How to Properly Apply for a Pilot Job
By Steve Alsobrook
This was originally posted in our Jump Pilot group on Facebook. Occasionally I will post a statement or conversation from one of our social media pages or groups here that I think will help some of our readers.
One of our contributors Steve Alsobrook has been a pilot for 50 years. He started his flying career as a Jump Pilot for the Auburn University Skydiving Club in the 1980s at Tuskegee airport. He then went on to be a Corporate and Fractional pilot, attaining many Type Ratings including BE400, CE-500, CE-680, LR-Jet, LR-60 and ATR 42/72. Steve will be ending his flying career the way it started, flying skydivers. He is currently the Chief Pilot for Skydive Key West in the Lower Florida Keys.
I am a crusty old guy that’s been around the block a few times and I’d like to pass on a little advice to up and coming pilots.
We receive inquiries from pilots often inquiring about job openings, which is great! However, most don’t seem to know how to properly ask about a job or write a resume. We get things like “ Hey I am a pilot, y’all hiring?” No resume, no information about qualifications.
Then, we get resumes that don’t focus on aviation experience. Looking at the resume, you can’t tell if they are applying for a truck driver job or a car parts salesman.
These are some general guidelines.
Please, develop an aviation oriented resume! State the job you are pursuing near the top, just after your full contact information. Then list the aircraft you have flown. List all your hours. Show how you got those hours.
List all flight schools and flight training you have received and dates you received training. Any education you have received such as high school or college is generally appropriate.
Don’t include inappropriate personal information, such as, “In my spare time I enjoy sampling beers from around the world“. Please use some common sense in this department.
Early on in my flying career I found a professional aviation resume I liked and used it and expanded on it as the years went by. I encourage you to do the same. I have about 50 years of aviation experience, many years working in flight department management. I started my career flying skydivers and that’s the way I am finishing it up.
One day back in the 1980s I was flying skydivers at a small dropzone. A corporate Falcon Jet landed at our field. The Captain graciously gave me a tour of the plane. I told him it was really awesome!
He said, "To me, flying for a living is one of the finest professions someone can have“
It was certainly true for me.
Good Luck to you all!
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