Lifestyle
Lifestyle
Lifestyle
Are the three most important things to remember about this career.
For a 19 year-old out of school the money is fantastic, probably unbeatable in any other career. For someone if their 30's, the money is not good if you have a home, family and other overheads.
You drop down all those career rungs you've climbed in your previous profession. It's a bit of a shock, and Knee Trembler has it spot on. You may have managed budgets of $100m previously, and ran a department of 500 people, but you've only got two stripes, so you don't know anything in the eyes of management. I have to bite my tongue quite a bit, but you get used to it; but it is very frustrating.
More than likely, you will have to move for a job, or as most do, commute and flat-share/B&B. It takes it toll, and not only from a financial point of view. Getting a job near where you live becomes very important, as are the number of days off in a row and the amount of times you are subject to minimum rest. If your airline get these wrong, or doesn't care about them, then being an airline pilot is a miserable way to earn a living. As you get older, you care about these things much more.
The lifestyle you lead is over-riding to the equipment you fly, IMHO.