Resume Building

[justwanttofly]

Hello,

I have around 900 hours and am looking for ways to build up my resume to get noticed by operators. Below is a list of things I have completed to date:

- ATPL written exams
- First Aid/CPR/AED
- Dangerous goods/WHMIS
- Second language (self study)

Any other ideas to add to my list would be greatly appreciated.

[aviatrix444]

Oh goodness. So many possibilities. Aerobatics training, advanced spin and upset recovery, tail wheel check out (demonstrates good hands and feet)

If you're not looking to spend any money, teach ground school to cadets, or become actively involved in some other volunteer organization. I've had a few CP's comment about my amount of volunteer work, so it does get noticed.

[awitzke]

ATPL's would be good.. The other three, sure wouldn't hurt but that's not going to be the thing that gets you a job. Work on networking instead of trying to make a WOW resume. A lot of jobs end up going to the guy someone knows and vouches for them.

[justwanttofly]

I have completed the ATPL exams but haven't seen a difference in the responses received. Another hurdle is that I have low multi time and operational experience. Should I be seeking out dispatch/ramp positions? How can I be competitive with all of the people recently laid off that have type ratings, multi time, and operational experience?

Volunteering and networking are great ideas. What is the best way to network in this industry?

[awitzke]

I hear Georgian is desperate for 1900 FO's.

Best way to network, find out who in your circle is a pilot or knows one. You'd be surprised if you looked into it. I had a number of friends who's parents were pilots and I had no idea. Get introduced, ask if they wouldn't mind meeting for a beer/coffee and give you some advice. That will usually turn into "you know, I know so and so who worked at XYX, let me give them a call and see if they might know of a job." Before you know it you'll have met a bunch of people and have a few interviews. At least that's how it was fortunate enough to happen for me.

[IWANTTOFLYYIN]

I have completed the ATPL exams but haven't seen a difference in the responses received. Another hurdle is that I have low multi time and operational experience. Should I be seeking out dispatch/ramp positions? How can I be competitive with all of the people recently laid off that have type ratings, multi time, and operational experience?

Volunteering and networking are great ideas. What is the best way to network in this industry?

For the love of God man, don't do that. You have 900 hours. Don't set your goals low.

[xsbank]

I don't want this to be self-serving but are you sure that your resume is well-written, concise and free of bs? Do you have a good cover letter?

Are you conscientious, contacting as many operators as you can? Doing follow-ups? As the previous posters suggested, networking? This can be a tedious process and will hurt your ego and might take a while. Start targeting the companies that have the best prospects, like Joe's Flying Service, not Air Canada. The lodges will start hiring any day now as they plan ahead. Might be time to start planning a road trip, get your vehicle ready and get a kit together such that if you get offered something you can start right away.

[Confliction]

Focus right down to companies that operate where people generally don't like to live. I focused on Fort Simpson and ended up working there. I had about 925 hours when hired.

[justwanttofly]

I will put out some feelers to see if I can extent my network. The majority of the people I know are searching for jobs as well. With that said, I don't know how much help they will be since they are competing for the same jobs.

I am not against working my way up or putting in my time at a company. I brought up seeking dispatch/ramp jobs because the feedback I received was I am short on multi time or the company promotes from within.

I have received (much appreciated) help writing my cover and resume. I've sent applications to essentially every company in Canada with follow-ups after each. I am on my fourth round/spruce-up and plan to send it out early 2016. If that doesn't land a job, and my finances allow, I will head out on a road trip.

[Tylerjohnston]

Save yourself the hassle, and pay Xsbank his fee if you want your resume even read. It's worked for me.

Hands down, would recommend him to anyone looking for resume services.

[awitzke]

I will put out some feelers to see if I can extent my network. The majority of the people I know are searching for jobs as well. With that said, I don't know how much help they will be since they are competing for the same jobs.

I am not against working my way up or putting in my time at a company. I brought up seeking dispatch/ramp jobs because the feedback I received was I am short on multi time or the company promotes from within.

I have received (much appreciated) help writing my cover and resume. I've sent applications to essentially every company in Canada with follow-ups after each. I am on my fourth round/spruce-up and plan to send it out early 2016. If that doesn't land a job, and my finances allow, I will head out on a road trip.

You need to find more friends/aquantances that are where you want to be, not where you are (IE; other guys looking for jobs).

As for "working the ramp", I was fortunate enough to find a multi gig at 230 hours. I'm quite confident that with your time you should be able to land a flying job. Multi time, no multi time, it shouldn't matter. You are qualified to get into a Navajo or even a King Air with your time. If you have a multi IFR license, you're qualified. Don't let anyone else tell you otherwise.

Send XSBank your resume and have him go over it. He did mine and I'm very happy he did. It's been through a few reiterations since, but having the version he made me was great to add to and slightly adapt for the specific jobs I was applying to.

A road trip should be your first choice, not your last if money allows. Cut out the Starbucks for a while (or whatever you "vice" might be.. eating out?) and save until spring. Head out in March/April which is typically hiring season and you should be able to find work. I did a 6 week road trip on under $1500, gas.. food.. the odd hotel (slept in my car).

