Engineer or teacher?

[nottelling]

I have a PPL and intend to go comercial in the future (when funds allow :D). I have recently graduated with a BEng (Hons) in Aerospace Engineering. I have applied to all the major aerospace companies and got no possitive responses :{ . I am now considering doing a PGCE in either physics or maths. I was wondering if anyone had any suggestions as to wether I would be more employable as a pilot with a background as a teacher or engineer? I have applied for pilot sponsorship and failed at a late stage I will apply again to the next scheme but in the mean time I am planning to self fund (paid for by either teaching or engineering) then move into instructing.

Thanks

NT:ok:

[SupaFly]

Probably better as an engineer. Quite a few people I've met working for the airlines have had a background in engineering and the airlines lean towards the more technical backgrounds. That being said, I have met an ex teacher who got a job flying an Airbus with minimal hours. At the end of the day, you would be better off being an excellent teacher than a mediocre engineer as you will have better examples of success to give when it comes time to sell yourself. I would choose whichever one you would rather do if the flying thing doesn't work out, as a lot of people go back to their old careers after training, due to an unfortunate lack of luck and timing.

[onehunga]

For what it is worth I wouldn't limit yourself to only those 2 options. If you intend to go commercial at a later date then perhaps you might want to also consider some of the other professions (eg: law, banking and finance, accounting etc). Must confess my bias as I am in one of the aforementioned fields myself, however, earning significantly above the average salary has certainly helped with paying for the flying. Good luck in whatever you choose.

[JohnnyPharm]

Go for the teaching.

You will be finished by 3.15pm and have 6 weeks holidays in the summer, plenty of time for hour building and studying.

An enginneer you will be working 8am til 7pm daily and 5 weeks annual leave total. Will take you years to become a pilot then.

[Genghis the Engineer]

With an engineering degree and an appropriate PGCE you'll never be unemployed, but (judging by regular conversations with my Brother who has a physics degree and PGCE and teaches secondary Physics) you'll also never be rich or unstressed. Also the time he spends at home marking, preparing lessons, etc. is at-least as great as the time I spend working - the short hours bit is all balls (but yes, he does get a huge summer holiday).

If you've recently graduated in Aero-Eng I'd recomend trying initially to work for a couple of years in the field. The understanding will stand you in good stead if you choose to go pilot (either as well or instead). But also, if you don't consolidate your degree with some real engineering experience then within a couple of years you'll have lost much of what you've learned and will probably struggle ever to get it back (or to convince any Engineering employer that you've a clue about engineering any more).

Incidentally the big aerospace companies (BAE, WHL etc.) are both the hardest to get into, and also the environments where you'll learn least since they'll stream you very quickly into a narrow specialist (do you really want to be a check-stressman?). I'd suggest looking at the smallest aerospace companies for employment.

And teaching is probably the only technical-graduate profession with less respect and poorer pay than engineering !

G

[Snigs]

I’d say go into Engineering.

If you can get into the stress/design side of gas turbines or aerostructures it’ll give you a unique insight into the things you’ll eventually be flying. Plus, with a bit of experience you’ll always be in demand (there is definitely a shortage of good, experienced engineers in the aerospace business). The pay is reasonable without being spectacular (unless you are a contract engineer, but that takes special skills).

My family is full of teachers all moaning about their loss of control in the profession and red tape, red tape, bureaucracy, and more red tape.

Your choice, you don’t have to listen to me. Oh, what do I do? I’m a contract aerospace stress engineer currently working on A380 components who has a frozen ATPL, waiting for a chance to fly for a living……

[RVR800]

Go for teaching you will ned all the free time you can get
many people dont succeed in this game because they simply
dont have the time.......to do exams build hours etc....

[In Flight Shut Down]

Become an aero engineer!

I graduated with an MEng in Aerospace Engineering in 2001 and started with Rolls-Royce a few months later.
I have recently secured a part-sponsorship with an airline and I am certain that the past few years of developing and testing Trents and RB211's have got me my place on the first attempt.

I have a huge understanding of the gas turbine and numerous successes to my name in my short engineering career. My mathematical and problem solving skills have been kept very active and thus the aptitude tests for sponsorship were not such a shock to the brain.
Coz i work in a huge company, approx 38,000 employees, then there are many other opportunities than just stress analysis. In fact, many engineers go into the business or logistical side of the RR. oh, and my working day is 8am till 4:30pm, rarely past 5pm. The employee-run flying club charges are £60 a year membership and £39 per hour in C150, possibly the cheapest in the country!

Even though i will soon be fulfilling my lifetime ambition i am still going to miss my current job, and i am not really a great engineer.

Being a teacher is a very stable and rewarding job (if you enjoy being with kids all day), but will you really develop your mind, become a good teamworker, become a leader, be successful and keep up to date with the aviation industry by teaching trig every week? i think not.

IFSD :cool:

p.s. i know that a teacher is technically a leader, but a teacher is a leader of children - does not count in the real world. :E

[Crepello]

IFSD, I recommend you don't repeat your "being a teacher" tosh within earshot of any teachers. You're likely to get a hiding if you do.

nottelling, do you want to teach? If so, go for it, and the best of luck. If not, don't. Your days will never end at 3.15 if you're doing the job properly (extra-curricular, planning, marking, etc.) If you're just doing it for the time off, you'll never be much use - if you survive at all. And if you can't cut it in the classroom, you'll never be much of a flight instructor.

Teaching is an underpaid, under-respected profession that carries a great responsibility - shaping the minds of the next generation. Yet there are still those who see it as a stopgap, a fallback or a position of last resort. :mad: