If the dream is to fly in the sky, listen to the sound of the engine roaring and smelling the avgas or jet A1 - the dream is still alive. If the goal in life at the age of 20 is a monetary one - look else where. Having had an aviation career so far (with another 2 decades to go hopefully) that see me living and working in two different continents (other than Europe) twice already, and having flown in a variety of airplanes and operations with all sorts if people from various cultures and enjoyed good and bad times through it all. Having lived and worked in Hong Kong a couple of times and seen other expatriate professionals, such as lawyers, bankers, doctors etc (not comparing academics) and how their lifestyle is - I would have chosen my path any day of the week.
CoS may no longer be what they used ti be - but flying a C206, a Caravan or a King Air in Africa wouldn’t have changed all that much - it beats the
out of sitting in an office building with wall to wall mounted windows overlooking the Thames, counting beans or looking at the stock market on a screen. That after work beer with your pilot colleagues also tastes good - there’s still good stories to be told after a day in the sky. Horses for courses. A life in the sky is not for everybody - it does take a special character to survive.