Lost the love for aircraft maintenance, help?
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Lost the love for aircraft maintenance, help?
Hi all I’m after a bit of advice!
I’ve been a A Licensed Mech here in the U.K. for the best part of 10 years now. I work for one of the large airlines on the line at one of the largest airports in the U.K.
For the past couple of years I have been losing the love the aircraft maintenance. From being outside all the time to working long days and nights, I really feel like this isn’t for me anymore. Weirdly, a 9-5 job, sitting at a desk really appeals to me and I’m starting to think that may be the way I want to take my career.
I have completed a couple of B1 exams but don’t have the motivation or interest to continue. City and Cranfield University both do distance learning masters degrees in Air Transport Management/Air Safety Management/Aircraft Maintenance Management, and I’m thinking about enrolling on one of those and eventually enter into the operations/management side of aviation. In the meantime I would hope to move into a technical services/airworthiness type role.
Has anyone else made a similar career move and am I nuts for considering it? I’m miserable where I am now so can’t see myself being a mechanic for much longer!! Can anyone offer any advice?
Thanks!!
I’ve been a A Licensed Mech here in the U.K. for the best part of 10 years now. I work for one of the large airlines on the line at one of the largest airports in the U.K.
For the past couple of years I have been losing the love the aircraft maintenance. From being outside all the time to working long days and nights, I really feel like this isn’t for me anymore. Weirdly, a 9-5 job, sitting at a desk really appeals to me and I’m starting to think that may be the way I want to take my career.
I have completed a couple of B1 exams but don’t have the motivation or interest to continue. City and Cranfield University both do distance learning masters degrees in Air Transport Management/Air Safety Management/Aircraft Maintenance Management, and I’m thinking about enrolling on one of those and eventually enter into the operations/management side of aviation. In the meantime I would hope to move into a technical services/airworthiness type role.
Has anyone else made a similar career move and am I nuts for considering it? I’m miserable where I am now so can’t see myself being a mechanic for much longer!! Can anyone offer any advice?
Thanks!!
Hi, I occasionally go through bouts of disinterest & low motivation in my work (about once every two or three years), however after a period of leave (four weeks minimum), my enthusiasm returns to what it normally is.
Taking a break may help you to decide the answer for you...
Good luck...
Taking a break may help you to decide the answer for you...
Good luck...
I think it is very important in life that you enjoy the work you do - whatever that work is, and if you don't, then move on.
I have instinctively known when to move on with my life, and I have almost never woken up with the thought "oh no, I've got to go to work" - I changed careers and retrained about halfway through and have always enjoyed going to work.
Unless you have to work in a job you don't like for reasons of income or circumstance, I would move on. Several caveates however:
Write two columns on a sheet of A4; Pros in one column, Cons in the other. What you like about your current job, what you hate about it. This will help you decide.
Do you really hate your current job, or just a couple of aspects of it? I look back and think 'at the time XYZ really annoyed me', but actually, the rest of the job was fine. All jobs have downsides. When you are a bit down in the dumps, the downsides can assume large proportions. But be careful not to give up a good job for a few niggles.
Do not resign your current job until you have a new firm offer. It is much easier to get a new job while you still have a job.
Going from shift work to 9-5 is a big change. I have worked shifts most of my life and prefer it. I worked 9-5 a couple of times for 6 months each. Yes, you can order your life better. When your friends ask you to Christmas this year, you can say yes without having to wait to see your roster. You can play squash every Tuesday evening; go to the pub every Friday. You have all your weekends and Bank holidays off.
But, you are doing the same job day in, day out. You travel in the rush hour twice a day, every week day. Finding a parking place is difficult because everyone else is at work. You have to do your shopping at the same times as most other people - shops will be busy at those times.
Perhaps a change of base is feasible in your current job? Same company but different surroundings and different local boss might be all you need to refresh you. Or go for promotion within your current company or move sideways into a different area?
If you do decide to retrain then go for it. But be aware that it could be a LOT of work. You must factor in how you would study, where you would study, and how you will pay the mortgage and run the house and cars while you are studying.
Good luck !
