Go Back  PPRuNe Forums > Wannabes Forums > Professional Pilot Training (includes ground studies)
Reload this Page >

Education: What A Levels and Degree (if any)?!(Apr '09)

Wikiposts
Search
Professional Pilot Training (includes ground studies) A forum for those on the steep path to that coveted professional licence. Whether studying for the written exams, training for the flight tests or building experience here's where you can hang out.

Education: What A Levels and Degree (if any)?!(Apr '09)

Thread Tools
 
Search this Thread
 
Old 22nd Feb 2006, 13:14
  #281 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: england
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
a degree (particularly in a science or engineering subject) has a shelf life.

I have a tutor, who teaches Physics, Maths (To O and A level) and chemistry (O,A and Degree level) and charges £30 per hour, and has 40 students per week..... he is in his late 50's.
Danny_manchester is offline  
Old 22nd Feb 2006, 13:23
  #282 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: england
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Hi, guys, may i just ask, what class of degree do you hold? expect to hold?

P.s. i have a tutor who teaches Physics maths (O and A level) and chemistry (O A and Degree level) (3 degrees in chemistry, no formal qualfication in maths or phy, except A level)

He teaches privatly, 25-30 pounds per hour, and has about 40 students, this to me would mean you could teach, and pay for tuition at the same time. He doesn't pay Tax :o, and is on £1100 - £1300 per week.
Danny_manchester is offline  
Old 22nd Feb 2006, 13:46
  #283 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: London
Age: 40
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Fingers crossed a 2.1
rudder pedal is offline  
Old 22nd Feb 2006, 22:03
  #284 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: London
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
FACT: Graduates from Aerospace Engineering can be emplyed in any professional career except in medecin & law.

FACT: Aerospace Engineering graduates (with the right personal qualities) are highly sought after by the City. Because such graduates show capacity for Academic achievment, numerate/technical & problem solving, team working.... So if you come from one of the top 20 uni's - go into investment banking; £40k starting salary!!!
Flashdance9 is offline  
Old 22nd Feb 2006, 22:26
  #285 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 1997
Location: Suffolk UK
Posts: 4,927
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Danny, I don't get your point. The degree has a shelf life if the knowledge is not maintained; that means keeping up to date with the latest developments in the subject. I'm sure your tutor does exactly that; after all, knowledge of the subject is his job. It's not easy to do when you are working full time in a non-engineering or science environment. Therefore your engineering degree becomes steadlily less valuable as a fallback the longer it is since you last studied. This is not a criticism of engineering, it's simply a consideration you should bear in mind - and is true of any professionally-oriented qualification.

Flashdance while I have no reason to believe that engineering graduates would not be welcome in several areas of industry, this topic is not about how to become an investment banker! And your headline shouts of 'FACT' would be more credible with some examples of financial institutions deliberately seeking out Aerospace Engineering graduates. I can't see why anyone would go through all that AE study to become something in the City!

Scroggs
scroggs is offline  
Old 22nd Feb 2006, 23:03
  #286 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: england
Posts: 109
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Well Scroggs, that all depends on the period of time which elapses between graduating - and either not finding a job, being fired or retiering

If one graduates, and keeps reading articles from for example the institute of physics, and takes a look over the subjects done at university (because lets face it, you have a degree in it, it must interest you!) This would DEFINATLY keep it pretty fresh in the mind. surely people have a couple of hours each fortnight etc..

Comeon - if i was a graduate, and didn't do anything with my degree, for sure i wouldn't forget it all! I do 101% disagree with you on that note.

I do think that it would be easy to keep 'up' on the theory, but the practical side of engeneering would be a hard point, however to tutor privatly (e.g. science/maths), and earn a healthy wage ..... there is NO practical stuff involved, for a fact.
Danny_manchester is offline  
Old 23rd Feb 2006, 07:22
  #287 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 1997
Location: Suffolk UK
Posts: 4,927
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
No Danny, it's not easy. To keep properly up to date you need to be working or active in your field of study. Once you start a career you will be fully involved in that and you won't have time to keep up to date with a another field. A couple of hours each fortnight is fine for a casual interest, but not for a rapidly evolving professional field such as engineering - particularly if your only experience is academic.

