Finding a job, my 2 cents

[ksu_aviator]

Hey hey, I managed to find a job and sense a lot of people are having problems finding a job I feel very lucky and thought I'd pass on how I made my own luck.

Its free advice, so take it for its worth...

1. Keep track of and follow up on every resume you send out

2. Keep a note sheet for each company you target with dates and times you called and sent resumes etc

3. Memphis Area Career Center is the best search engine for new job postings. It searches job boards and individual companies job postings on their own web pages.

4. Get help from the local WIA offices with your resume and interviewing skills.

5. Set a date to get a job by. Feb 22 was my date, I have a job starting Feb 3.

6. Look for jobs daily, all day, every day. You are self employed until you find new employment. Work hard for yourself.

7. Nothing works better than snail mail. Snail Mail everything unfolded.

8. Stand out, and look professional. I have a small aircraft shadow on my resume that makes my resume easy to remember. Air Inc will tell you not to do that, so you'll have an advantage over them.

9. Don't put your SSN on your resume. I shouldn't have to say that but so many people are putting it on there. DON'T!

10. Know what kind of job you will take and what kind of job you won't take.

11. If you have a type rating, or experience in a specific aircraft, find out who operates that aircraft at theFAA Aircraft Registry Search Engine



Above all, get help. The government, family, friends, strangers will all help you if you give them your sob story. I have people I never met before calling me and giving me job leads because I walked in and asked for a job.

Don't give up hope, if a green, 1600 hr, know it all, young punk of a pilot can get a job so can you!

 

[jdru25]

Just curious........what what company did you score a job with? Congrats and good luck.

 

[ksu_aviator]

A charter company out of Smyrna TN called CFM.

 

[jdru25]

Very nice! Congrats and Good Luck.

 

[bobbysamd]

Congrats!

Good for you, Mr. Wildcat, and good suggestions above, especially the one about setting a goal.

I'm glad to see that I'm not the only believer in using the U.S. Mail to forward materials.

Good luck with the new job.

 

[HPaul3]

Congrats!

KSU,

Inspiring story! Congratulations, best of luck.

RE: snail mail, I find that the more emails I send, the more I want to pull out the old fountain pen and Crane notes. Very good advice.

 

[Ty Webb]

Excellent advice. I have probably 10 mb of old resumes, cover letters, and company info from my prior job searches. When I was a corporate pilot, I used to send out 10-15 resumes per month. You never know when you;re going to find that great job, or when your present one is going to go down the crapper.

Another suggestion- send interesting job info to others who are looking (and qualified), even when you aren't. SOme day, you may be looking, and they may have moved up into the CP slot at the job you dumped in their lap.

When I was working my first Part 91 jet job, after the first year, I decided that the job was not a place to spend a second year, so I was going to focus on finding a job that came with a type rating and a liveable wage, and set out to find that company (this with 2000tt and 300 hrs of jet SIC buring a hole in my logbook).

The other pilots at my job thought I was crazy ("Man, you're not going to find someone willing to type you AND pay you $35,000!"). But after a few months of sending out 15-20 resumes a month, I found not one, but two companies that were each willing to type me and pay me more than I was asking for (both were aorund $40K w/decent benefits and a big bump in the second year). Meanwhile, the other guys were still busting their humps for ten grand less, shaking their heads, and saying I got lucky.

The moral of the story? Believe in yourself. Decide to be the best, most professional pilot possible, and set out to find a quality company.

Did I mention that I spent a fair amount of my spare time either reading, writing, or networking.

Another good free source is http://raa.org go to the membership directory, and you will find companies, with their contact people, fax and snail mail addresses, etc. Good Luck!

 

[Flywrite]

Hey KSU, congrats on the job.

Are you going to be flying the mighty Jetstream at CFM?

 

[WMUSIGPI]

got ya beat... sort of, Goal to get out of flight instructing (set when I started in January 2001), September 2001 with 800 hours. Resumes sent out since then average 20 per month.... currently at 1550 hours and not even scored one interview.... currently unable to pay rent working at Western Michigan U. averaging 1 flight a day. I am willing to pay for my own training at this point just to get the hell out of there... still no takers.... for the love of God if anyone knows of a job opening let me know.