Keep following up until you can get to places in person. Then when you arrive they already have an idea who you are. Don't over do it though to the point where they might see you as a nuisance. I found meeting in person was the best. Allows you a chance to sell yourself, even if it's a quick handshake and a 5 minute conversation with the CP. First impressions go a long way.

[justwanttofly]

Thanks for the reply awitzke!

I do have a MIFR and the ATPLs written but don't seem to know the right people. Looks like I'll have to change that and head out on the road this spring. Any tricks or tips would be appreciated.

[awitzke]

Show up dressed for the job you're applying for. IE; bush job, jeans boots etc. IFR job, slacks, button up shirt. You get the picture

Push to see the CP. Don't leave your resume with the "front desk/dispatch" it may get binned. A lot of dispatch are guys might be working there waiting to go flt line so you're just competition for them. So you never know if they might not even pass it along.

Stop at every airport you can, no operator too small. You never know when you drop into a small place that CP might know of someone hiring and thus, forward you to them. That's how I got one of my 3 flying job offers on my road trip (not including ramp job offers). Apply for the jobs you want not the ones you're qualified for. While I didn't get the job, a CP took the time to sit down with me for a King Air 350 job that I was severely under qualified for. In the interview we both agreed that it was probably not the best job for me at the time I was at in my career (300hrs/yr etc, would take forver to go left) but they encouraged me to recontact them when I had my ATPL. You never know who you'll meet along the way and a lot of the times people are awesome and happy to help a pilot find a job.

Lastly, remember CP's and Ops mans are all just regular people. Don't place them too high on a pedestal. When you interview treat it like any other meeting.

[Rowdy]

Three things you should have/be doing/etc to help out...

1) A well written CV and polished resume (have someone with specific aviation knowledge do yours.. hint: xsbank) Tailor it to the position you are after.If not, at the very least, have someone with a working knowledge of the english language proofread it to catch any oopsies..
2) GOOD REFERENCES@! AVIATION RELATED! I can't tell you how many I've seen that had their gr 12 teacher or neighbour or a local rcmp friend.. That will NOT HELP you.. especially if you have more than 500hrs and have worked previously in the industry. Most airlines now require 3, THREE, thats THREE from operators you worked for, and they have to be from managers you directly reported to. Not just a dispatcher or training pilot. But some even spell it out *chief pilot *ops manager *director of training *base manager etc. If you don't have a ref from a current employer, be prepared to have a good answer as to why. This is a great way for them to ensure you haven't burned bridges or been a giant PITA. I know many that haven't been considered after one look at their references. Also, put them on your resume. I was asked in not one but two interviews a few moons back as to why I had left it with 'available on request'. Whoops! Live and learn. At the time, i was just trying to keep mine short… lesson learned
3) Target the employers you want to work for. At the very least follow up. Especially if you've e-mailed or applied online. A simple e-mail/phone call should work.

I know many say 'get out there and meet CP's and pound the pavement'. While this can be good, many will also be none too pleased if you show up at their dispatch or check in counters asking to see their very busy CP etc. Know who you're talking to, show up prepared. Make damn sure it's not going to hurt you. I've worked for three that would round bin file your resume for the above! I know that sounds harsh, but it happens. I've seen many interesting attempts over the years. USUALLY the best bet is to have a friend working there give you a tour and 'bump' into the CP/ops etc.

Goodluck! With that time, you shouldn't struggle too much

[justwanttofly]

I can imagine the CP is busy and it would be hard to see them in person if you just show up. I've had little success being able to get them on the phone, or reply to my follow-ups. Hopefully a fellow pilot would have more integrity than to bin my resume instead passing it to the CP; however, I see your point.

That's impressive to get three offers on your trip. I don't think I will be able to do as extensive of a trip, but hope I can be as successful. My trip will likely be sooner than later since my wife can't figure out why after sending over 100 resumes I have nothing lined up. Due to a couple of layoffs this year I've been looking for work over the past few months.

Thank you Rowdy - I hope you are right! I have excellent references, but was told to never include them on a resume. The reason is that you want to make sure your references are expecting a call.

Which part of the country is best to road trip if you are on a limited budget?

[xsbank]

I completely disagree about references. Many employers will call a reference before they call you to see if you are worth putting any effort into. Your references should be primed to expect a call from any prospective employee.

NOT including references might infer that you don't have any, haven't lined any up or are hiding some problem. All the people who have been hired with one of my resumes have displayed their references.

Think of the process - a prospective employer has to give you a de facto phone interview (or start an email correspondence) in order to pry your reference's coordinates from you. That could be informal, unstructured and might be what pooches your chances if you don't handle it well. If your references are all drinking buddies, you may not get past the resume stage. If they just happen to be the CP of Air Canada or Westjet, your chances just got much better. Don't ever lose sight of the fact that this is a contest, a competition; that you are competing against many others who want you to screw something up so that they can get that job.

Hiding their names until asked makes no sense at all.

