Groundhog Day to Pilot

Pentagon Press Room to Pilot : Career Change from Journalism : Careerfinder Program

From “Groundhog Day” to Pilot and Flight Instructor

February 2010

Anthony:

You probably won’t remember me, as it has been almost a decade. I was managing the press briefing room at the Pentagon and knew there had to be more to life and to me than I was experiencing. I took your course and got the results. You told me I had the perfect skill set to be a pilot.

It took five years, but I left the Pentagon in 2005, took the proceeds from the sale of my house, and moved to South Carolina. Got my commercial pilot license, followed by certificated flight instructor. You were right. I was a duck trying to be a squirrel at the Pentagon, but am loving life as a pilot. Completely cut out for this in terms of abilities, personality type, Tribal vs Maestro, introversion vs extroversion. Perfect fit.

For so many years of living the movie Groundhog Day, I knew there had to be more to life than commuting two hours each way to the Pentagon and working a job in which I had hit the career ceiling. It gnawed at me day and night. I was going to get old really quickly and live the same day every day until I retired. No thanks. I took a lot of risks, but they turned out to be worth it.

The results: I’ll be flying a client tomorrow to New Orleans (Mardi Gras), then Miami Saturday, Atlanta Monday, and then will spend four days in the Bahamas flying another client next week.

You did more for me than you can possibly imagine! Everything you told me was right on the money. I am truly happy doing what I love, and never dreamed there would be such freedom. It has taken me all this time to get back with you, but I thank you for all you did to point me in this direction.

All the best,

Bob