2 questions

[captkirkyota]

Ok, I of course check the jobs listing on J.H. almost daily.

I've noticed several jobs asking for a few more hours than I have, or were looking for a CFII instead of a CFI that would get his II with them once on board etc etc.

Now since I tend to be a black and white thinking kind of guy I've been hesitant to send in a resume anyway, like I'm being told I should do by other pilots, because to me it almost seems like the company would look at my resume and say to themselves, sheesh can't this doughhead read?? and then 86 my resume.

Then on the other hand, others tell me send it in anyway, they may still call you in for an interview.

So which is it?

This being a small community, I don't want to be labeled an idiot who can't read, but also don't wanna limit my prospective job opportunities.

 

Secondly,

What exactly is 100 hours unaided night time?

Is this IFR, VFR, dead reckoning and no GPS, no one with me like a co-pilot or an instructor, What?

The ambiguity of exactly what people want and so much being left open to interpretation in this field is about to melt my pea brain.

Thanks.

[Pogue]

Unaided night means VFR, no NVG's in the Army, at least. As far as the resumes go, I'm not sure I would just send them out, but you might call the companies you're interested in and express interest, and inquire what you might do to fit their company. At worst they might say "call us when you've got the hours." At best maybe they're interested. The key is be polite and professional. I doubt anyone would hold it against you down the road

 

Good luck!

 

Disclaimer: while I have been a hiring manager in other professions, I have not been one in the helicopter world, my opinion may well be no better than yours on this one... :-)

[jehh]

Some companies keep the resumes, some do not.

 

When I see a resume I like, first thing I do is seach the past e-mail history to see if we have gotten a resume before, second thing I do is Google the person to see what I can find.

 

Yes, it is a small business.

[HelliBoy]

I say send the resume out all over and send a new one if it is significantly updated. I'd venture that 80% of the initial cfi jobs that get filled (what you're looking for I assume) dont get posted on the internet because the hiring manager has a thick enough stack of resumes from motivated applicants already. Jehh could probably attest to that- I havent seen a Summit opening on the web in a while. I wouldnt bother sending a resume and applying for a job when you obviously dont meet the criterea though, you're wasting your time.

 

100 hours unaided night means its obtained without NVGs, FLIR, or ESP. They want to see that you dont need a fancy gizmo (that they wont be providing) to keep from running into inanimate objects at night.

[heli.pilot]

I would suggest sending your resume anyway, and use your cover letter to explain that you are aware that you do not meet their minimums. You could go on to explain how, despite not meeting the minimums, you would be an asset to their company. That way it doesn't look like you can't read the ad thoroughly, but you've also got your resume to them. Who knows, maybe they have another position they haven't advertised yet that you WOULD qualify for... Just don't be sending your resume in for jobs that are WAY out of your reach, only ones that you almost qualify for...

 

By the way, why not get your CFII done now?

[jehh]

I say send the resume out all over and send a new one if it is significantly updated.

 

The downside to that is that if you end up sending your resume 3 or more times, it looks like you can't get a job. It also becomes an issue if you're sending out your resume over time without major updates, because your skills have gotten rusty. (flying once every 60 days does not keep your CFI skills sharp)

 

I'd venture that 80% of the initial cfi jobs that get filled (what you're looking for I assume) dont get posted on the internet because the hiring manager has a thick enough stack of resumes from motivated applicants already.

 

 

Jehh could probably attest to that- I havent seen a Summit opening on the web in a while.

 

The number of resumes has fallen off, probably because our job postings have become dated.

 

We actually have hired from within lately, I may need one more CFI in the R-22/R-44 soon, but for 2009 we should have plenty of internal graduates to meet the demand.

 

To the OP, you do need a cover letter explaining why you don't have your CFII and that you're willing to come to the right school to get it (and that you have the funds to do so). I've done that three times this year, and hired all three of them, so it can work.

[rotormandan]

It will also help if you already have your CFII written done. Then you can put that on your resume and it shows that you fully intend to finish once you get established.

