Do you have any advice for a guy looking to leave the Air Force and get into the aerospace industry? I have experience flying your KC-135 airframe and the General Atomics’ MQ-1. I’ll have an MBA with financial emphasis at the end of the year and my undergrad was in Aviation Technology. I’d really like to work both on the operational side (as I still enjoy the flying) and on the corporate financial side if at all possible. I really think I can bring a lot to the table, especially on the development of UAV technology, but am looking for some realistic feedback. Whatever the case, I am seeking to leave the military when my commitment is up in the next few years.
As always, comments and advice from anyone are welcome,
Steve
Answers
Join the AIAA, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics and network that way. There's also a conference called: DASC at www.dasconline.org with the IEEE, Digital Avionics Systems Conference. You could network there.
Hi Steve;
What I'm hearing here is an interest in three very different career areas: flying, corporate finance, and UAV operations. Hiring managers are interested in the qualifications you have for the position they are trying to fill. Anything outside of that might be a "nice to have" extra, but that will not get you hired. They might also see a candidate who isn't quite sure himself what he wants to do (straight into the circular file).
Industry is much more pigeonholed than most people realize. From my own experience, almost all technical managers come up through the engineering ranks, and maybe received an MBA along the way. Those with a business background go into the "upstairs" positions.
It seems to me that your strength is the MBA, with some credentials in the aviation industry. So my advice would be to focus on those types of positions, or make the tough decisions on what career you want to have. I would also suggest opening up your search area beyond just the aviation industry. It's no secret that good jobs are tough to come by. And BTW, I don't work for Boeing, but another contractor in the Charleston area, so I can't address anything they might be looking for.
Hope this helps and best of luck,
Tom
Hi Stephen,
In addition to posting your question, you can also individually message Advisors who specifically work for Boeing.
This link will show you Boeing Advisors who have opted in to receive private messages from Veterans looking for further advice: https://acp-advisornet.org/community?user_group_id=companies&expertise_id=&zip_code=10017&company=Boeing&company_submit=Find
You can look through these Advisors' profiles and message those who you think could offer relevant guidance.
Best of luck,
Ali
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