structure and process can be applied (for less technically inclined). Remember this - no matter what the technology framework, we will be increasingly storing massive amounts of data - 1) big data and AI, we will need to move it around - 2) Networking and finally all the data, networks and infrastructure must be secure - 3) Security. There are courses and certifications in all of these areas.

I've been lucky but even though it is no longer my career, i am truly saddened by the pain in the sector for all those who were and remain as passionate about aviation as myself. The very best of luck to all of you and blue skies.
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