John Warren
When I left school I actually started a university degree but left after my first year to pursue a dream of becoming an airline pilot.
When I left school I actually started a university degree but left after my first year to pursue a dream of becoming an airline pilot. After 2 years I gained my pilot’s license and I have now been working for my current airline for almost 12 years. While I am very happy with my career to date, I have always felt that I had unfinished business with regards to gaining a third level degree.
When my airline notified me in 2020 of an opportunity to use my experience in the aviation industry as RPL towards a BA hons degree in International Business, I decided to grab it with both hands. I knew that a third level degree would have the potential to open doors for me in the future, not only by progressing my career as a pilot in other areas such as the training or safety departments, but it would also create opportunities outside of the industry. With the downturn in flying and uncertainty due to the pandemic, I felt that it was the perfect time to commence the course. I knew some colleagues that were part of the previous year’s course and they all had very positive feedback. This encouraged me to go ahead with the application to MTU in August 2020.
If you have the desire to achieve a third-level degree and are debating whether or not RPL is for you, I would say: don’t hesitate! RPL is a great way to combine your prior learning experience with studying towards a degree, all while maintaining full-time work.
I believe I have learned a lot from entering higher education. Not only has it given me a firm foundation in how the business world works, but it has also taught me to be more structured and organized, both professionally and personally. It has also given me the confidence to pitch and present ideas to an audience, something I was never comfortable with before.
