Approaching 135 Company

[Killroy]

I'm wondering, what is the best way to approach a 135 company about pilot positions? Cold call, fax, mail, email, or drop in? Any advice would be much appreciated.

 

[charter dog]

Killroy:

I'm sure there are proponents for all of the contact methods you listed. That's because they all work to varying degrees. Just not uniformly with all companies or for all applicants. I've gotten most of my jobs the old fashioned way. I knew somebody! That at least gets them to consider you as a prospect. However during my last job search, I got more responses from submitting online resumes through the company websites than from the traditional methods. My current job was the result of an e-mailed resume. I didn't know anybody there and the only former employee I knew was not a name I was going to use due to the circumstances under which he quit.

If you have any contacts in charter companies, lean on them to help you out. Remember that they will be held accountable for your performance as an employee if they get you in. With this in mind, choose carefully who you want to work for and who you impose upon to help you. You'd hate to hurt a friend.

Talk to all the charter pilots you can. you may develop some contacts this way. A referral from a company pilot may even help to get you past the receptionist, who usually has instructions to screen calls and visitors. At many companies, a resume carried in by a company pilot actually reaches the DO or CPs desk.

So while I can't tell you which one method of contact works the best for the most companies, I encourage you to develop contacts in any way you can. That first charter job is usually the toughest one to get.

Happy hunting!

Best,

 

[pilotyip]

Go in person go by everyone you get to easily, ask to speak to someone about a pilot's job. Have a professional resume with you, if you can not talk to anyone thank him or her and ask if you can leave a resume. Revisit that company until you get to talk to someone, but not more than once a month. On the first meeting with someone do not ask about pay or days off; wait until you actually get an interview. Be unbelievably pleasant with everyone you meet, the girl at the front desk has shot down more than one well-qualified pilot because the pilot was pushy or rude. Best of luck, you will make it if you like to fly and are persistent.

 

[ksu_aviator]

I've had a lot of success by combining the methods above,

1. Cold Call - reherse what you are going to say, request to send a resume via fax, e-mail or drop off. Know something about the company. If you can get the CP or DO's name before hand you'll be in good shape.

2. a) Fax/e-mail - If you fax the resume, make sure you have a fax cover sheet, cover letter that mentions your call and your resume. You high resulotion. Fax is my least preferred method.

b)If you e-mail, be absolutely sure you don't have a virus attached. My last CP got umpteen viruses a day from resumes. Those never got opened.

c)If you can drop off or mail in your resume that is always preferred. The resume will look more professional. If you drop off, where something nice. You don't have to throw on the monkey suite, but don't show up in cut off jean shorts and a ratty t-shirt (seen it done). If you mail, don't fold, use the full size envelope and send it next day priority.

3. Follow up on the resume. It is unbelievable, but more than 90% of all job applicants, aviation or not, never follow up. Stand out by following up, you'll look more professional.

My motto when I'm looking for a job is that "I don't have to be the most qualified, I just have to be the easiest to hire."

Don't be discouraged if you don't get a call right away. I left a resume with a charter company when I was furloughed from Mesaba. The charter company initially told me they had no intentions of hiring anyone any time soon. With in a month I was on the line!

 

[CelticCitation]

Getting to know you

The hiring market has changed dramatically in the last few months in the charter and corporate world. Listed a King Air position a few months ago, and maybe 70% of applicants were ailine pilots looking for a "more stable" job. A year ago, it wasn't 20%. That is a thread of its own, but qualified pilots are in abundance, pilots that you want to work with are as scarce as ever. Point is, qualifications alone do not make someone competitive, or even stand out.

I agree that knowing someone is the best way to go. It is difficult to know if someone is going to fit an organization until they have been there a month or so. Fitting in is nearly as important as piloting skills. So a recommendation from a respected pilot in an organization goes a lot farther than anything else.

Also, when qualifications are listed, I think they need to be met. We do some government contract work with qualifications that are very much set in stone. Yet every time I get applications far below minimums. When 100 applications come in the first day of listing, the easiest way to filter them is to throw out those who aren't qualified. I know some will say to keep on applying, eventually you will wear someone down, but my opinion, unqualified resumes go in the trash.

