Hi everybody. This is my first post after a month or so of lurking, so please go easy on me!
I've been considering a radical career change from computer programming. I'm 25 years old, and will complete a 4 year computer science degree this summer at TRU in Kamloops, BC. Part of that degree program is a Co-op program, in which you take a semester and work in your chosen field.
I became interested in programming when I was 15, and spent hours playing with code and writing games at home. From there, it seemed like programming was what I wanted to do. My co-op job was a real eye opener. The place I worked at had a darkened room where all of the developers worked, and I spent 4 months sitting in the same chair, working on the same boring code for 8 hours a day. By the end of it, I had realized that I would NOT succeed in such an environment. The excitement (ok, I'm a nerd) and creativity of recreational programming is replaced by monotony and finicky details in the real world, and I needed to stay the hell away from it.
Since then, I have been actively researching my alternatives and completing my degree. I've realized a number of things about myself that make me incompatible with the average programming job:
- I hate to sit still. I'm happiest when I'm doing tasks that require me to move around, such as my current on-site computer tech job.
- I enjoy dealing with people.
- I strongly dislike pointless tasks. This is not to say that I'm lazy, but I am motivated by the importance and utility of whatever task I'm working on. Give me a TPS report to fill out and it'll decompose before it returns. However, if a client's hard drive has eaten her baby photos, I'll work 8 hours straight to resurect them.
- I like machines. My hobbies usually revolve around making a car or motorcycle do things the factory never intended.
So, as I see it, being a Pilot would be a good career choice for me. I'll have a degree this August, I like machines and moving around, and I've wanted to be a Pilot since I was a kid. From what I understand, being a Pilot in the CF is a job that makes you feel useful, and changes enough to keep you interested. I would love to feel like I was doing something that helps people, and after my time is up I'm set if I want to become a commercial pilot. Or I could stay in and retire at 45.
Unfortunately, there are a number of issues that complicate things.
- I have a fiance who would really rather not move to Moose Jaw.
- I've held on to the "nobody tells ME what to do!" mindset past my teens.
- I'll have to leave all my friends behind. I really value close friends, and making new ones every few years won't be easy.
- As I understand it, being a Pilot is a 9 year commitment. I'm scared of making that commitment and changing my mind 3 years in. I have a history of getting bored with things quickly.
So there's my situation. A large part of me wants to just drop everything and go for it, but I'm really scared of making the wrong decision. I'm about to send my application in to join the Primary Reserves as an officer cadet so I can get a taste of the military before making any permanent decisions, but I'd like to find out as much as I can about being a pilot first.
Does anybody have any advice? Been in a similar situation? What's life as a CF pilot really like?
I've been considering a radical career change from computer programming. I'm 25 years old, and will complete a 4 year computer science degree this summer at TRU in Kamloops, BC. Part of that degree program is a Co-op program, in which you take a semester and work in your chosen field.
I became interested in programming when I was 15, and spent hours playing with code and writing games at home. From there, it seemed like programming was what I wanted to do. My co-op job was a real eye opener. The place I worked at had a darkened room where all of the developers worked, and I spent 4 months sitting in the same chair, working on the same boring code for 8 hours a day. By the end of it, I had realized that I would NOT succeed in such an environment. The excitement (ok, I'm a nerd) and creativity of recreational programming is replaced by monotony and finicky details in the real world, and I needed to stay the hell away from it.
Since then, I have been actively researching my alternatives and completing my degree. I've realized a number of things about myself that make me incompatible with the average programming job:
- I hate to sit still. I'm happiest when I'm doing tasks that require me to move around, such as my current on-site computer tech job.
- I enjoy dealing with people.
- I strongly dislike pointless tasks. This is not to say that I'm lazy, but I am motivated by the importance and utility of whatever task I'm working on. Give me a TPS report to fill out and it'll decompose before it returns. However, if a client's hard drive has eaten her baby photos, I'll work 8 hours straight to resurect them.
- I like machines. My hobbies usually revolve around making a car or motorcycle do things the factory never intended.
So, as I see it, being a Pilot would be a good career choice for me. I'll have a degree this August, I like machines and moving around, and I've wanted to be a Pilot since I was a kid. From what I understand, being a Pilot in the CF is a job that makes you feel useful, and changes enough to keep you interested. I would love to feel like I was doing something that helps people, and after my time is up I'm set if I want to become a commercial pilot. Or I could stay in and retire at 45.
Unfortunately, there are a number of issues that complicate things.
- I have a fiance who would really rather not move to Moose Jaw.
- I've held on to the "nobody tells ME what to do!" mindset past my teens.
- I'll have to leave all my friends behind. I really value close friends, and making new ones every few years won't be easy.
- As I understand it, being a Pilot is a 9 year commitment. I'm scared of making that commitment and changing my mind 3 years in. I have a history of getting bored with things quickly.
So there's my situation. A large part of me wants to just drop everything and go for it, but I'm really scared of making the wrong decision. I'm about to send my application in to join the Primary Reserves as an officer cadet so I can get a taste of the military before making any permanent decisions, but I'd like to find out as much as I can about being a pilot first.
Does anybody have any advice? Been in a similar situation? What's life as a CF pilot really like?