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Resume Do's and Dont's


verticalAir

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I remember from another thread about after you submit the resume. Whatever phone number you put on there for them to contact you at, make sure you have on that phone number a professional voice mail message and no ring back tones. Just leave it as a regular phone ring.

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There are a number of things.

 

1: Ask a friend to look over your resume. They may find something you over looked.

2: Keep it one page not including the cover letter.

3: Break down your flight time.

4: No pictures of yourself.

5: Consider making a new e-mail address that is professional. Mine for example, JasonDykstra@yahoo.com

6: Make sure your phone number, address are all correct

7: Proper spelling, grammar is a must, have someone else look it over

8: It sould contain: Objective, flight time, education and last several employers(hopefuly you stayed at least a year with them) If not, be ready to explain why you didn't.

 

If I think of more, I will add it. This should get things started.

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Do put a breakdown of flight hours by type. Seems obvious but an employer told me he regularly gets resumes without it.

 

I disagree with that. I have been on both sides of the desk. You should break down your flight time to a degree that employers can see your real experience level. Not just Total Time and PIC. Include Night, Cross Country, Actual Instrument, Simulated Instrument, Simulator, Turbine, etc. Time by type break down is really unimportant, except if you have time in the type aircraft the operator uses, then include time in that/those type(s). Also in your work experience, list what type of aircraft you flew for your employers. Most operators like to see what type of aircraft you made a living in.

 

The cover letter is important. It tells the reader why he/she needs to read your resume. It allows you to cover points that the resume doesn't cover. The resume is only a tool to tell the reader, why he/she needs to interview you. One page, readable, NO MISTAKES, Good contact information.

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There are a number of things.

 

7: Proper spelling, grammar is a must, have someone else look it over

 

This can't be stressed enough! Many will say "Well that's just common sense" but apparently it's not. In my current position (fixed wing world - large Part 142 simulator based training provider) I see the resumes that come in to us for instructor positions. During the last hiring cycle we went thru about 100 resumes - a whopping 37% had spelling errors!!!! There's just no excuse for that. Spelling does matter folks.

 

As a related point, if you are applying somewhere, please show enough interest to spell the name of the company correctly. On average, we get 12% of resumes per hiring cycle that the name of our company is misspelled.... again, simply no excuse. We understand that you are probably shot gunning resumes to everyone that is hiring but if you're not going to tak enough time to get this basic point correct, save your stamp 'cuz they go directly into the trash can.

 

CL

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Don't put age on your resume. An employer can't legally ask you, and they can figure it out based on your graduation dates anyways. While I'm sure it's not a big issue in the helicopter world, in the "corporate world" many employers will instantly deny a resume with age on it because it's a liability. They could be sued for age discrimination if they don't hire you because your age was on the resume.

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I'm familiar with the resume part.

 

The one thing I'm not familiar with is the Cover Letter.

 

What exactly is this? Any examples? Obviously, it's the first part of your resume that the potential employer sees.

 

The cover letter is your "sales pitch". It's where you can mention things that may not be in your resume, or things that are in there but you want to elaborate on little. Typically, I write a cover letter in response to a job ad. All the skills and qualities that they list as requirements in their ad, are skills and qualities that you want to point out that you have - and the cover letter is the place to do that. I literally print out the add and write my cover letter as a response to that add. It's a little different when you're submitting a resume that is NOT in response to an add, in that case you would want to just "sell" yourself by highlighting the attributes that you feel are most relevant to the position you are seeking.

 

Hope that helps.

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[quote name='TheLorax' is how modest should you aim to be?

 

i guess just spit out 'facts' of yourself.

 

thanks

 

Exactly - keep it factual, honest and sincere. You're not likely to be the first person the employer has ever interviewed, they WILL detect insincerity - "sell" youself, but be real.

 

I would focus on addressing all the attributes that they have said they are looking for.

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Worse than ending your sentence with a preposition and the biggest thing to get your resume "round" filed---is to split your infinitives. Any educated chief pilot will not tolerate this! Worse than this even---God forbid---you should dare to send out a resume that has an object pronoun following a linking verb! For shame! And you call yourself a pilot? And please tell me you are not going to use contractions in your cover letter! Oh, the embarrasement.

 

 

OK kidding aside :D

 

Two things:

1. As others have said or alluded to, have someone review it for you. Someone who is not afraid to critique you. Preferrably someone who knows the aviation lingo, but not necessarily.

 

2. I was suprised at one point to have "too much" dual given. It was assumed that all I did was fly around the idiot circle. Lots of my dual given was with private owners who wanted an instructor with them on their charter flights. They just wanted a little stick time from time to time. I was flying all over the country with private owners(giving them ongoing dual). I know the experience I got from all the flights, but it didn't reflect too well on the resume. From now on I will just leave it off. It is unnecessary information anyway.

 

Marc D.

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Tailor your resume to the job you're applying for. For example, you usually wouldn't attach a picture to your resume, but if the ad specifically asks you to, do it. If they ask for your time to be broken down in a specific way, that's what you do. This applies to other qualifications--a new flight school may want somebody who can help run the business but a larger school may give a squat if you can work Quicken. A resume for a Part 135 operation would look different than one that is going to a Part 91 operation. Each company and each job listing will have nuances that will help you tailor your resume for that job.

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Does anyone care what I got on my FAA written exams -- on my resume, that is -- or would I just look like a dork if I put that on there?

My impression is that you'd look like a dork, sorry. I'm one of those people that tried to do as well as possible on all my written tests, and scored over 90 on all but one of them. However, nobody cares - that's the reality of it all. I'm assuming you did well, since you want to put it on your resume, so congratulations! Unfortunately though, unless an employer asks you, you'll probably look a little silly ever bringing it up. The only benefits to achieving more than 70 are the confidence it gives you, and the fact the your DPE may not dig as deep in your oral exam if you got 95 as he may if you got 71. Congrats though!

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Yeah, I kind of figured it had a dorky ring to it. I wish I'd known when I was a kid that all that stuff that "would go on my permanent record" -- wouldn't... :P

 

If you already have the rating, it doesn't matter one iota. However, If you do not have that rating yet, i.e. CFII or ATP, I would list the written in your certificate and rating section, with the score. Also a point while we are discussing certificate and ratings section. If you have them, list your passport (NO passport number, just expiration date) and Radio operator's permit. Overseas companies and companies that have international operations like their applicants to already have these items.

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