Danny, this is fact not conjecture; it is backed up by many years of experience. An engineering (or other professional rather than academic) degree that is several years old which has not led to employment in that field will have decreasing value as a fallback qualification as time passes.

At the end of your summer holidays you will be worrying that you've forgotten much of your first year's studies. Imagine how this feels 10 years down the line, especially when you haven't even read a subject-specific journal or spent a day using your degree.

Scroggs
scroggs is offline  
Old 23rd Feb 2006, 14:03
  #288 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Hampshire
Age: 47
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
I have a degree in Aero Eng, 6 years ago, it got me a job in NATS, which has now turned into a highly paid senior engineering position, which pays for all my flight training. That was the reason I went and got a degree, to earn the money, to pay for studying the next qualification, now I'm just about to start the CPL having finished all the ATPLs. Apart from anything, all I can say is now if all the flying goes tits up, I can come back to engineering and still earn a decent crust!

You make your own choices in life, and I have no regrets that I did not start pressing buttons for a living in my early twenties. I'm ready for that now as I'm approaching 30, cos I'm bored of the 9-5 trudge!

But does a degree help with flying? like **** it does!! It's about aptitude not how many letters you have after your name!
What's a Girdler is offline  
Old 23rd Feb 2006, 14:42
  #289 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Scroggs,

I agree with you entirely with regards to the shelf life of a degree. You are absolutely correct. However, if I lost my Class 1, I would not go into Computer Science which passed its shelf life when I walked out the door. With that in mind, I have every confidence that I could walk into a medium level job, with my degree (and ATPL) as a standplate of my character and say, hire me! I may not know what to do but I will take a hell of a lot quicker to learn than the rest of the average Jo's waiting outside!

As for your second point. A degree may not help you get a job anywhere. I am in my early twenties, have a degree, 2 licenses and about 1500 hours experience. I have never stopped working/studying and I have many friends with a basic FATPL, no degree and the same age who are thinking, what have I got that can put me above the rest. Working in a bank, service station, etc etc. The answer in my opinion is, not as much as a degree qualified pilot who is the same age and managed to 'do it all' in the same time. In terms of a time management/motivation/determination situation, the degree qualified pilot of same age and qualifications should show up against the rest! Your going to say it doesnt, and you are probably right, it should though and thats depends on how the recruiter puts importance on someones character or personality. Do choose a degree of substance though. Not a piss easy BA where you can take a class in witchcraft! Believe me, this wont help you get a job. Dont get me started on that one!

"Whats a girdler" is absolutely right, its all about apptitude that will get you a job. I disagree with him that having a degree wont get you a flying job becasue having a tertiary education says something about your apptitude when it comes to time management, knowledge learning and recall, perserverance, the list goes on! I think everyone will agree that these are qualities that make a great and safe pilot so by deduction, having a degree says to a potential employer that you have the personal traits he is looking for.

Your physical flying ability is a different matter.

I have had about a dozen interviews for airlines/operators and in all bar a few, I was asked about and why I completed a degree. Why would you ask that as a recruiter if you werent interested? They obvioulsy hadnt discounted it when they read my CV.

All I am saying is a degree can AND SHOULD help. I have personal experience of that when it comes to getting a flying job in an air line (entry level) and as such believe it can help anyone who has one.

Scroggs, Your are right when you say a good quality one with good marks helps. Any average person can get a degree these days because the system has been watered down. Just like you dont need to be an exceptional pilot these days to get a license. I would even go out on a limb and say a 3 year degree with below average marks that took you 5 years to complete is just as bad as telling a chief pilot you passed your IR on the third attemtp. If you arent going to do it properly the first time, dont do it at all!

Sorry for the essay, I have to stop doing that!!
On speed on profile is offline  
Old 23rd Feb 2006, 15:02
  #290 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 1997
Location: Suffolk UK
Posts: 4,927
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Certainly a degree can help! However, I'm not sure it helps as much as it used to simply because so many people have degrees nowadays. But that's for another discussion...!

