College Degrees

[JasonG-CA-1107]

Hey Bob (once again):

I will be graduating from college in May this coming year and I was wondering how much college degrees really help prespective pilots? When I entered college I thought I wanted to be a lawyer, but I didn't feel passionate about it. Anyways by the time I made the decision to pursue aviation I had already fullfilled the requirements for a Political Science and History degree, so I couldn't change my focus. Luckily I go to a small school in Nebraska, so I was able to pick up a Mathematics minor.

My question is.... do airlines really look for college graduates or at what you majored in? Some pilots that I have talked to who graduated from college were with Aviation or Mechanical Engineering majors, so will it hurt me?

Finally, I have gotten some tips from current pilots and they have told me that airlines will look at my flight times, but they also want something else that sets me a part from different candidates. Liek hobbies or something. One told me that putting being co-captain of my college soccer team is a great one and shows leadership and will get sucked up by airlines.... just want an opinion?

Thanks.....hope the post wasn't so long? I know its like my 4th post on this forum.

[ExpressJet_Bob]

Hi there Jason,

Apologies for the delay!

Regarding degree's... it really depends. Regional airlines really don't require a degree but you are a bit more competitive with one. That said, Major and Legacy airlines also don't "officially" require a degree, but you'd be hard pressed to get a job there without one.

It's just one of those known things in the industry... you stand a much better chance of getting the job due to being more competitive professionally with your degree.

Now... from my personal experience... it truly does not matter what your major is. It matters more that you made the effort and worked hard to successfully complete the degree process. So from that perspective, your degree won't hurt you one bit. There's even a basic line of thought out there that you should get a degree in something other that aviation as a "just in case" backup for when the industry may turn against you.

Resume building is a fine art. Basically you want to look at what type of person an airline is looking for. Things that intitially come to mind are: Leader, manager, team player, good interpersonal and communication skills, etc. So anything that shows you have those skills are decent resume fodder. However... what counts more than anything in an airline interview isn't what's listed on your resume... it's how you perform from an "interpersonal skill" standpoint.

Look at it this way... if you've been called for an interview... it doesn't matter what's on your resume anymore. The job is, quite frankly, your's to lose. It's all about how you come across to the interviewers at that point.

Hope that helps!

Bob