What it is like to be in Aviation or a Doctor?

Jessalyn,

As Kim answered, Aviation and Doctor are both huge fields with many diverse options. Airports and hospitals have very many positions with different requirements that serve different purposes. A doctor will require a lot more schooling.

I work in aircraft maintenance, and I love my job. Sometimes I think of myself as an airplane doctor. If I make a mistake, just like a Doctor, I can severely affect someone's life. You can get your Federal Aircraft Maintenance Technician license with 30 months of training, but the learning never stops. As technology advances, we have to keep up. Everyone I work with loves aircraft and all things mechanical. You have to be very detail oriented, and there is a lot of pressure to get things done, but you always have to focus on quality and safety. Most of the time, its a thankless job, if you do your job right, no one will even know you were there. Many times when the plane lands, people clap for the pilot, you never see the technician that spent all night to make sure that when you push a button, the engines start and everything happens as it should. But, there is something infinitely rewarding about watching your airplane taking off and completing its mission. My pilot friends love their jobs as well, and there is nothing else we would rather do for a living. Pilots deal with a lot of stress as well, after all you can't just pull off on the next cloud when something goes wrong.

My parents wanted me to be a Doctor, but I hate hospitals and can't stand the sight of blood and injuries or suffering people. But every Doctor I have ever met, loves their job. My nephew always wanted to be in the military, but due to his asthma, the military did not want him. Quiet by accident he stumbled into an internship in a hospital, next thing I knew he enrolled into a school and is now a nurse and loving every minute of it.

You have to find something that fits you. Ask yourself "what do you like to do?" "What are your interests?" "What are you good at?". Hopefully the answers will point you in the right direction. Remember not to judge yourself by the success of others, just because something worked for them, does not mean that it will work for you. Do some research and don't be afraid to try different things. Keep in mind that "Sometimes you choose a career, and sometimes the career chooses you". You have a lot of choices, but only you will know what is going to make you happy.

Good luck!

Jessalyn,

Aviation is a very broad field. Just a few of the many positions:

Airlines: Pilots, flight attendants, operations (they coordinate things on the ground, like bad weather diversions, etc); ramp agent (baggage handlers, pushing plane away for takeoff, giving hand signals to pilots); gate agent (for aircraft boarding); baggage claim (lost bags); ticket counter, skycap/porter; mechanics; call center customer service positions for reservations

Support:Independent companies, handle things like refueling aircraft, avionics (electronic equipment)

other: Terminal operations and maintenance, runway maintenance/inspections (airport operations), air traffic controllers.

All of these many companies would of course have management positions, human resource departments, warehouses, supply, contracts/purchasing/ and legal staff.

I was a police officer at an airport, operated by a municipality. I liked the job because it was always different every day! I think the biggest call I ever handled was when a plane diverted to our airport because it had hit turbulence and 22 people on the plane were injured! I had to coordinate getting the ambulances on and off the airfield to the aircraft, get everyone's names, and make sure their personal belongings went with them. Another time a whole bunch of planes from another city were diverted to our airport because of bad weather at the original destination. The weather never cleared up, so the people had to get off at our airport. It was 3 a.m. in the morning, and not a lot of employees were around to help this go smoothly. It was 2200 people getting off all those planes. They needing lodging and transportation to get there! Of course, there are boring times too, but it is the unexpected that makes it so exciting!