The reason an interviewer will ask why you took a degree when you are being interviewed for a job that doesn't require a degree is that he or she wants to know what the thought processes were that led you into starting the degree, and to find out what you think university and having the degree has done and will do for you. We want to know whether you went to university because that was just the next logical step (ie no thought whatsoever), or because you had a particular aim in mind. We also want to know whether we are your second choice of career, which you're trying because your degree wasn't good enough for your first choice. Don't assume that we are necessarily impressed by the fact you have a degree; many complete plonkers have them! I'm sure you met some at uni...

Scroggs
scroggs is offline  
Old 23rd Feb 2006, 18:29
  #291 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2004
Location: Москва/Ташкент
Age: 54
Posts: 922
Received 3 Likes on 3 Posts
I believe the UK Governments target of 50% into higher education has nearly been achieved. So, one can argue at least 50% of the population entering the workforce for the first time are somewhat capable of graduating with a degree. If you also argue that some that were capable are simply dissuaded, either by the prospect of debt and/or unsure of their capabilities the total might be somewhat higher.

The fact is, unless you ontain a degree from a very good University in the UK, and when I say very good we are looking at maybe a handful, then your degree really has little credibility, other than perhaps impressing the earlier generation of your so called intellect (of which most did not go into HE, in fact 10 years ago or so less than 20% went into HE, and 20 years ago 10%!).

The Quality of education in the UK (outside of a few Universities) has declined considerably (either that or individuals have started making considerable IQ gains), even over the last decade. I mean a BA in "Media Studies" or "Furniture Building" or even "Football"... sorry, its laughable.

My point is, is a degree worthwhile nowadays for a Pilot? It would only be useful if the degree itself was seen as credible. Sadly, nowadays in the UK, most of them are about as valid as the old Joke in Redbrick Uni Library toilets ("Arts Degree, Just take one" scrawled next to the Toilet Roll Dispenser).

People here are arguing Degree vs. Non Degree. They should be asking "Good Quality Degree" vs Zilch (which believe me may be better than something).

A Degree in Physics from Imperial will no doubt get attention, a Football Studies Degree from Liverpool John Moores University... well, use your own initiative here.
flash8 is offline  
Old 23rd Feb 2006, 19:36
  #292 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Sep 2005
Location: Crinkley Bottom
Posts: 80
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by scroggs
FlashdanceI can't see why anyone would go through all that AE study to become something in the City!
Scroggs
Not gonna jump into the whole degree debate, but just as an aside..going from an Engineering related degree into the City is a very common thing. I expect up to half of the people graduating with me this year from an Aero Eng degree at Imperial College will end up in the financial district.

Why?..Money. None of them probably set out to go into the city after their degree, but the money quickly changes their mind. And the City banks actively recruit from the top engineering universties, in recruitment fairs and with their own seminars. They are looking for people with a solid grounding in maths related subjects but also some real world application. Alot of the investment banks need technical people who understand the industries they are investing in and working with or who can quickly learn about them...so they can make informed decisions about what they are investing in etc.
Wazzoo is offline  
Old 23rd Feb 2006, 19:39
  #293 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 1999
Location: UK
Posts: 1,608
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Scroggs,

It is in fact correct - the financial mathematics required of a derivatives trader are not that far removed from the knowledge of mathematics required for AE. AEs are heavily represented among quants, traders, hedge fund managers and risk managers, with basics beginning at £35k, and 50% bonuses in year 1, then that is the reality.

One of my clients contains many an engineer as a trader.

We do however digress...
Re-Heat is offline  
Old 23rd Feb 2006, 21:00
  #294 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: May 2001
Posts: 72
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
degree

forget about a degree
i know a few airline pilots (flying for majors) who failed miserably their studies
a (excellent) connection is much more important than a degree
piperindian is offline  
Old 24th Feb 2006, 09:45
  #295 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Flash 8, hit the nail on the head there buddy!