Then there's a pretty regular group that apply to every job they see listed, and don't read any details about the job, etc. The most interesting one I got the other day was from a pilot that left on less than good terms. I'm sure if he knew where he had applied, he would be embarassed. It becomes pretty obvious when a pilot is always trolling for a job. Why would an employer want to spend training dollars on someone they know is always looking for greener pastures?

Never burn bridges anywhere. With as many pilots are looking for jobs, references do matter.

 

[Lostdog65]

(SMART A$$ ALERT)

Find out what the Chief Pilot and/or Dir Ops drinks...and bring a 6-pack!

(Personally...Shiner Bock or Newcastle will suffice!)

But really...make yourself known but don't bug your potential employer with overkill...have your ducks in a row re: time, experience, etc. Be ready to go, ie: able to leave old job in 2 weeks, have a place to live lined out, don't whine about pay, location, etc. Don't obfuscate your qualifications...if you're a bit rusty on IFR procedures, brush up. Most places don't have the time or the money to give you your Instrument Rating all over again.

Just my 2 cents.

Eric

 

[G-force]

Job Hunting

I'm wondering, what is the best way to approach a 135 company about pilot positions? Cold call, fax, mail, email, or drop in? Any advice would be much appreciated.

A good way is to get to know atleast one of the captains and/or the CP.

 

[stknrdr]

Having sat in the CP driver's seat for some time, I can tell you that in our operation if you were able to bypass the security screen and get to my phone without my previous knowledge that the call was coming.........delete. If the calls kept coming..........note to self. If the resume was unprofessional, incomplete, or had mispelled words (particularly the company, or any employee's name).......round file.

If the secretary gave you a thumbs up....... you got the royal treatment. If the resume was delivered in a clever way (ie accompanied by chocolate)......it had to at least be read. Company email or Job Site email was never read unless we had placed a posting, and then it was screened by HR or the secretary.........so be very nice to these people.

When the Resume is opened, it should be able to answer any question the reader may have. A short and sweet letter to the Chief Pilot or D.O. that tells them who you are as a person, what your goals are, and why you are coming to them for a position is key; remember, we can read your qualifications in your training records. My favorite resume to date was the 10 pager complete with photo that had no contact info (address, phone or email). Just be thorough and be professional, and folding a the 9th of 100 xeroxed resumes to fit a business envelope for mass mailing is pretty tacky.

KSU is right. Follow up is key, and best with a nice note card in the mail relaying your hope for the the companies' future need of this dedicated, hard-working and loyal pilot.

Corporate flying is quickly becoming the Golden-Calf of aviation for its QOL and diverse operations. Quality employers will become more and more selective as time progresses......and VLJ's abound.

Best of luck

 

[Capn Sac]

Send your resume to [email protected] . We are actively interviewing and hiring for Cessna 402 Captains. The next new hire class starts Monday May 15. This is the final planned class until August.

PM me if you need more information.

Capn Sac

 

[Going2Baja]

(SMART A$$ ALERT)

Find out what the Chief Pilot and/or Dir Ops drinks...and bring a 6-pack!

(Personally...Shiner Bock or Newcastle will suffice!)

Eric

Eric, actualy you're not too far off. His name currently escapes my but back in the day at American there were two ways to get hired: 1) Apply like everyone else and wait...wait...wait...or 2) Stand in the Chief Pilot's parking space at 5 am with coffee and muffins and wait to meet him. Some people even brought gifts such as good booze, a NYC Fire hat or jacket with his name on it, golf bag with his name and so on. I know this works as I have two firends that got on this way. After he left the CP slot the hiring practices changed.

As for me, I send many a set of flowers to the CP's secretary at Scenic in Vegas in 1988 and I finally got my interview. I made two trips to St George for Skywest and met the people in the know. And for my current 135 job I knew someone inside that helped me meet the CP.

As others have said, keep trying but don't be a pest. (Short story time: just the otherday while sitting in my CP's office waiting a guy walked up looking for the CP - he was all dressed up trying to make the connection like we all do. He met and talked to the CP for a few minutes and then left. The CP later told me that this person was 'strange' and that he kept bugging and would never get a chance.)

Good luck in your search!! NETWORK and keep on trying!!

Baja.