Yep, I too was in IT, indeed I still am.....
There's a thread (now running in the Computers & Internet Issues forum) w.r.t IT Contracting in which I posted the following comments:
<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" size="2">Just like flying, you should endeavour to maintain your IT/systems skills in tip top condition - i.e. should be you ever lose your license (e.g. stuff up a medical) you can always go back to this much-in-demand job.
Just like many other business's, airlines too are desperately short on solid IT skills and imho this is a good selling point on your CV. Indeed, and almost as proof, yours truly is due to become the IT/Systems Manager at British World Airlines, whilst also flying the B737 for them from LGW, i.e. veritably the best of both worlds !</font>
I'll stand 100% by those comments, in that I've had and will continue to earn a good living from IT, e.g. across a period of nearly 20 years, I've NEVER been unemployed.
That said, and IMHO, its more than likely that those IT folks with a passion to fly would tend to be able to locate / read / contribute to PPRuNe (i.e. that's just what I did) , simply by the nature of themselves and their jobs - but I must also make a point of saying that there are also a serious number of 'knob-heads' in IT whom I personally wouldn't let lose on a bicycle never mind a jet aircraft !
( Yeah, and don’t we all know it's the same in all professions )
Now for those less familiar with the aviation business, you would not believe just how many pilots come from, and continue to pursue, other careers.
To be honest, (and outside of the comments made in the quoted section above) the possession of IT skills are about as much use to the piloting of an airliner as an ashtray on a motorbike ! ...... and imho what matters (outside of passing the tests for the license) is attention to detail, ability to work weird hours, and character.
(This mainly for the older Wannabes amongst us) I was 38 years old when Hamrah ( whom until the day of my final interview with him, I had never met previously ) gave me the opportunity of a lifetime at Go Fly - i.e. I left IT (sort of) and went straight to the RHS of a B737 - and yes, it was a steep learning curve, but it's not 'rocket science' - now go figure just how was it that, back then, a 38 year old bloke with a not particularly impressive aviation orientated CV was able to do this ?!
An airline knows what it can give you (i.e. a job, a type-rating, training, etc) but what is it that YOU bring to them, e.g. to be brutal about it, blokes with just a nice straight-forward frozen ATPL are two-a-penny, i.e. you would simply not believe the number of CV's airlines get from wannabe pilots - so, just what criteria would you use in order to select one wannabe over another ?!
Finally……. never, ever, give up !!! (e.g. I too came close, but have Danny / Capt.P to thank for similarly reminding me of this )
Ps. I hope to see many of you Wannabes at the PPRuNe Pilot Seminar.
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CrashDive
Administrator to The Professional Pilots RUmour NEtwork
May you live in interesting times !