People here are arguing Degree vs. Non Degree. They should be asking "Good Quality Degree" vs Zilch (which believe me may be better than something).
And then applying it to the possibility of losing their license, it only takes a head injury afterfalling off a ladder.

Scroggs, never a truer word spoken. A degree now days is not worth as much as it used to be and as such, recruiters probably dont hold them in as higer regard as they used to. Dont get me started on that topic, I wouldnt be able to shut up! I met a hell of a lot of 'complete plonkers' at uni. I have also met a hell of a lot of 'complete plonkers' in the aviation industry who if they lost their medical would struggle to get a job paying anything more than basic wage. Most didnt get degrees or a higher education, have massive loans and got into flying as they werent sure what else they wanted to do and flying 'was cool'.

I think it is personal opinion and you are right. If you have the right reasons for doing one, thats fine, it will make you look good to an employer.

I would add final comment alluding to my previous post. I would not like to be in the position of losing my license without a degree. Lets face it, it does happen and I know that my background will hold up in any industry as it shows dedication and hard work. Hardly anyone in the non aviation industry has any clue about how hard ATPLS or in fact the entire FATPL is to complete. This is where a degree steps in.

All you wannabees out there, if you can take the gamble about losing your medical, then dont get yourself a tertiary education. You may never need it but dont say I havent warned you. Remember, when you have a family to feed and mortgage to pay, a degree takes a lot longer than a refresher course to complete and then you are still at the bottom of the barrel, AGAIN .

Safe (and healthy) flying everyone.

Last edited by On speed on profile; 24th Feb 2006 at 10:01.
On speed on profile is offline  
Old 24th Feb 2006, 12:17
  #296 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Hunched over a keyboard
Posts: 1,193
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by AeroEng
How important is a degree?
Well, over a 60nm nav leg it will mean that you are 1nm off track!
moggiee is offline  
Old 24th Feb 2006, 12:21
  #297 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Dec 1997
Location: Suffolk UK
Posts: 4,927
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Interesting stuff about engineering degrees in the City, chaps, I hadn't realised that so many engineers were so easily distracted by the filthy lucre! I must ask my brother-in-law (a senior partner in KPMG) if he sees the same.

The motivations and pressures that lead people to take degrees nowadays are very, very different to those that existed when I - and all those Chief Pilots you're going to be talking to - was a young man (granted, I am approaching the end of my youth!). Many will not appreciate that - and many of you won't be aware of that change either!

I'll go back to what I said originally - if you decide to do a degree, do it because it interests you, because it has some commercial applicability, and because you want to. Don't do it because you think you should, or take a particular subject because you think you should. If you're in any doubt about what a recruiter wants to see, don't forget there are many ways of impressing us. Getting your ATPL without huge debt (or rich parents) is one way; doing a year's charity work in Africa is another, or building a successful business by age 21 is yet another. We look at the person, not the letters. Aviation may be one of the last 'professions' where that is still the case.

Scroggs
scroggs is offline  
Old 24th Feb 2006, 16:24
  #298 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Nov 2004
Location: Surrey
Posts: 22
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Just wanted to add my thoughts on this subject. I personally don’t think/expect having a degree will necessarily help me in getting a job as a pilot, however, I certainly don’t think it will disadvantage me.

Going to university is something that can only be decided by that person and depends entirely upon their personal circumstances. Having it as a ‘backup’ is all very well and good, but as pointed out by others, that could mean your be looking at starting out in that career sometime after graduating and your be competing with younger ‘fresher’ graduates, so it’ll be tough. Plus your need to convince an employer that your not just an unemployed pilot who wants a job as a stop gap and you won’t be off at the first sniff of a flying job .

