onezeroonethree,
The rest simply go onto other things, some related to aviation some not. Me ATC. I've got one good mate now coming to grips with knowing that he's not going to make it into a job with reasonable conditions (baby on the way). His wife is supporting him and happy to continue so but he's had a gutfull.
The reality of his situation is that he put all of his resources into aviation and has to now start 'all over again' at age 35, no other quals.
Mate, there are now so many traps in this 'game' they call a career. Most of the older blokes know them. The traps are a whole lot more costly than when I started and have the potential to bankrupt you and keep you that way for a long time (cadetships etc)
Think about this:
If you do an accountant/business degree
If you do a medical degree
If you do a construction degree
You are virtually
GUARANTEED a job on graduation. And your
starting salary will be higher than some of my fly mates are on 10-12 years in. It's not about money but about common decency and there is precious little of it in this industry.
Some of the above degrees or a trade will give you the financial resources to get your avaiation fix (aircraft ownership etc). There's nothing like doing it on your own terms, being able to walk away from a crap situation and have other options (qualifications) I know this because I've done it myself and had a few mates who have done so!
My other mate above, he gave it his best shot, he put everything into it and didn't make it. And you should be aware of this before you start
