STOP BEING LAZY

 One unfortunate reality that we face regularly as career advisors is that the most limiting aspect to a candidate's chances at success is the candidate themself. There are countless things you can be doing to set yourself up for success in your flying career, yet many candidates find themselves very comfortable in their current seat/job etc. There is nothing wrong with being comfortable where you are, as long as you want to remain where you are. If you have dreams of being hired at a regional or major airline in the future, put the work in now so you can reap the benefits of your efforts for years to come. Seniority is everything!

PUT YOURSELF OUT THERE!

If you are a pilot looking for a job (or will be looking for a job in the future), you have to put yourself out there so others know you are a pilot with experience. The easiest way to begin putting yourself out there is to create a LinkedIn ® profile and start connecting with other pilots and recruiters. There are many people who have landed a pilot job directly from connections they have made through LinkedIn. It is never too early to brand and market yourself this way. Start today!

Take a "shotgun approach" to applying for jobs. APPLY EVERYWHERE. Put your applications in with all the regionals or majors and keep them updated! Seniority is everything and you want the call to come sooner rather than later.

Go to job fairs! There are many events throughout the year where you can meet face to face with recruiters from essentially every airline in the country. This could be the difference maker in being hired somewhere. Meet and talk with every recruiter you can. That's what these events are for! 

NETWORK. NETWORK. NETWORK.

The aviation industry is a small community. While there are hundreds of thousands of pilots out there, it always seems like each has a mutual acquaintance with another. Simply networking and meeting others can be all it takes for you to make the right connections and land your dream job. Whether you meet someone through LinkedIn, your current job, or something as random as meeting on a golf course, you can never know where you will meet someone in aviation who could help you progress in your career.

So where do you network with aviation professionals? We have already mentioned LinkedIn and job fairs, but these are just the simplest ways. We encourage you to consider local organizations around your area and become involved. National organizations, such as NGPA, have local chapters that host networking events with the sole purpose of meeting others. Social media has a large aviation community with members who are eager to meet others. Join aviation-related Facebook groups and make friends in your free time. These are the absolute best ways to meet other like-minded individuals who can become a part of your network and who may possibly become lifelong friends. Look around and you'll be shocked at how many networking opportunities you can find.

While we wish we didn't have to say this, we have seen too many people make the same mistake. You never know who you are going to meet or with whom you may be talking. Always comport yourself professionally and treat others with respect. Someone who you might not think is important may have a strong connection with a company on your radar. Make the right impression and you increase your chances of getting that job. Make a bad impression, and you could tank your chances.

DRESS LIKE A PROFESSIONAL

As times have changed, so has our standard of dress. However, business casual is NOT an acceptable style of dress when meeting recruiters at jobs fairs, and definitively not at your next airline interview. Airlines have entire documents that outline their specific uniform standards. They hold their pilots to these standards and even discipline them when they aren't dressed in accordance with the standards. Why would a candidate think they can dress to a lower standard than that demanded by the job for which they are applying? This is an avoidable mistake that can cause you to have to dig yourself out of a hole you’ve made from the start when you meet with an airline.

In addition to dress standards, airlines also have grooming standards for hair style and facial hair. While your current job may not care about your beard or long hair (for men), airlines do. Please do not show up with long and/or unkempt hair or with a beard when you meet with a recruiter. For men, either be clean shaven or have a well-groomed mustache that doesn't extend beyond the top lip line, and ensure your hair is neatly combed. For women, long hair is acceptable provided it is an appropriately professional style.

Dressing professionally is a simple yet highly effective solution for making the best impression. As the adage goes; dress for the job you want, not the job you have.

HAVE ALL OF YOUR DOCUMENTS PREPARED EARLY!

Once you have completed all the above steps and you have received the opportunity to interview with an airline, we want you to be able to focus solely on preparing for your interview. This is not the time to start preparing your résumé, searching for your transcripts, putting your logbook together, or having second thoughts about your answers to the application. If there is a document that you know they will need, have it in your possession already. The earlier you can accept an interview date, the earlier you can be assigned a class date once you receive a CJO. Timing is everything and the only thing that matters becomes the day you are hired.

If you have questions about your résumé or application, have these things reviewed now rather than later. A simple application and/or résumé review could help keep you from stressing prior to your interview and land that multi-million-dollar career.