Work Experience on Resume

[DLconnection]

In writing a pilot resume, should I include my employment history that is not flying related? I have worked a places w/in the last five years that are not aviation related. Do I include those or not?

 

[Flywrite]

I would say definately. There is no real drawback as far as I can see (assuming you didn't have some kind of politically incorrect job like Seal Clubber or something). If your only experience listed is a flying job the person screening the resume might assume that you have never actually had to work for anything.
Also companies like to see what other skills you may posess besides flying an airplane. One of my High School/college jobs was as a floor sweeper/parts runner/apprentice mechanic in a shop specializing in european sports cars. I listed this expereience on my resume and got a call for an entry level flying job in part because the Chief Pilot restored MGs and Austin Healys as a hobby. I didnt take the job because a similar position opened up close to home, but I beat out lots of other resumes because of this experience. You never know what might catch someone's eye.

 

[FlyinBrian]

Put it in.... If it will fit. It is more important to keep your resume concise. As someone who currently reviews resumes for a living, There is nothing worse than a six page resume that is filled with irrelevant experience. When I get one of these resumes, I get irritated that I have to dig through it to find the stuff I care about. You don't want the reviewer to be irritated. Your resume might be your whole life to you, but to the reviewer, he's just doing his job. He will not spend nearly the time reviewing it that you spend writing it. Make his job easy for him.

The person who looks at your resume has a huge stack of them. They are probably looking for some very specific things, and they probably aren't reading the rest. You should relate any experience you choose to list to the job that you are applying for. Don't put in fast food or waiter gigs. Professional jobs are worth putting in, but talk about team experience, and learning the "business end" of things. Try to keep it on one page, Two tops.

 

[sabreliner]

KEEP IT TO ONE PAGE ONLY!!!

Any more than that and it isn't likely to be fully read. You don't have to have all of your jobs in the last 5 years on there, they'll get all that info later. It shouldn't be to hard to fill one page, so you may have to pick and choose a little. Note, this one page resume dosen't include the cover letter, so you gain a little space there.

 

[bobbysamd]

Non-aviation-related experience

I'd put it in, but try to describe it in one line, something like this actual example from my resume:

Broadcaster
1969-1988 Held news reporter, news anchor, editor, writer, announcer positions.


It's important to show that you've been employed and in which business. In my case, the typical pilot recruiter could care less at which radio stations I worked and what I did at each. Save all the space you can on your one-page resume for your aviation experience.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your job search.

 

[LR25]

How about "work discriptions"?

Should you put in detail what you did at a job or just put your job position?

How many different "types" of hours of flight time should you put down, i.e. X-country, tail wheel.

And should you break down "Turbo-Jet" and "Turbine" time in different catagories?

 

[guitarflyer]

I use a one pager with "Certificates & Ratings Held" section at top with Flight Times to the side of that in a column.
"Aviation Related Work & Instructing History", Education & Military Experience follow and that pretty much fills up the page.

Since aviation is my 3rd career, I have another 2 pages of stuff that I don't include INITIALLY, but may be submitted upon request.

That happened at my last interview (where I'm working now). When the interviewer asked about my background, and we got to chatting about that, he requested the "complete" resume and placed that in my file.

If you don't have as much junk as I do, I would include the non-aviation, but pertinent stuff (i.e. professional or long-term gigs, as someone mentioned). Just do it consisely and neatly...in other words, easy to read.

Good Luck...

 

[bobbysamd]

Flight time breakout

You do want to show your total time. Then, set up columns with specifici categories, e.g. PIC, Turbine, Instrument, Cross-Country, Multi, Instructor, etc. Think of it in terms of what time are of the most interest to companies. Most are looking for PIC, Turbine, Multi and Instrument, in that order, more or less. So, if you have good times in those categories, present them prominently.

Taildragger is fine if you have good time. It can work to your advantage, even if the company in question does not operate taildraggers. Someone who flies taildraggers might ask which ones you've flown. If you can find a common ground, i.e. a bond, with that person, you may have sewn up a job offer right then and there.

I would only elaborate on the job description if it could be relevant to the job for which you're applying. For example, most people know what flight instructors do. If you were Chief Flight Instructor, you most certainly should add that.

When H.R. reviews resumes initially, it is spending little time on them and is searching only for applicants who meet the basic quals. Don't bog them down with details. Chances are, if you submit a resume that's black with print, it'll be chucked.

Once again, good luck with your job search.