I’ll be brief
Left school at 16 with no qualifications what so ever. All I wanted to do was be a truck driver.
Got a van driving job at 17, got a 7 and half tonne truck driving job at 19 and passed my HGV Class 1 at 21. Drove trucks for 10 years between the age of 21 and 31. Drove chemical waste tankers for 6 years and drove for Eddie Stobart Ltd for 3 years.
At the age of 31, got a job at Manchester Airport for Shell Aviation as an aircraft refueller. It was here that the dream to be a pilot was born.
I did modular training in August 1999 did a 4 week PPL course at the age of 32.
Took until Sept 2005 to pass IR and 2 weeks later got my MCC
It then took another 18 months to get a job. 3 interviews later, got offered 2 jobs and took the one with Thomsonfly aged 39 and with 440 hours. I keep telling everyone this, but I also add I was very very very lucky, but then I also add that I made my own luck.
3 years later aged 42 and with 1300 hours on the 737, I am being made redundant. Me and about 100 other Thomson pilots have been for an interview with Qatar Airways in the last 2 months. I am now just waiting to hear back from them with regards a start date. I may end up on their Airbus 320’s or 777 doing ultra long haul.
So juniour jetset, its up to you what you do. What I would say is this. Ignore all that say you will fail. Just smile at them and get on with it.
At my Thomsonfly interview, I was told I would struggle with a type rating because of my age etc etc etc, I said “I understand you thinking that” and just kept smiling. I sold myself to them and 3 days later got a phone call offering a job.
If you go to a full time school, you’re the customer and not them, remember that. They are there to train you. When your trained, its up to you to get the job, not them.