cold calling and networking for dummies.

[scubabri]

I read a lot here about how people just showed up on someones doorstep and hung out until they got a job, or how person a knew person b who knew person c who worked at x. Honestly, I've been a computer geek for 15 years, and up until recently, all I've had to do was send a resume out and I got floods of people who wanted to hire me. Of course, <insert your favorite bibical catastrophy here> took care of that. It seems that in the aviation industry as well, it's not how much you know, but who you know and where you are.

So, anyone have any recomendations on how to do this?

What do I wear, who do I ask for, what do I tell/ask them, how long do I wait, where's a good place to "hang", how do you hang without pissing the other employees off.

Is there a particular section of the country that needs more pilots than others. What kinds of places have high turnover rates where someone would have a chance to get in.

This seems a lot like the longshore jobs my father used to do. He would go wait at the longshore office each night with about a gazillion other doc workers, and based on who had been waiting the longest, they would get to work that night or not.

Probably a lot of this depends on the situation, but are there some general guidelines? Right now, I am looking for a flight instruction gig, right seat in anything bigger than a seminole, skydiving, banner towing, etc etc.. basically anything

 

[bobbysamd]

Cold calling

Make a list of places that you will visit. Call ahead and ask for the name of the Chief Pilot/Chief Flight Instructor. Then prepare a focused cover letter addressed to the person by name. I would type "Hand-Delivered" in bold on the line above the inside address. Address the envelope the same way. Then place your cover letter and resume in the envelope. I would just seal the flap with scotch tape. Somehow, that looks better when you deliver materials personally.

You should dress up as if you were going to an interview. Wear a suit and carry your materials in an attache case. Bring along all the same materials that you would bring to an interview, i.e. certificates, logbook and resumes. Introduce yourself and ask the receptionist politely if you might have a second of Capt./Mr./Ms.'s time. Don't feel bad if you are told "no," because lots of people just like you also cold call. But you never know. In any event, if you are told "no" just say that you'd like to leave your materials.

Now, you might be told "yes." So be prepared to be interviewed. It happens. You may have to sit awhile until you're ushered into the office. I remember ten years ago I was living in Northern California and was out of work. I prepared materials and drove them to the Stanford Flying Club in Palo Alto. I ended up being interviewed, somewhat. I was not prepared mentally to be interviewed. I wasn't hired, but based on the attitude of the interviewer I really didn't want to work there anyway.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your job search.

 

[starvingcfi]

wait a second....



I've been a computer geek for 15 years, and up until recently, all I've had to do was send a resume out and I got floods of people who wanted to hire me.


with 560tt? hmm...and you're saying they were lining up for you? with 560tt? hmm....

 

[scubabri]

for computer jobs.

 

[starvingcfi]

ahh. gotcha. sorry about that.

 

[Cardinal]

Capitalists respond well to money. Regular customers get noticed, and those with a professional attitude and ambition are still more likely catch the eye of a business owner/manager. Don't just drink their coffee, rent the local StarStreaker 4000 on a regular basis, during the week. After you've burnt some avgas and once you're a familiar face, indicate your intentions. It's an expensive strategy, of course, and works best at a smaller FBO. This is what worked for myself and many at my home flight school.

Our FBO really did notice the renters who came in with advanced ratings and and some ability. By and large, I was always amazed when the majority of our renters made it back in one piece. It was always a noted pleasure to check-out and rent to a good pilot. Thus they stood out, and became part of the potential employment pool.