Got a 9-5 job offer, but torn it’ll pull me away from flying. How did you do it?

Hey all,

A bit of context. I’m currently 22 and spent the last four years flight training while also getting a bachelor's in finance (my calendar was a crime scene). My plan was to always fly 135 or go to the Airlines and have a degree as just a backup. I now have my CPL with a multi-engine rating and close to 500 hours, and I was just starting to work on getting my CFI when I got offered a six-figure job in finance at a great company. 

I’m extremely grateful to have this opportunity and I know how incredibly lucky I am. But I’d be lying if I said it didn’t leave me a little torn. Flying has always been my childhood dream, and my biggest fear is that a 9-5 slowly turns into golden handcuffs, and I wake up at 30 wishing I had just stuck with getting my hours. Or not being able to make the jump back to aviation because of the job market or the oversupply of pilots in the coming years. 

My rough plan is to take the job, keep building hours and network on the side, and have a solid cushion so I can make the jump back one day.

Those who worked a 9-5 while finishing CFI and instructing? How was it balancing work and Flying?

If you made the jump later to a flying job, How did you do it, and how did it go? Did a career outside aviation help or hurt?

Anything else you would do differently?

Thank you so much in advance! Any advice, stories, words of wisdom, and “here’s what I would do” are all hugely appreciated. Happy Flying!


TLDR: Got a 6-figure job offer out of college, feels like it's the end of flying dreams. How to still fly professionally?

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