A huge caveat, though; publishing their names on a public internet forum, with coordinates, might be a huge insult. You better make darn sure your references are OK with that.

[NickyNick]

Are you sure about that? Have you applied?

I've applied with 4000+ hours mostly BE20 PIC and no reply. Hard to believe they are desperate !

[quote="awitzke"]I hear Georgian is desperate for 1900 FO's.
quote]

[SuperchargedRS]

I completely disagree about references. Many employers will call a reference before they call you to see if you are worth putting any effort into. Your references should be primed to expect a call from any prospective employee.

NOT including references might infer that you don't have any, haven't lined any up or are hiding some problem. All the people who have been hired with one of my resumes have displayed their references.

Think of the process - a prospective employer has to give you a de facto phone interview (or start an email correspondence) in order to pry your reference's coordinates from you. That could be informal, unstructured and might be what pooches your chances if you don't handle it well. If your references are all drinking buddies, you may not get past the resume stage. If they just happen to be the CP of Air Canada or Westjet, your chances just got much better. Don't ever lose sight of the fact that this is a contest, a competition; that you are competing against many others who want you to screw something up so that they can get that job.

Hiding their names until asked makes no sense at all.

A huge caveat, though; publishing their names on a public internet forum, with coordinates, might be a huge insult. You better make darn sure your references are OK with that.

I never put references in my resume, I've never had a problem getting a job, actually used your resume template to write my resume as a fresh CPL and have kept the same format all the way to now as a 4k hr ATP.

As for the references, it's a stupid practice, obviously unless you're intelligent enough to operate a fuel nozzle, you're smart enough to put folks on your CV who will give you a good recommendation, but hey it's expected to c'est la vie. I just let a potential employer as for references or give me their official application where I list them, I just don't want my CV sitting in some cabinet, or in some email account with my friends/colleagues names and numbers on it.

[garfield]

That's an interesting debate. Should you put your references directly on your resume?

[cdnpilot77]

you're smart enough to put folks on your CV who will give you a good recommendation

You'd be surprised. While I haven't had any people give me illegally negative references for someone, silence or refusal to answer questions speaks volumes. If you aren't sure if they are going to give you a strong reference, don't have them as a reference, period.

You need to SPEAK (not email) directly and pointedly with your potential references and ask them if they will give you a good one! If they won't or are hesitant, ask why and what you need to work on. Either it's a character flaw or a personal conflict, either way you can improve upon yourself or know not to use them as a reference. Lastly, like someone said above, don't blast their names and contact numbers all over a public forum, have some tact!

As for putting references on or off resume, well, tailor it to who you are applying too. Just like your cover. Take the time and research the companies. This is after all your career you're going after, not to become a sandwich artist.

If it's a mom and pop shop where your best friend used to fly and did well, then put it on. But be damn sure he was liked by the owner too. If it's a larger faceless corporation with a big HR department, not quite as critical as they likely have a formal process and will ask for them if/when they need them.

[xsbank]

"As for putting references on or off resume, well, tailor it to who you are applying too. Just like your cover. Take the time and research the companies."

I agree about researching the companies but I disagree with all the rest. Interesting!

[cdnpilot77]

That is interesting indeed and about the only thing we disagree on with regards to a resume. I don't subscribe to a one size fits all policy in structure. When I was job hunting, I tried with both references on and off and I found it was fairly even for replies I got.

At least 1 job I got with references on and called before they called me, 1 with references on but never called, and 2 without references and asked to provide them afterwards, the others I can't remember off the top of my head.

[awitzke]

I can imagine the CP is busy and it would be hard to see them in person if you just show up. I've had little success being able to get them on the phone, or reply to my follow-ups. Hopefully a fellow pilot would have more integrity than to bin my resume instead passing it to the CP; however, I see your point.

That's impressive to get three offers on your trip. I don't think I will be able to do as extensive of a trip, but hope I can be as successful. My trip will likely be sooner than later since my wife can't figure out why after sending over 100 resumes I have nothing lined up. Due to a couple of layoffs this year I've been looking for work over the past few months.

Thank you Rowdy - I hope you are right! I have excellent references, but was told to never include them on a resume. The reason is that you want to make sure your references are expecting a call.

Which part of the country is best to road trip if you are on a limited budget?

CP's will always take time to at least meet you if you're well presented and say you're on a road trip. If you have to wait a few hours, do so. It shows drive and persistence which bodes well for someone looking for a job. I got a lot of good feedback when they heard I hit the road to find a job vs. just email blasting everyone with a resume every 3 days. My trip was over six weeks but only about one month worth of actual meeting people. I could have done it in much less but I took my time to visit friends along the way as well and meet a few AVCanad'rs

Your question should be What part of the country is best to find a job? IMO that would be Sask/Man/NWOnt through to Tbay. Hit up every operator you can in a week or two. Use Pilot Career Center to look up all the operators you can. Also, use the Civil Aviation Database and search for commercial operators for planes you can fly. Cessnas, Piper Twins, King Airs etc.

Good luck.