 

[ksu_aviator]

Yes I will be flying a Jetstream

 

[hobbsmeter]

KSU...

Congrats!
Good advice by the way.

 

[mrvmo]

Heard of snail mail before, but not sure what it is. Could someone please expain to me how it works and how to go about doing it? Thanks in advance.

 

[HPaul3]

Long-lost art...."correspondence"

Mrvmo,

Go to www.levenger.com and pay particular attention to the fountain pens. Then check out www.crane.com and check out their 4x6 notes. Buy several of each: pens and notes. Then go to www.usps.com and find your nearest post office (it's a small, dingy-looking building somewhere in your neighborhood...look for a parking lot full of silly-looking white jeeps, and people wearing ridiculous grey-blue uniforms, sometimes in shorts!). Then, think of someone you care about. Grandma is a good choice. Put pen to note, affix stamp, purchased at aforementioned Post Office, and drop in funny-looking round-top blue box (watch your fingers...these things pinch!). Wait several days for a reply in kind.

Good luck and keep us informed on your progress!

Cheers,
HP

 

[bobbysamd]

A Cross pen is also a decent choice of writing instrument.

If you're in a real hurry about getting your materials someplace, you might find a Fed Ex drop at many of the same locations HPaul3 mentioned.

Good post, HPaul.

 

[HPaul3]

Pen to paper....

Thanks for the compliment, Bobby. I like Cross pens too. My favorite fountain pen is a Cross, it was a gift from my mom, but it can be a little difficult to find ink for it.

I carry around my pen, some Crane notes, my address book and some stamps pretty much everywhere I travel. You never know when you might want to write a quick note just to acknowledge a favor or congratulate someone on a job well done, and nothing has the same impression as a handwritten note. I wish my penmanship were better though!

Good night!
HP

 

[wingnutt]

good post KSU! id like to add one if ya dont mind...

12. is that old standby networking. dont be afraid to talk to other pilots; be it in an FBO, on a ramp, or someone that a friend knows is a pilot. im not suggesting you force yourself onto anyone, but feel the situation out and whatever you do, dont come across as desperate. more often than not, pilots are willing to stop and make contact, if only for a minute or two. even pilots on the same level as you may one day be in a position to help you get that next job, and vice versa.

i recently did just that to snag a turbine cargo job with less than 1500 hours. to be honest, i have yet to send out any resumes, i just keep a few simplistic ones in my flight bag. nothing fancy, just my name, numbers, where im working, and my current hours

when you get somewhere and talking to someone, thats not a total nutcase, let the conversation wind down and ask for his/her email or phone number to keep in contact with them. then when they reciprocate, out comes the resume

of course, you hafta' follow up with that contact too! give em a call every few weeks and see if they know anything new. dont get me wrong, it took me 6 months of phone calls

...but dont stop either! now that ive got a turbine job, its time to start making contacts for jet work

 

[ksu_aviator]

Networking, ya I should have put that in my original post. To be honest, I was trying to put in stuff nobody seems to be doing, that also works. But, I like your version of networking.

I also want to add lucky number....

13. Prepare an oral essay that you can use in an interview or on the street.

Example, interviewer says to you "Tell me about yourself"

You say: "I'm a graduate of Tim Buck Two University. I have a Bachelors in basket weaving. I graduated in 2000 and immediately began working as a flight instructor. Soon there after I began flying part time and then full time for a part 135 cargo operation out of XYZ, flying a Baron as PIC. Later I moved into the airlines flying a Saab 340. I have over 1600 hours of accident free, incident free flying. My peers say I have a strong work ethic and above average piloting skills. I am currently looking for a position as a charter pilot."

The idea above is to start with an introduction, move into a short story and then finish by quailfying yourself and closing.

So, my intro was "I'm a graduate...basket weaving." The intro can aslo include your name if needed.

The short story sets up your qualifications. Gives them an idea of your work history. "I graduated in...Saab 340."

The qualification is the most important part. If you aren't qualified, they won't hire you. Give them all of your important experience, turbine time, multi time, instrument time are all very important to most operators. "I have over 1600...piloting skills"

The close is what whould give them the idea that what they do is a good fit for what you want to do. So for a charter company you would say "I am currently looking for a positions as a charter pilot."