On Making a Mid-Career Change

Just over a year ago, I made a major mid-career change—I stepped away from the hangar and put my tools down for the last time. After years of performing hands-on aircraft maintenance, I realized my definition of success was evolving. I wanted something different.

One fundamental truth about this profession is something I often share with anyone who will listen: Aviation, especially aircraft maintenance, offers the freedom to craft a career that aligns with your strengths and passions. The pay is generally good, the work is rewarding and creativity leads to endless opportunities.

That said, no one should feel stuck in a job that no longer fits their priorities, values, or passions. If your career isn’t feeding your vision for a meaningful life, then MAKE A CHANGE! Easier said than done, of course—but sometimes, it really is that simple.

The Importance of Self-Reflection

For me, the clarity to make a mid-career change came from honest self-reflection. Resolving to take inventory of my life priorities, I wrote them all down in order of importance. I asked myself questions like:

• What are the things that are most important to me at this time?
• What must I work on every day to feel successful?
• Where am I headed?
• What’s my vision for the future?  

Next to these questions and answers, I wrote another list—one that represented a snapshot of my life while I was working for a corporate flight department. Appreciating that time and energy are precious and limited resources, I asked myself these questions:

• What is consuming my energy and time?
• Where do I currently direct my thoughts, worry, physical energy, etc.
• How do I spend 24 hours in a day?

The results of this exercise were staggering. Not only did my two lists not have much in common, but they also often directly opposed and conflicted with each other. The job that I once loved was no longer serving me. In fact, it was pulling me away from the things that mattered most.

Confronting these hard truths on paper helped me realize that my previous role as a flight technician was not leading to success. At least not by my personal definition. I began to consider whether I could find a position within our industry that could utilize my skills and experience while also allowing me to re-prioritize time and energy.

A New Opportunity with API

During this season of reflection, I reconnected with Aviation Personnel International. For years, I had been an API Registered Professional, giving me access to exclusive corporate aircraft maintenance roles.

I’d always valued API’s personal touch. They took the time to truly understand me and matched me with opportunities that perfectly aligned with my vision for the next step in my career. At what felt like the perfect moment, they reached out and introduced a compelling, unadvertised maintenance role.

The timing was perfect. Just as that opportunity appeared, I also noticed an API job post. They planned to expand the team and wanted someone to join their small but energetic company. That posting sparked a deeper conversation and opened my eyes to new possibilities.

Fueled by courage—and a little extra borrowed from my wife—I made a bold move. I passed on the maintenance role and instead inquired about API’s Director of Client Services position.

I’m pretty sure I caught Sheryl and Jennifer off guard with my interest in becoming a recruiter, but they welcomed the conversation. After all, the 50-year-old company had never hired someone from the maintenance side of the business, making this a first.

After a few months of positive discussions, I officially applied to API. With the unwavering support of my wife and kids, I made the leap. API took one as well, and I’m so thankful they did.

Over the past year, I’ve discovered what it feels like when your path and purpose align with your true North—however you define it. I’ve fallen back in love with the maintenance community and feel more grateful than ever to be part of this industry.

Building Careers, Not Just Filling Jobs

These days, I spend my working time connecting with aviation professionals, endeavoring to understand the needs and desires of both individual contributors and flight department leadership. I’m doing my best to continue API’s legacy of creating long term career placements for our clients, while delivering on the promise to partner with our individual candidates as they navigate their career.

At API, we’re not only recruiters, but true partners and consultants. We travel often, meeting with flight departments to understand their needs and observe workplace culture. We actively participate in conferences, constantly networking and presenting content as industry thought leaders. At this point in my life, extending the ladder to help others level up is what feels like success.

The Shift to Remote Work

When not traveling, I work remotely from a home office. As a career mechanic, it was quite a transition, being that I have never worked in an office or from home before. It was a risky proposition; I wasn’t sure that I could succeed in this environment.

What I’ve learned is that work success flows naturally when your time and energy expenditures align with your life priorities. I can thrive at work because I am thriving at home. I am a better partner to my spouse and father to my kids because I’ve found an environment in our industry that affords human connection, schedule flexibility, freedom to create, and honors my humanity as a complete person.

The women that I work with at API are wonderful professionals. They’ve created a culture that supports me in all areas of life, compensating my work financially of course, but also in ways that are more important to my personal vision.

When I recreate my list writing exercise now, the results are quite different. The areas of life that I care about most are cultivated in order of priority. I am so proud to be an asset to my new work family, and it is a revitalizing feeling to serve a team that measures success the same way that I do.

Mid-Career Change: Taking a Chance on Change

My story is not a unique one. My API colleague, Christine Wetherell, has also reimagined her career at a time when her needs and desires were evolving. She pivoted from piloting, but did not give up on aviation.

“Career transitions are not easy,” Christine told me. “My decision to leave the flight deck was initially going to be temporary. When my children were babies, I wanted to be a hands-on mom. This was easy to do because there were many ways, as a pilot, I could add value in a nonflying role. Aircraft sales, charter management, and a director role with a Part 91 management company all provided these opportunities. Later, working as a recruiter with API added even more ways to stay connected to the industry. The most valuable experience was the people I met along the way. You never know what options are out there until you take a chance to explore.”

An Appreciation for Aircraft Maintenance

One thing that I’ve not lost sight of is that the aircraft maintenance industry has been exceptionally good to me. I can look back and remember times when I felt the highest highs, feeding my addiction to the sugary drug of victoriously troubleshooting a complex problem or the discovery of a hidden unsafe condition using flashlight and mirror.

Occasionally, the high is punctuated by the lowest lows, inadvertently causing damage or misdiagnosing a problem. I’ve wrestled with ethics, morality, safety and integrity. I’ve earned confidence, self-esteem, trust, and respect for the laws of science and physics.

At times I’ve had to learn about humility, sacrifice, and reliance on others. I’m forever grateful to have found a home in a profession that exposes such a full range of human experience and emotion. The richness of adventure is something that I try to convey to any inquisitive young person who is working towards or thinking about exploring a career in aviation.

Choose Your Own Adventure

What I love most about a career in maintenance is that it is a “choose your own adventure.” By design, an A&P certificate unlocks a vast landscape, providing infinite pathways to success. A fulfilling career awaits those who are technically gifted with tools in their hands, but also the intellectuals who embrace complex issues and solve problems creatively.

The thinkers, the doers, the leaders and the team builders all work together striving toward the ultimate goal: to uphold a flight operation’s moral high ground by maintaining airworthiness in the name of safety.

Our education and skills are in high demand, high enough that we have the freedom to define what success means to us individually. That type of freedom rewards those who boldly evolve their definition as they build a career chasing the dream.  

Final Thoughts

Exploring new directions and making a mid-career change can feel extremely risky, but the benefits can be life changing. I encourage you to routinely inventory your life priorities. Take the time to define the analytics around your success measurements. Risk is mitigated when the approach is thoughtful and purpose driven.

We’re truly blessed to have found a home in aviation, an industry that begs you to explore and re-invent yourself. Amazing discoveries can be seen beyond the confines of your current career trajectory. Be bold and creative, your future self is cheering you on.