Originally Posted by
theringding
Hi all I’m after a bit of advice!
I’ve been a A Licensed Mech here in the U.K. for the best part of 10 years now. I work for one of the large airlines on the line at one of the largest airports in the U.K.
For the past couple of years I have been losing the love the aircraft maintenance. From being outside all the time to working long days and nights, I really feel like this isn’t for me anymore. Weirdly, a 9-5 job, sitting at a desk really appeals to me and I’m starting to think that may be the way I want to take my career.
I have completed a couple of B1 exams but don’t have the motivation or interest to continue. City and Cranfield University both do distance learning masters degrees in Air Transport Management/Air Safety Management/Aircraft Maintenance Management, and I’m thinking about enrolling on one of those and eventually enter into the operations/management side of aviation. In the meantime I would hope to move into a technical services/airworthiness type role.
Has anyone else made a similar career move and am I nuts for considering it? I’m miserable where I am now so can’t see myself being a mechanic for much longer!! Can anyone offer any advice?
Thanks!!
If the "large airline" you're talking about is Big Airways
don't hold out much hope of getting into the tech services side of things without having at least a full B licence or a degree, they don't seem to want to take anyone with less than that regardless of how much actual hands on experience you have [and I'm talking about internal vacancies here] If you do go into the TMG type roles, are you fine with all the ***** that goes with those type roles, meeting KPIs etc?........The grass can often look greener in other areas but the best thing to do if you are seriously thinking of going into the support role, is to see if there is maybe an opportunity to volunteer to shadow someone in an area you think you might like to see if you would like it long term. Also you can see what the day to day working environment is like and maybe even get some candid information from those working in that area as to what it is
really like. It really does come down to the individual. I know guys who went into the support role because they were fed up at the front end "on tools" and within a couple of years they were back out at the front end and conversely I also know some who fell into support roles because they were posted into the role on a temporary basis [not through choice] and decided not to come back afterwards as they liked it so much..