Joshua Cowan
GE Aviation
Lafayette, IN USA
"You just need to understand that you’re not always going to jump straight to the top; you’ve got to realize it takes hard work sometimes. It’s possible—you’ve just gotta look around."
Career Roadmap
Joshua's work combines: Engineering, Technology, and Working with Others
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Day In The Life
Skills &
Education
Advice for getting started
I had a dream of being a pilot, but not wanting to go to school right away disqualified me. I figured going into the military would help me figure out if I really wanted to do that and, if so, my GI bill would help pay for school so I could do it. Once I discovered aviation mechanics, I fell in love with it and decided to pursue that instead.
Here's the path I took:
High School
Here's the path I recommend for someone who wants to be an Aircraft Mechanics and Service Technicians:
High School
Certification: Airframe Mechanics and Aircraft Maintenance Technology/Technician
Certification: Aircraft Powerplant Technology/Technician
Learn more about different paths to this career
Life & Career Milestones
My path in life took a while to figure out
1.
After graduating high school, he decided he didn’t want to go to college, so he joined the military instead.
2.
Had a lifelong dream of becoming a pilot, but without going to school, he didn’t qualify—he decided to do the next best thing and become an aviation mechanic to ensure pilots were safe.
3.
Worked in aviation in the Marine Corps for five years—says he didn’t join the military with the intention of making that his career, he wanted special skills that only the military could give him.
4.
When he got out of the military, he had a difficult time finding aviation work in Indiana, so he worked for Eli Lilly and Company manufacturing insulin.
5.
Working at Eli Lilly was a shocking change of pace for him because he was inside all of the time and working terrible hours—says he spent the majority of his break time searching for other jobs.
6.
He heard on the news that GE Aviation was opening a plant in Indiana and, on a whim, he applied and got the job.
7.
Says the hardest part of transitioning out of the military and into civilian life was going from occupying a leadership role to being a “low man on the totem pole”.
8.
For him, the best part of living and working in Indiana, is the “small-town city life” vibe.
Defining Moments
How I responded to discouragement
THE NOISE
Messages from Peers:
How are you going to be a pilot if you don't go to school?
How I responded:
I had a dream of being a pilot, but not wanting to go to school right away disqualified me. I figured going into the military would help me figure out if I really wanted to do that and, if so, my GI bill would help pay for school so I could do it. Once I discovered aviation mechanics, I fell in love with it and decided to pursue that instead.
Experiences and challenges that shaped me
When I got out of the military, there weren't any aviation jobs available, so I had to pursue a different industry for a while.