PS, if you have the savings and no kids, now might be a good time to travel and see the World. (Covid allowing, obviously). Companies usually offer extended (unpaid) leave. See what your HR department offers. A long break of a couple of months travelling might be what you need to recharge.
I have instinctively known when to move on with my life, and I have almost never woken up with the thought "oh no, I've got to go to work" - I changed careers and retrained about halfway through and have always enjoyed going to work.
Unless you have to work in a job you don't like for reasons of income or circumstance, I would move on. Several caveates however:
Write two columns on a sheet of A4; Pros in one column, Cons in the other. What you like about your current job, what you hate about it. This will help you decide.
Do you really hate your current job, or just a couple of aspects of it? I look back and think 'at the time XYZ really annoyed me', but actually, the rest of the job was fine. All jobs have downsides. When you are a bit down in the dumps, the downsides can assume large proportions. But be careful not to give up a good job for a few niggles.
Do not resign your current job until you have a new firm offer. It is much easier to get a new job while you still have a job.
Going from shift work to 9-5 is a big change. I have worked shifts most of my life and prefer it. I worked 9-5 a couple of times for 6 months each. Yes, you can order your life better. When your friends ask you to Christmas this year, you can say yes without having to wait to see your roster. You can play squash every Tuesday evening; go to the pub every Friday. You have all your weekends and Bank holidays off.
But, you are doing the same job day in, day out. You travel in the rush hour twice a day, every week day. Finding a parking place is difficult because everyone else is at work. You have to do your shopping at the same times as most other people - shops will be busy at those times.
Perhaps a change of base is feasible in your current job? Same company but different surroundings and different local boss might be all you need to refresh you. Or go for promotion within your current company or move sideways into a different area?
If you do decide to retrain then go for it. But be aware that it could be a LOT of work. You must factor in how you would study, where you would study, and how you will pay the mortgage and run the house and cars while you are studying.
Good luck !
PS, if you have the savings and no kids, now might be a good time to travel and see the World. (Covid allowing, obviously). Companies usually offer extended (unpaid) leave. See what your HR department offers. A long break of a couple of months travelling might be what you need to recharge.
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Having been furloughed for some 8 months or so, then subject to notice of redundancy, I found a) I really missed the work, b) the people I worked with, c) there were no other jobs out there at this moment in time that offered the same rewards, d) now no longer furloughed or under notice of redundancy back at work, different location, different people but enjoying it none the less.
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I think everyone is feeling a little blue at the minute , myself included . However looking at the big wide world , there are not many good jobs out there , and a lot of redundancies !
I would say go with your heart but be careful , the grass in not always greener !!!
I would say go with your heart but be careful , the grass in not always greener !!!
Hi all I’m after a bit of advice!
I’ve been a A Licensed Mech here in the U.K. for the best part of 10 years now. I work for one of the large airlines on the line at one of the largest airports in the U.K.
For the past couple of years I have been losing the love the aircraft maintenance. From being outside all the time to working long days and nights, I really feel like this isn’t for me anymore. Weirdly, a 9-5 job, sitting at a desk really appeals to me and I’m starting to think that may be the way I want to take my career.
I have completed a couple of B1 exams but don’t have the motivation or interest to continue. City and Cranfield University both do distance learning masters degrees in Air Transport Management/Air Safety Management/Aircraft Maintenance Management, and I’m thinking about enrolling on one of those and eventually enter into the operations/management side of aviation. In the meantime I would hope to move into a technical services/airworthiness type role.
Has anyone else made a similar career move and am I nuts for considering it? I’m miserable where I am now so can’t see myself being a mechanic for much longer!! Can anyone offer any advice?
Thanks!!
I’ve been a A Licensed Mech here in the U.K. for the best part of 10 years now. I work for one of the large airlines on the line at one of the largest airports in the U.K.
For the past couple of years I have been losing the love the aircraft maintenance. From being outside all the time to working long days and nights, I really feel like this isn’t for me anymore. Weirdly, a 9-5 job, sitting at a desk really appeals to me and I’m starting to think that may be the way I want to take my career.
