At a tough spot career-wise... not sure what to do

[d55dave]

I didn't read all replies here....but thought I would offer my 2 cents.

Stay away from ag flying unless you have had a life long dream of being a pilot. It involves constantly operating an aircraft on the edge of its abilities, flying in a zone where, if anything goes sideways there is no out......and you end up possibly in a burning wreckage surrounded by chemical.

I have been in aviation for more than 25 years. It has been a fantastic career for me, but there are some areas that are better than others.

With your engineering degree I would suggest looking into becoming a Design Approval Engineer or Representative. This is someone (an engineer.....not mechanic engineer but engineer engineer) who works with companies on new designs of products or modifications to have approval granted for them.

You could contact any large aviation companies near you or the FAA to see who the local DARs are, contact them and see if you can spend some time job shadowing, or take them out for coffee. I think that you would find it interesting.

 

[MopaR&D]

Wow so many replies, I really appreciate it guys I feel a lot better now. It's awesome there are people on here who are pilots who could give the real scoop on how that industry works; based on what has been said so far I'm tossing the Ag pilot idea out the window for the most part.

So the school I'm looking at getting my Master's from is Colorado State University here in Fort Collins. I think I will go ahead and start the application process and in the meantime I'm going to also be looking for more jobs out-of-state (lots of suggestions on where from you guys, thanks!). I will also seriously consider working at a machine shop as another option. Basically I want to open up as many opportunities as possible so I'm not waiting around for one or two jobs; after all it is always easier to turn something down you got accepted for than scramble to figure out a "Plan B" when the "Plan A" doesn't work out.

Thanks again everyone, it's so cool there are people from all kinds of career backgrounds on here it's really a blessing. I'm definitely going to bookmark this thread to refer back to, there's so much good advice I can't remember it all hahaha.

 

[spl440]

do not forget that there is overseas jobs also

 

[downsr]

Do something in the medical field. You will always be able to find a job no matter where you are . Stay away from industry jobs you cant be sure they will
be there long enough to draw a retirement from. I am 60 and the plant that I work for is closing the second industry that I have worked for that has closed.

 

[mopowers]

Some folks think about it like if you love what you do, you never have to 'work' a day in your life. I'm not like that though. I like to think I work to live, not live to work. Find something that pays the bills and affords you a quality of life you're happy with. If you go that route, there'll be plenty of options, especially with a 4-year engineering degree.

 

[66fyssh]

I feel for you man, looking for a great career sucks. Keep putting yourself out there and working hard at your current job, you never know what might come from it. I thought I had just started my "final" career. I had 3 months in the job and was on track to go from an Assistant General Manager to a General Manager when a customer I was waiting on told me about a position his company (where he worked) was looking to fill and thought I'd be the guy. After 3 interviews, 3 months later I started an awesome job.

The job I'm in and love now was not even remotely on my radar. I was in the right place at the right time and took a chance when the opportunity presented itself.

Stay out there, apply like crazy, but more importantly NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK. The majority of people are hired by getting a personal reference. I never would have gotten this job without a reference.

 

[66fs]

.... mechanical engineering which is really my passion (you guys think this is true??).

Getting an Engineering job is like any other job. Except there will never be enough people to fill the need. First work on your resume until it is killer. List your skills, what CAD, Analysis program, internships, car/rebuilding skills, use of measuring equipment, basically anything that may be relevant to a prospective employer. Post it on Monster, find head hunters like Aerotek and others. Go anywhere, take any engineering job, you need experience. Hunt for jobs on Monster, you can target areas and jobs you may like to "try out". A lot is tied to key words that will make your resume pop up. Keep your job till you get a better one. Remember it is a numbers game, keep plugging, your number will come up. A Masters is a waste at this point, and any decent Company will pay for it once you work for them. Grades don't really matter once you have experience. I have worked for Program Managers that would not hire a 4.0 anyone. Pm me if you want more advice.