2 Questions for hiring managers

[AngelFire_91]

Hey guys and gals. It's been a long time since I've been around, so Hello to everyone again.

 

First, I'm not currently looking for a job or anything but I was talking with a friend about Resume's and Cover letters and he asked me a couple questions that got me thinking. I gave him my opinions but now I'd like to open it up to you guys and see what all you say.

 

1) Do hiring managers pay attention to address? If you have 2 resumes, both people meet the minimums and look like pretty good candidates but one of them has on their resume an address that's local to the job or states in their cover letter wanting to move closer to family etc... Would that give a manager more incentive to look at them closer? Do managers even look at addresses? (My thought being that local or family means they are more willing to stay around)

 

and with that...

 

2) Do prospective employers ACTUALLY read the cover letter? I have always included one that is taylored to the specific job but I know back when I was looking at resumes (Not in aviation) I really didn't pay a lot of attention to cover letters. Usually if someone striked my fancy on the resume then MAYBE I would look at the cover letter and see what they have to say, but it was usually right before I called them in for an interview. Is that the case for aviation companies as well?

 

 

Thanks guys and I look forward to being around some more again.

[Flying Pig]

My position was really interested in the fact that I was willing to relocate my entire family for the job. It was for a long term position. I don't know that it was a deciding factor but it was mentioned.

When I hired my new pilot, I took it into account that he was willing to pack up and relocate. It would not have made a difference if the same guy down the street wanted to job though. I would have went with the most qualified. We invested a lot of money in training in this new employee that was not related to flying. So I looked at all I could to insure I found the pilot I felt would work out in a lot of ways. Married guy with small kids willing to relocate on his own dime for the job in addition to his quals made the whole package.

[UH60L-IP]

While I am not currently an aviation hiring manager, I was previously. I have also been in other positions, reviewing literally hundreds of resumes. While an aviation manager, resumes came in almost daily. Yes, I looked at the address for the very reasons you stated. It didn't always make a difference but someone with roots does offer a level of stability. If a cover letter was provided, I always flipped to the resume page first. What I saw on the resume determined whether or not I read the cover letter. Assuming I liked the resume, though, I also liked to have the accompanying cover letter.

 

I think the appearance of the cover letter and resume makes a huge difference. Inconsistent formatting, typographical errors, etc., stood out. I believe there is a correlation between being able to represent oneself on paper and in person.

 

While it might be ripped off and discarded, I still think it is better to provide a cover letter, especially if it is specific to the company. I stick to a 3 paragraph cover letter and a 1 page resume. No more, no less. More than 3 paragraphs in a cover letter are unlikely to be read. Likewise, if you can't put the important information on a one page resume I don't need to look at the second page.

[rollthbns]

As someone who hires a lot of pilots, I will tell you that the cover letter is a formality. I read them, but it is not at all what makes or breaks interview chances. A one page resume with all of the right things on it is the better bet.

 

Geography doesn't play a big part in our process. I have hired pilots from the east coast and the west coast and in between. Other places might be different.

 

While it is not a requirement to be hired, face time with hiring managers is very valuable. Meeting the folks making the decisions can help tremendously, as all resumes begin to look alike after awhile.

 

Hope that helps!

[avbug]

It really depends on the job and its requirements. Some jobs want pilots to live locally. Some jobs have pilots that travel with the aircraft, and who can live anywhere.

 

Most of the time the first glance at the resume will be not at name or address, but total time and flight experience breakdown, then qualifications, then work experience. If any of those aren't in order, it's over, and it's going either in the trash, or in a pile for another time. If the pilot meets the basic qualifications, then consideration can be given to the cover letter. The cover letter should provide information that's not in the resume, and that directly addresses the job requirements. That may be the only chance one gets to make that first impression, and that's where the applicant needs to show that he's the man for the job. It should be very short and to the point, address the job requirements, and most importantly, ask for an interview. If the job wants someone local or someone willing to relocate, make that clear, too.