Would you choose a different career path if you had to do life again?

No. I've been retired for over 10 years and I'm still only 53.

...I would just have to be sure to similarly marry up again.
 
Absolutely 100% I would do something different. I fell into the job 20 years ago and have meandered along since. Whilst I have done 6 different roles at the company and it has allowed to me to stay employed when I moved countries, I do the job because it pays the bills. I like the people I work with and the company is good to work for, but I don't love my job with a passion and I wish I did.
 
Only to join military and join the State Police as I originally intended. Otherwise, no, I'm 40 and inside 8 years to retirement.
 
I'm still relatively young so I could probably change my path again but I did change a bit recently. I have been doing some form of sales for the past 8-9 years selling primarily ski/snowboard equipment, alcohol, cars and IT hardware/software. Almost 6 of those years I have been on the IT side of sales and was working in the capacity of an account executive, channel sales manager or sales specialist. I found that I had much less of a passion for the account management components of selling but helping customers to be as informed as possible on complex solutions was very much up my alley.

I became more closely aligned with being a product specialist and more detached from the account management side and playing more of a support role to account executives. I was eventually laid off in my past role despite almost being 200% of quota (I had some brushes with some of management and had some unorthodox initiatives that worked but didn't jive with the organization). I decided that I need to make the switch to a full-on technical role and with a start-up that took a chance on me since I prepared so well for the interviews. So, I am now working as what is called a sales engineer which primarily owns the technical selling part of the sales lifecycle and not concerned with closing or finding opportunities.

Long story short, I went from a slightly technical sales role to a highly technical sales support role and a sizable pay cut for the meantime. It definitely wasn't an inconsequential amount of money, about $30k a year or so, but I am immeasurably more happy so I would do it again and much sooner if possible.
 
I have been lucky. Always wanted to be an airline pilot since I was a kid. Did active duty for 10 years in the USAF and another 18 in the reserves and wouldn’t change a thing. Being an airline pilot has been like being semi-retired for the last 25 years years with an average of about 18 days off a month (hence the low handicap 😎). After 36 years of flying planes, I still love it. There‘s still something majestic about being at 38’000 feet and watching the sun come up as you fly over Europe eastbound or pushing the throttles forward on something that weighs 650,000 pounds, getting up to about 160 mph and gently pulling back on the yoke and getting airborne. Best damn (and only) job I ever had.
 
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I have been lucky. Always wanted to be an airline pilot since I was a kid. Did active duty for 10 years in the USAF and another 18 in the reserves and wouldn’t change a thing. Being an airline pilot has been like being semi-retired for the last 25 years years with an average of about 18 days off a month (hence the low handicap 😎). After 36 years of flying planes, I still love it. There‘s still something majestic about being at 38’000 feet and watching the sun come up as you fly over Europe westbound or pushing the throttles forward on something that weighs 650,000 pounds, getting up to about 160 mph and gently pulling back on the yoke and getting airborne. Best damn (and only) job I ever had.

Thank you for your service! What planes did you fly? Favorite one you've flown? Big aviation buff here....should have followed my passion when I was young but didn't. :(
 
After the last few days of drawing the short straw being the after hours supervisor for an essential business, I'd have done anything else. But it's usually pretty good. The money and ability to nearly make my own schedule is a nice perk but man what I'd give right this very second to not be on call.
 
Not sure I would change anything, career wise. Love the airline industry. Worked at three very different carriers, and would do it again to end up here at SWA.
 
A teacher in Naperville school district, really nice pensions

i lived in Naperville for 3 1/2 years. Kids went to Kennedy middle and Central HS
 
Thank you for your service! What planes did you fly? Favorite one you've flown? Big aviation buff here....should have followed my passion when I was young but didn't. :(

In order:

T37
T38
C130
MC130
HC130
B727
B757/767
A319/320
B777

I enjoyed flying the 727 the most. Not much automation and lots of hand flying. Could do 25 in a row the smoothest landings ever, and then out of the blue would clunk and bounce one in like it was my first ever landing. Am sure there a few dents in the runway at LaGuardia from my handywork. Plane was a challenge to fly, but fun.
Miss the camaraderie of flying in the military, and did enjoy flying the 130. But that’s a younger mans game. Would do a 6 month deployment with the same crew and they truly became my brothers. Don't miss the circus, but miss the clowns.
 