I have completed a couple of B1 exams but don’t have the motivation or interest to continue. City and Cranfield University both do distance learning masters degrees in Air Transport Management/Air Safety Management/Aircraft Maintenance Management, and I’m thinking about enrolling on one of those and eventually enter into the operations/management side of aviation. In the meantime I would hope to move into a technical services/airworthiness type role.
Has anyone else made a similar career move and am I nuts for considering it? I’m miserable where I am now so can’t see myself being a mechanic for much longer!! Can anyone offer any advice?
Thanks!!
don't hold out much hope of getting into the tech services side of things without having at least a full B licence or a degree, they don't seem to want to take anyone with less than that regardless of how much actual hands on experience you have [and I'm talking about internal vacancies here] If you do go into the TMG type roles, are you fine with all the ***** that goes with those type roles, meeting KPIs etc?........The grass can often look greener in other areas but the best thing to do if you are seriously thinking of going into the support role, is to see if there is maybe an opportunity to volunteer to shadow someone in an area you think you might like to see if you would like it long term. Also you can see what the day to day working environment is like and maybe even get some candid information from those working in that area as to what it is really like. It really does come down to the individual. I know guys who went into the support role because they were fed up at the front end "on tools" and within a couple of years they were back out at the front end and conversely I also know some who fell into support roles because they were posted into the role on a temporary basis [not through choice] and decided not to come back afterwards as they liked it so much..
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I have 35years behind being grease monkey, still love it. But, change is good time to time. Longest period with one and only company was 19years, but this time included several fleet change and various extra courses/approvals, that kept my head going. Had difficulties to find "red string" few times, fortunately something new appeared before i decided to move on in hurry.
Never worked with really big company, i have a strong feeling that bit smaller companies may give more space for own thinking and there is no two identical days. (in good or bad)
Worked just recently couple of years on small-ish MRO, at some point i felt very unhappy because work was too monotonic. Daily-weekly-nightstops on apron, with aircraft type i don't like + just too rarely any real job (t/s, repair, etc etc)
Last year i decided to jump to another boat, again. Started new life with rotary wing machines, but still in floor lever maintenance which i still love.
Started my grease monkey life with general aviation, moved to airliner line maintenance, later on took 2 years stint on Scotland (first with line job, then another place with MRO), long time i did general aviation as 2nd job, came back to home and spent some time again with local MRO:s airliner department, now started something really new with rotary wing:s on national operator. Took big hit on my salary, but as i wrote, i need to be happy on my job and numbers on my monthly income is not most important as long as they cover my expenses.
My very good friend took another path with his working life. We spent years together on general aviation and short period on airliner world, then we went different ways. I stayed on floor level, he started to aim higher and today he is on management level.
EDIT: It says B1/B2/C on my Part66 License, think it is fair to say at this point. I mean, all this never came w/o some extra training, new things may keep your head working more happily.
Never worked with really big company, i have a strong feeling that bit smaller companies may give more space for own thinking and there is no two identical days. (in good or bad)
Worked just recently couple of years on small-ish MRO, at some point i felt very unhappy because work was too monotonic. Daily-weekly-nightstops on apron, with aircraft type i don't like + just too rarely any real job (t/s, repair, etc etc)
Last year i decided to jump to another boat, again. Started new life with rotary wing machines, but still in floor lever maintenance which i still love.
Started my grease monkey life with general aviation, moved to airliner line maintenance, later on took 2 years stint on Scotland (first with line job, then another place with MRO), long time i did general aviation as 2nd job, came back to home and spent some time again with local MRO:s airliner department, now started something really new with rotary wing:s on national operator. Took big hit on my salary, but as i wrote, i need to be happy on my job and numbers on my monthly income is not most important as long as they cover my expenses.
My very good friend took another path with his working life. We spent years together on general aviation and short period on airliner world, then we went different ways. I stayed on floor level, he started to aim higher and today he is on management level.
EDIT: It says B1/B2/C on my Part66 License, think it is fair to say at this point. I mean, all this never came w/o some extra training, new things may keep your head working more happily.
Last edited by Corrosion; 14th Mar 2021 at 09:08.