[captkirkyota]

All good points, and I am/have done them all.

 

1. Use cover letter to explain. ( was not sure if cover letters are read first or not, since I've been told over and over that pilots have short attention spans etc and to make a resume one page, so that made me wonder if they would read the resume first and then if you met the criteria would go back and read the cover letter)

 

2. Explain both in C.L. and in qualifications that the CFII written was completed and wanted to wait for CFII practical. ( Reason?? most places don't have you teach II until you are closer to 500 hours, so i figured why not wait to pay. )

 

3. Am going ahead now and getting my CFII, check ride scheduled for first week of Dec.

 

I too WAS concerned with not having any noticeable hours added to my resume over a few months time since this is not a good time of year to be looking for a CFI job but not much I can really do about that. I've been told by more than one former CFI and a couple current CFI's that most places know what kind of flight skills you have at 200-ish hours and will also know that if you have not flown in a couple months, that yes, your flying for the first flight will not be as sharp as it could and they should take that into account, knowing that it will be fine once you get back in the saddle again and so it should not matter for the hiring process. If that is good or bad info, I do not know, but not much I can do about it either way.

Thanks for all the good replies.

[choppedair]

There is no reason to wait for 500 hours for the CFII.

You'll find that if you get hired at a busy school without the CFII, it will only add to your stress and busy schedule trying to find time to study and prepare for the practical.

You will definitely be better off working on your CFII now as you decided to do.

What does the 100 hours unaided night time have to do with a CFI job? Or was that an off-topic question?

[captkirkyota]

LOL, yeah 100 hr was an O.T. question.

Thanks.

[jehh]

1. Use cover letter to explain. ( was not sure if cover letters are read first or not, since I've been told over and over that pilots have short attention spans etc and to make a resume one page, so that made me wonder if they would read the resume first and then if you met the criteria would go back and read the cover letter)

 

If someone hiring isn't reading the cover letter, then shame on them. You bothered to send it, I'll bother to read it. Don't make it long however, I have a short attention span.

 

2. Explain both in C.L. and in qualifications that the CFII written was completed and wanted to wait for CFII practical. ( Reason?? most places don't have you teach II until you are closer to 500 hours, so i figured why not wait to pay. )

 

What places have you wait until 500 hours to teach instruments? That is the safest and easiest thing to teach starting out.

 

I too WAS concerned with not having any noticeable hours added to my resume over a few months time since this is not a good time of year to be looking for a CFI job but not much I can really do about that.

 

Sure there is, a half dozen flights in a week along with another week of studying will fix that right up. Costs money, but welcome to aviation...

 

I've been told by more than one former CFI and a couple current CFI's that most places know what kind of flight skills you have at 200-ish hours and will also know that if you have not flown in a couple months, that yes, your flying for the first flight will not be as sharp as it could and they should take that into account, knowing that it will be fine once you get back in the saddle again and so it should not matter for the hiring process. If that is good or bad info, I do not know, but not much I can do about it either way.

 

Are any of those CFIs in a position to hire? If not, then their advice doesn't count for much.

 

I tell CFIs looking for a job to come prepared for that job. This means that you get current before you come, not after I hire you. I am not prepared to spend a half dozen hours getting you current, nor am I willing to have my students pay for it while you fly around on their dime.

 

This is a flight school, not PHI, we don't train CFIs unless they are paying for it. If you come unprepared to teach, you won't get hired. If you're a few months past your CFI, you need to spend some money getting current.

[captkirkyota]

I meant nothing I can do about the time of year I'm getting done with my CFII.

What I was told in ref. to that first flight was that on the interview flight they will realize that at first one may fly a little less refined right at first, but a few minutes after being back up it should be ok, not sending someone up to train a paying student and being rusty.

It has been 40 days since I last flew, and over 6 months since I flew a 44, and the first 5 mins were a bit less than refined, but smoothed right out after about, well 5 or so mins. That is what they meant by what they told me, referencing the interview flight.