Pilot Resume Writing
Freshly minted commercial pilots in Canada often wonder what the next steps are. After all, they are now eligible to start earning money as a pilot in Canada. Building an aviation resume, or specifically a pilot resume, does not have to be a daunting task. If pilots follow some fairly simple steps, they can make their resumes stand out to aviation recruiters. Join us as we look into making that first aviation resume for a successful career as a pilot.
Objective
Let’s think about this. You are a Class 4 flight instructor and you are applying to a flight school because they posted a job looking for flight instructors. When you submit your resume, isn’t your objective obvious? We get it, you want a flying job as a pilot. You don’t need to waste our time telling us what your objective is. Even worse, don’t lie by telling the hiring manager you want to work with the company for the rest of your life.
If you are writing a general aviation resume and the objective is clear, unique, and appropriate to the job listing, then you may consider writing one. We feel that objectives are redundant and can be highlighted in a cover letter which would be submitted with your aviation resume.
Name and Personal Information
We once heard a “very reputable” Canadian professional pilot resume scammer recommended that a woman list her marital status at the top of her resume. This is shameful advice in our opinion. Don’t do that. Write your name at the top of the resume and make it clear and personal. You can write your telephone number and email, but don’t say “Phone – 416-555-5555” or “Email – random @ this domain.com.” We know what an email and phone number look like. Keep it short, keep it simple.
Accomplishments on a Pilot Resume
When creating a proper pilot resume, you have to highlight you aviation related accomplishments at the top of your resume. If you have a Commercial Pilot License, put it in bold at the top of your resume. If you have an airline transport pilot license, ATPL, make it known at the top of your resume.
Key points of information to include at the top of your resume are your total flight time (TT), multi-engine time, night time, and one of the most important, pilot-in-command time (PIC). Any additional qualifications or time on specific aircraft that would help you stand out would be important to write here. Turbine time, jet time, jet PIC time, etc., may be important to an aviation recruiter.
You may think it is important to write down every single airplane you have flown, like a Cessna 150, Cessna 172. Newsflash, with 220 hours of total time, I don’t care if you have 5.3 hours on a 150. You may also think it necessary to write that down that you have a Category 1 medical or a ROC-A radio certificate. To us, it is redundant information as you should be maintaining the validity period of your Category 1 medical anyways and you should have gotten your ROC-A before you went for your first solo. Our opinion, don’t write it down.
Instead, write down any additional aviation related examinations you may have written, courses that you have completed, or additional training that would make you stand out. This might be ATPL exams that are written, the IATRA exam written, crew resource management training, or a mountain course from our partners at the Calgary Flying Club. Be careful not to list qualifications that do not exist in the Canadian system. We’ve seen resumes where pilots list a “Mountain Rating,” “Class 4 Certified Flight Instructor,” or “Tailwheel Endorsements.” None of these exist in Canada and stating something like this is an easy way for your resume to end up in the trash.
I was sitting at the dispatch desk when the Chief Flying Instructor walked past me and spoke with some of the other flight instructors about a candidate who submitted a resume to the flying school. The CFI knew the other instructors were from the same school this candidate trained at and thought some of them may have known him. The CFI remarked that the candidate made a typo on their resume and wrote “Class VI Flight Instructor Rating” instead of “Class IV Flight Instructor Rating.” One misplaced Roman Numeral is what it took for this resume to get thrown into the trash.
But, I had overheard the commotion and laughter and instantly remembered that a friend of mine submitted his resume to our flying school not too long ago. After a quick chat with the CFI, it turns out that this resume belonged to my friend. The CFI kept his resume from the trash bin, interviewed, and eventually hired that friend.
Employment History
After listing the qualifications that make you stand out, you are free to list any relevant employment history or education. Depending on the job you seek and your qualifications, you may want to list education first and then employment history. In general, relevant employment history should show a proven track record of your dependability and consistency. Start with the most recent jobs and move into the past. Follow the normal resume protocol when listing your responsibilities and accomplishments with each employer.
Education
You could say where you did your flight training if you feel like it is absolutely relevant. We generally recommend reserving this space for post-secondary education and any special flight schools. Listing where you graduated high school and every mark you earned in every course is a waste of space and time. Don’t do it.
Extras on the Aviation Resume
As a new commercial pilot in the industry, you might be done here and have some space left over. You may choose to list additional information here to a maximum of one page. Additional training outside of aviation, unique personality traits, and relevant accomplishments may be listed here to take up some extra room. Are you a WSIB Certified Member? List it here. Do you have Business Administration Training? Write it down here. Fluent in other languages? Write it down.
Aviation References
If you have the space, write down your aviation references at the end of your one-page resume. A name, the position they hold, and a phone number is enough. If you don’t have space for references because you’ll go over a page, just omit them. We know that your references will be available upon request – no need to write it.
Final Thoughts
An aviation resume, specifically a pilot resume, should be one page, concise, accurate, not redundant, and should have you stand out from the other candidates. Keep it to one page, keep it professional, and ensure it is unique and relevant to the job posting you are applying for. Do not keep one generic resume that you send out to every employer. Learn about the culture of the company you want to work at and tailor your resume and cover letter to them. For example, does the northern bush operator flying a C206 really want to know how you worked on the Health and Safety Committee at your last job? It might be professional when applying to an aviation college, but may not important to a northern operator.
Additionally, do not pay for any scam professional pilot resume services. By this point, you have met a flight instructor or two, you likely know of some other pilots in the industry. Take resume building as a networking opportunity to ask your support circle what they think of your resume. You’ll get all kinds of feedback that is worth more than what you might pay one person to look it over. Best of all, your friends and mentors likely know you better than the online services, and they will help you for free.
Best of luck to you who are writing a resume for that first pilot job or for that new career. If there is anything you want to share, add, or comment on, please drop us a line.
How do I make a pilot resume?
Highlight your qualifications, type ratings, total time, and specialized time at the top of your resume. Then show your past employment with what you have accomplished with those employers. Highlight relevant education and additional traits.
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