Direct Entry Education Checks
 

Hi everyone, I have just finished Year 12 and have received my marks yesterday. I didn't get the results I was wanting and my ATAR is not exceptionally great. I have achieved study scores that cadetships seem to require but my overall ATAR is something I hope airlines won't necessarily see as a huge requirement through their direct entry positions. My question is that down the track after flying in GA and getting up my hours through as many years as it will take, would airlines look at my school results heavily and base that as an important consideration when applying for a direct entry?

I'll call various airlines to gather information in a few days but I was checking to see if any pilots out there would have any thoughts on this?

Cheers

Things may have changed, but I know guys who went to school just to eat their lunch who have had a good career in aviation.

Probably what's more important is how well you do at your PPL, CPL and ATPL subjects.

I got an ATAR (UAI at the time) in the mid 50's. The HSC system just wasn't a great way of gauging my abilities and it's probably the same for a lot of people.

I'll admit that it's something I've been concerned about when producing documents for interviews but it was never questioned and hasn't stopped my career with a major carrier so I wouldn't worry about it mate.

As long as you perform well in the interview etc I don't think they pay a lot of attention to the mark. It's more of a box ticking exercise to make sure you have the required subjects.

Thanks for the replies everyone, appreciate the extra info.

The interviews is what i'll focus on when the time comes, of course they'll look at my marks but hopefully not being a focus point

Mate don’t worry about it. Do some flying - get some hours - no one gives a s*#t about ATARs in aviation.

I’m a 15000 hour 20 year pilot and some of my pilot friends can barely spell their own names.

Just do it!! (If it’s what you really want to do)

If it makes you feel any better, one of my ex-747 driver at QF got his mark in the low 60s back in the day. He didn't give two s**ts about the mark and continued on. They'll test you out during their assessments.

QF might be the only outfit who would be interested in those procedural matters like chasing up Year 12 results from 20 years ago. I wouldn’t lose sleep over not working for that mob they are the last company I’d want to work for again.

Forget the results. I never went past Year 10 and have been flying narrowbodies and teaching others how to ever since.

In Aviation, there may be a specific subject or educational pass requirement, but as others have said they’ll look at how you perform in the airline selection process as the sole measure of grading you individually.

The truth is, not just in Aviation but for every field, your ATAR score is one of the most irrelevant things in your life. The emphasis placed on it as a measure of success is totally unjustified despite your school, your parents and the media telling you it’s one of the most important things in your life. It isn’t. It’ll only really affect you if you want to go into a University course with a minimum ATAR score next year. Apart from that professional employers don’t care how well you achieved on a memorisation and regurgitation exercise when you were a hormone affected teen, they perform their own aptitude selection testing. You’ll realise over time how inconsequential the mark is. Personally, apart from a uni application straight out of high school I’ve never been asked about that score ever again.

And on top of that I know many people who didn’t even really need it to do a degree they wanted to do....funny how much emphasis teachers put on it and straight out tell you “this is critical to your future” and you still have to ask permission to use the bathroom!

Thankfully these great responses are giving me some relief. I guess it really depends on the experience that a pilot gains aswell which could be a crucial indicator in an interview. Flying up north for a few years looks appealing to me but I’ve heard it can be tough financially and takes some lengthy time.

Flying charter up north is a great experience. I highly recommend it. You'll fly with some interesting individuals, as well as gaining invaluable flying/life experience. Don't sweat on Yr 12 results, they won't mean much down the track