Probably not. Don't they say fate works in mysterious ways? The first 15 years I pretty hated my career in the insurance industry, but felt I had to stay for financial reasons. It seems I spent 14 of those 15 years seeking other opportunities. Then about 20 years ago made a decision to make a change and honestly couldn't be much happier with where I ended up. Love company and the people I work with now, and the vision shared.
 
B727
B757/767
A319/320
B777

UAL, I presume? The 757 is such a beast, performance wise. We ran them when I was at Ryan, and they could carry just about anything, anywhere.
 
UAL, I presume? The 757 is such a beast, performance wise. We ran them when I was at Ryan, and they could carry just about anything, anywhere.

yes, mother United. The 27 was a beast as well. During contract negotiations back in the day, we would fly them 18000’ against the barber pole and gs would be over 600mph. We would watch the fuel gauges move at an alarming pace. Lol
 
yes, mother United. The 27 was a beast as well. During contract negotiations back in the day, we would fly them 18000’ against the barber pole and gs would be over 600mph. We would watch the fuel gauges move at an alarming pace. Lol
UAL, I presume? The 757 is such a beast, performance wise. We ran them when I was at Ryan, and they could carry just about anything, anywhere.
Tomcat guy?
 
Yep - best job I've ever had was a side job.... I was the Public Address Announcer for a baseball team in SoCal. Loved every minute of it - got paid to watch baseball and talk about it. If I could go back in time, I'd research that path a bit more - and then add in a business degree of some sort.
It's interesting that this sub popped back up on my feed this morning. As I read through other THPers answers (which were awesome and detailed!) I began thinking about what my answer would be - totally forgetting that I had answered way back before the new year.

I went back and looked to see if I answered and goll darn it - it's the same exact answer!

I truly loved that Public Address job. I was lucky enough to live in the Palm Springs area for many years and baseball was a constant - as was golf but it wasn't golfing much back then unfortunately. We had college elite summer and winter programs playing all year long and it was amazing to be a part of that experience with up to 3000 fans at a game. Thinking back - it was an amazing experience and one that I'd love to repeat over and over and over.
 
Tomcat guy?

Nah, just my favorite fighter from back in the day. Only a whopping 60 flight hrs under my belt. :)

I'm dispatch side of things.
 
i don't regret what I do, but I would have been just as happy doing engineering or becoming a PA. Plus would be making more money as well haha
 
Nah, just my favorite fighter from back in the day. Only a whopping 60 flight hrs under my belt. :)

I'm dispatch side of things.

My wife's dad flew the Phantom-II in Vietnam and follwed that up with 33 years as a Northwest/Delta pilot. He loved his career and depending on your age you may know him as he was the longtime security chief for ALPA and fought very hard for the arming of pilots after 9/11.

 
I'm "only" 49, and didn't have any dealings with ALPA.

The Phantom is my 2nd favorite jet. :)
 
The older I get the more I focus on just trusting the story, rather than the past. That is hard for me since I am a "Why" guy.

I ended up where I am, because that is where I am supposed to be.

I have a great career that fits my unique talents and have 10 to 15 years till retirement.
 
My wife's dad flew the Phantom-II in Vietnam and follwed that up with 33 years as a Northwest/Delta pilot. He loved his career and depending on your age you may know him as he was the longtime security chief for ALPA and fought very hard for the arming of pilots after 9/11.

I still think it’s still amazing that the Navy guys were able to put that on the deck of a carrier. It’s a much bigger plane and footprint that one can image. Still a very cool jet.
 
Yes. But I don’t know what. I’m a few years shy of a partial retirement option at 20 years via a defined benefit pension plan and have thought about taking it to do something else.
 
Probably, does becoming a pro golfer suddenly become an option?
 
Game commission officer or game warden as they are called in some states. I am a big hunter and fishermen. Be nice to be out in nature everyday instead of behind a desk.
 
I still think it’s still amazing that the Navy guys were able to put that on the deck of a carrier. It’s a much bigger plane and footprint that one can image. Still a very cool jet.

My favorite Phantom quote " The Phantom proves that with enough thrust, even a brick can fly."
 
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