What would you do?

Wolfman21 Rookie Afghanistan

Hey all,
I just joined SM the other day after hearing about it from some other AC buddies of mine.
I'm getting out of the navy here in about a week. I have a CTO from NAS Corpus Christi. I applied for and got an invitation to go to the PEPC next month. However, two days before i got that letter, i also got accepted at Kent State University. I applied for their Aviation degree program and was going to focus on either ATC or Aviation management. I'm 24 and single so i do have some time if i choose to go to school.
The main reason that i'm thinking of going to school is to mainly just enjoy a couple years of semi-carefree life before i jump back into the working world again. But i'm not sure if, in the long run, considering my experience, that the degree would help me very much.
I wasn't really expecting to get picked up by the FAA this quickly. It took a lot of my friends that got out almost 2 years to get picked up by the FAA. It took me 2 months. The FAA offered Kansas, and i'm assuming is Wichita Tacron. After talking with the management and a controller from there, it appears to me that I got a good facility to start at.
What do you guys think? Is waiting a few years to finish a degree that doesn't really help me get hired, worth the delay in joining the FAA? I'm thinking about it all. The Union seniority, a potential bigger retirement and everything else that comes with it. Also, being off the mic for that long may or may not hurt my controlling ability.
Thanks in advance.

Battani22 Trusted Contributor Minnesota

I personally would take the FAA offer. I don’t think it’s worth spending the money for school when you are offered a job as a controller now. And if you did decide to go to school, it's no guarantee that you will get picked up like you did now. It's up to you though, I can see wanting to take a couple years to relax and not work.

rogersjf Trusted Contributor New Jersey

Take it whats the point of spending money on something else that will get you to the same place in a few years. But if you do want some R & R then dont, but remember by 31 it will get alot harder for you to get in, and more paper work to fill out. You got an offer your facility may or may not where you want to be, but i know a lot of people on this board would take that offer in a second. But again its up to you so dont base it on my stupid opinion do what you want to do.

tuckermtn Rookie

You've got your CTO, so that gives you some options that you might not have if you were applying only OTS. This is a strangely opportune time to be getting into ATC because of the retirement/staffing/hiring issues the FAA is having to deal with as rapidly as possible. After the current wave of retirees subsides I'm guessing the need for applicants without any ATC expereince (i.e. non-REINST, VRA, CTO, CTI) will be nothing more than a trickle, if anything at all. Once the facilities are staffed the FAA will again have the luxury of being very selective, and the hiring process in general may take much, much longer - as it did just a few years ago.

But, you've got your CO which probably means you'll still have an avenue to get in. With that in mind I say go to school and get that experience. You're a bit older than the "traditional" student, but there is a wealth of opportunity at pretty much every institution of higher education and you should weigh that heavily. Sure, it is an investment of time and money, but I imagine there could be a lot more open doors for you to at least look into rather than putting all your energy into your career.

For me, I'm ready to get to OKC and then on to OJT, yet there are a lot of other lesser pursuits that I would never have been aware of had I not spent 4 years immersed in the collegiate lifestyle. I think it leads to a more expansive and harmonious life if you decide not to put on the career blinders right away. Aside from that how many people do you hear saying, "Oh I wish I had taken more time early on to broaden my experience;" I hear that a lot!

If ATC with the FAA dries up in a few years, you can look into working at a contract facility, or you might be able to get a job overseas. Who knows, you might find working in some other country more rewarding than plying your trade here. Might get paid better, too! (If money's your object...) Then again, if you take the job now you can always choose to do something else down the line...you're not locked in to doing one thing for the next 25-30 years.

If I had not been to college before and I had the option to I would. The amount you spend is hardly equivalent to the intrinsic value you get out, in my opinion.

Muneco Epic Member

Ditto.

No offense to you or anything Wolfman, but what the hell is wrong with you lol. Do you know how many applicants there were for pubs 5 and 6? CTI, VRA, and CTO? You were one out of thousands that applied and you are one of the few selected. Go to the PEPC man, or, go the traditional route.

MTCTIGUY Trusted Member The 'Boro

I would agree with what everyone said above, as long as you know you want to do ATC as a career. College is a good option, (and fun) and if you are looking to relax for a few years, you will get a degree in something that you might one day use to apply to something other than ATC. Tough Decision, Good Luck!