Most aspiring aviation professionals take great care in composing and producing r�sum�s. But it may surprise you to know that many companies - especially larger airlines and corporate flight departments - make hiring decisions based on the employment application. Indeed, most major carriers will not even accept r�sum�s. In fact, there was one instance in which an interviewee at a big-time airline merely attached a r�sum� to a blank application form and was summarily ushered out the door.
The folks who evaluate applicants are quite savvy. They know that a r�sum� tends to be "window dressing" for the prospect. Only the best qualities and experiences will be highlighted. Further, those individuals who have exceptional word-processing talents may have an unfair advantage over someone who might be an excellent pilot but merely average in presentation skills.
The employment application, then, levels the playing field. Everyone being considered for hiring is given the same questions in the same format.
Although completing applications can be a tedious process, extreme care should be used. Whether filled out in advance or at the time of the interview, the manner in which the applicant responds can leave firm first impressions. Sloppy penmanship, incomplete responses, numerous errors, and simply wrong answers will convince the decision-maker that this person will make the same errors while completing company records, aircraft logbooks, and required reports. Incorrectly spelled words, pizza stains, and a writing style that is careless and difficult to read will most likely cause that application to be sent to the "round file" without further consideration.
Obtain two applications before the interview, or merely copy the one provided. Fill out one form first in longhand with pencil. This method will allow you to make changes before typing the final product.
If you're a twenty-something job-seeker searching for that first flying gig, here is an amazing suggestion: Have your parent review your draft. Give your parent credit for surviving in the business world. That close relation who has probably invested handsomely in your training and thus has a keen interest in your success (so that you can ultimately repay the loan) has most likely survived interviews and application forms. But, if you're thirtyish or more, you've probably done this a few times yourself.
Some companies judge handwriting and will expect the application form to be completed by hand. If such is the case, many employment consultants recommend that the responses be printed rather than written in script, unless the instructions specify otherwise. (A small number of businesses do utilize handwriting analysts.)
Be candid and forthright to questions of fact. Do not omit requested items such as dates of employment. An oversight here might signal the evaluator that there is something to hide, such as a poor track record.
Pay close attention to the directions. If you are to list your current place of employment first, then do not make the mistake of listing it last. If directed to respond about rules violations on the ground or in the air, do not "fudge." Human resources personnel have an uncanny knack at unearthing the truth about these matters.
When addressing questions that are more personal than factual, promote yourself as an active, responsible human being. If you are queried, "Name some of your most notable professional achievements," respond with positive language. "I organized a local chapter of the Alpha Eta Rho flying fraternity at the University of Pittsville." "I coordinated the first in a series of AOPA Air Safety Foundation safety seminars in my community."
Complete every item on that form. If a particular question does not apply, writing an "N/A" (not applicable) in the space tells the reviewer you did not overlook that item.
As important as the application, if not more so, is the logbook. The same care and precision invested in the application form should also be evident in the logbook.
Avoid some of the common pitfalls in logging time. Actual flight time should be recorded. Some pilots make the mistake of combining simulator time in the "Total Flight Time" column. Remember that a simulator is not an aircraft. If you have included simulator time in the "Total Flight Time" column, be sure to subtract it.
Make certain that the various columns add up. If you log both day and night, then those columns must equal total flight time. Similarly, airplane-single engine and airplane-multiengine should equal the total flight time if you have only flown airplanes. For the average general aviation applicant, dual plus solo/PIC should also total all flight time.
Some pilots take accuracy so seriously that they hire accountants to audit their logbooks. For someone with a lot of logged time, that might be a wise investment rather than have the interviewer discover the error.
Avoid the temptation to "stretch" pilot-in-command time. The airlines have a strict interpretation of PIC. To the air carriers, PIC means literally who has "signed for the aircraft" and is "captain of the ship." Although flight instructors are entitled to log PIC time, that may not hold weight with some employers.
Avoid this well-known scam: Three multiengine instructors occupy a Piper Seminole with a multiengine student in the left front seat. Each barks instructions. "Hey, you're low!" says one CFI. Another says, "Watch your heading!" The third says, "Check your prop sync." All three CFIs claim to log multiengine PIC time.
Be wary of outfits that offer "second-in-command" time for a price. If an enterprise claims to offer SIC time in its old Beech 99 during nightly freight runs for a few bucks, the 99 does not require a two-person crew by its type certificate. Thus, to legally log SIC time, a second crewmember must be specified in the FAA-approved operations specifications. Another hook in this scheme is that the SIC must also be an employee of the company. Thus, if the SIC is paying for the time in the right seat but is not an employee (receiving compensation), then he or she should not be manipulating the controls.
No doubt, your first logbook is pretty messy. Start cleaning up your act today. If your CFI scribbles, then you enter the key information and have the instructor sign it. Some HR people prefer to see corrections lined out with your initials beside the correction instead of correction fluid.
Computer logs? The jury is split on this one. A former chief pilot at Frontier Airlines commented: "A well-kept written log is like a shined pair of shoes in an interview." Nonetheless, computer logs are becoming widely accepted, especially since the data can be "massaged" to fulfill specific requests.
Keep logbook information pertinent and professional. It's inappropriate to state in the "Remarks" that on a certain date you joined the Mile High Club in a Cessna 182.
Do not dodge any checkride failures! Your CFI must insert endorsements for additional training, and the interviewer will be looking for those.
There are several crucial steps to earning that job. Applications and logbooks are just two in the paperwork game.
Wayne Phillips is an airline transport pilot with a Boeing 737 type rating and is a designated pilot examiner in Colorado. He is a speaker for the AOPA Air Safety Foundation.
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