The shelf life issue is not so important (at least in some subjects), when I started my job as a graduate engineer how much knowledge from my degree did I use?……..absolutely none! All the information and knowledge I needed was obtained through on the job training. The only thing the degree did was tell my employer that I had the potential to learn and understand technical subjects.
Going back to my point about it being down to individual circumstances, I left college with bog standard results (actually they were crap )‘Mr average’ (if not below!), at that stage I had no way of funding my training myself and to be honest knew damn well that I wouldn’t get a look in at any ‘sponsorships’ with my qualifications. I also remember feeling that with my past exam results, almost resigned to the fact that I was not smart enough to become a pilot.
I saw university as an opportunity to start again and prove to myself and others that I could do better, so that’s what I did. Four years later I was practically a changed person! I’d met some incredible people, learnt a hell of a lot about life, learnt to fly for FREE with the uni air squadron, and got a 1st in my degree
I can safely say that going to university turned my life around, getting the degree was just one part of it! I’ve since worked as a engineer, got more life experience (well a tiny bit!), saved loads of dosh for the flying and can now go on and get my fATPL without getting into stacks of debt. Also, having worked for a while in an area that was related to my degree I have got a bit of work experience and made contacts with people who could help me if I ever need to fall back on engineering.
Well I think I’ve rattled on a bit here, but I hope my point is clear, its all swings and roundabouts, but going to university is entirely down to your circumstances and what you want to get out of it.
Best of luck to anyone currently in this dilemma, it’s not an easy choice!
slayer is offline  
Old 24th Feb 2006, 16:36
  #299 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Feb 2006
Location: UK
Posts: 170
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
We look at the person, not the letters. Aviation may be one of the last 'professions' where that is still the case.
Scroggs, I think you are correct until this last quote. The 'letters', are a good indication of your person as long as they are coupled with a good reason for having them and successful use of your time (probably by getting your FATPL at the same time or having both by a young age).

I do have one question though. If what you say in the above quote is true, why does it seem less and less recruiters 'look at the person'?

A growing number of wanabees out there, think that buying a TR will help them out as they think they dont have an advantage over other candidates. If a company wants a type rating as the pre-requisite, then doesnt that negate your statement. The more and more we read, the more and more it seems that personality doesnt play a part anymore. Many of us feel that we are not getting the chance to let our personalities shine through at interview because we have a)not got the money to buy a type rating or b) just think its wrong and havent done it (as I do).

In your organisation, people dont apply without the pre-requisite requirements (by this I mean substantial jet time) so personality and skill become the main factors when it comes to employment as there is a level playing field when it comes to experience. I dont think this is the case in the 'low-cost, eat your hat to survive as a pilot in the lower ranks of aviation' environment. Please correct me if I am wrong but the growing impression I get is, "if you can afford it son, you're in"!!! Just look at all the £70K+ schemes kicking around the place now days and the young FATPLs who feel a TR is their only/last chance at success! If it was the person that was being employed rather than the qualification, I would put it to you that less 200TT pilots would be buying TR's or, that TR's without experience would play no part in aviation today.

By deduction, I have just slammed my own argument.

I now change it to.... Dont bother getting a degree!!

Still interested in your comments though scroggs.
On speed on profile is offline  
Old 24th Feb 2006, 17:50
  #300 (permalink)  
 
Join Date: Mar 2005
Location: London
Posts: 47
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes on 0 Posts
Originally Posted by scroggs
Interesting stuff about engineering degrees in the City, chaps, I hadn't realised that so many engineers were so easily distracted by the filthy lucre!
ipsoFACTo my friend! It's not the fact that its 'engineers' doing the subject anylonger but students with the sole intent on going into the city want a degree that will deliver the goods. Just about any plonker can go to uni and get a degree nowadays, and many who graduate lack some very basic skills (as often reported in the press), so those wanting to achieve the best are choosing degrees in engineering etc... Half my friends on the course wont be engineers, they'll be off to Morgan Stanley, Lloyds, PWC and straight into middle management!! Engineering isnt just for the geeks!

Anyway this digresses from the thread topic.

As said by many here, Do a degree you enjoy. (Even some of the city wanabes actually enjoy aero eng! )

Last edited by Flashdance9; 24th Feb 2006 at 19:54.
Flashdance9 is offline  


Contact Us - Archive - Advertising - Cookie Policy - Privacy Statement - Terms of Service

Copyright © 2024 MH Sub I, LLC dba Internet Brands. All rights reserved. Use of this site indicates your consent to the Terms of Use.