Originally Posted by Jayand
Please tell me what greater earning potential an Aeo or wsop ew / aco has in civvy street than say a groundcrew cpl/sgt?
As an Ex-NCA I am indeed earning more in "Civvy street" than I was when I was NCA.
What made me an attractive recruit more than, say a ground tradesman of equivalent rank was not my professional qualifications, although they didn't do me any harm.
Those who understand the military, and recruit from its resources are aware of the specialist nature of military personnel in general and aircrew in particular.
I am not "dissing" groundcrew, nor "bigging up" aircrew, merely expressing that qualified aircrew have already displayed the qualities which many employers seek, rather than groundcrew who, although they may possess the skills, have not necessarily displayed or used them in a work environment, nor has the service provided them the training in order to "hone" such skills.
The skills/qualities I am talking about are the ability to work as part of a team when needed, but also take charge when required. The ability to follow instruction, but also show initiative. The ability to think outside the box, to see the big picture but also see the small picture from someone elses viewpoint. The ability to organise oneself. (NOT AN EXHAUSTIVE LIST)
All the things that aircrew generally take for granted from one another are actually quite sought after on "the outside".
Of course these are only my personal observations since leaving the service.
You may be correct that there are not as many opportunities in the field for which you are currently qualified, but by your experiences and qualities, you are possibly more able to adapt to new fields where a ground tech may not be. As I was told during resettlement;
Never turn down a job you haven't been offered!
Soapbox away, standing by for incoming.