Power

At the touch of a button, fighter pilots have the ability to operate machinery that costs tens of millions of dollars, to travel at supersonic speeds, and to fire some of the most sophisticated weaponry ever created. And then there's the flying. Pilots fly. Up in the air, like an eagle, or a hawk, or a superhero (and those things are all awesome).

We're not sure exactly what scale you're using to base this on, but we consider being a fighter pilot one of the most powerful careers imaginable—unless you're not a huge fan of the military command structure. Then power might be a bit of an issue, especially at the beginning of your career.

You might be free as a bird while you're high in the sky, but you better follow orders, not log any unapproved hours, and definitely avoid firing upon any unsuspecting civilians. Your sorry behind will be demoted to potato-peeling duty (or even kicked out) faster than you can sing "I Love You Baby" to a stranger while on shore leave. 

We wouldn't recommend joining the military if all you want to do is fly a plane. You should only join the military because you want to join the military. Otherwise you might as well get a job flying a two-seater for a skydiving company.

So once you've retired from fighting in the skies, is that the end of your power? Not in the slightest: turns out, all of that discipline, structure, and leadership you built during your time flying planes makes you a great candidate for public office. From former Senator John Glenn to ex-President George H. W. Bush (the first one) to dozens of others, fighter pilot training makes you a natural fit for civil leadership.

Whether it makes you any good at it is another question entirely.