Entering Business Aviation, Part IV: Crafting a Resume

 

There is no "one-size fits all" rйsumй that will guarantee success. In my many years of reviewing pilot and, later, flight attendant rйsumйs I have seen submitted anything from multipage treatises to two paragraph summations. As a private flight attendant, your rйsumй should fall somewhere in between: a one page copy is the preferred length in this industry.

1. Your name

2. Your complete address: house or apartment number, street, city, state, zip and country if applying internationally.

3. Your home phone number.

4. Your cell phone or secondary number such as a fax machine.

5. Your email address.

This information should be centered for easy reading and your copy should be on white or off white paper. No fancy fonts, no loud colors, nothing to make it stand out. Why? More than likely it will be trashed if it is not visually appealing. Trust me: in business aviation, which is generally a very conservative field, the flamboyant self promoter is often ignored.

After you write your Objective, you should follow up with your work history. Please, if you have been working for many years, you might want to consider limiting your information to the last ten years. A rйsumй is not your job history, rather it is a summation of who you are and what you bring to the table. Save the nitty gritty details for the application form. This is particularly important if you are over 40: do not kid yourself by thinking that age discrimination does not occur. You want to get the interview and then work on getting the job during the interview. In some situations you will not even get the interview if someone finds out that you are 49. Is this legal? Usually, no. Is it provable? You probably will never find out.

Other personal information: In most states giving out one's marital status, age, height and weight is illegal. If you are applying for work overseas the company or agency may want this information in addition to a full length picture of yourself and a headshot. I have heard objections from some about this particular practice. Remember: the U. S. Bill of Rights stops at our borders. If you want to work internationally, you must respect local laws and customs. Your opinion will probably not shape what they want; if you do not like it then do not apply.

College and universities are key institutions where many get their first try at crafting a rйsumй. I like what the University at Buffalo School of Management has to say about writing a rйsumй:

Do:

* Do try to fit your rйsumй on one page

* Do leave an appropriate amount of margin space (1/2 - 1 inch is good, no less than ј inch)

* Do use positive action verbs to highlight your skills

* Do use the present tense for current activities and the past tense for previous experiences

* Do place important items in the most prominent areas of your rйsumй

* Do proofread your rйsumй for spelling, punctuation, grammatical, and typographical errors

* Do make sure your rйsumй is neatly typed and letter perfect

* Do be honest and accurate in the facts you give on your rйsumй

* Do be Positive!

Do Not:

* Do not write RЙSUMЙ on top of the page

* Do not use "I," "Me," or any abbreviations!

* Do not date the rйsumй, attach advertisements, or list salary requirements

* Do not leave out volunteer or other experiences where you have demonstrated relevant skills

* Do not give any false information

Have others proofread your copy and do not be offended by their suggestions or comments. Consider all comments and suggestions for change; if you are rigid about your rйsumй you may be too rigid for this industry. Remember, there is no "one-size fits all" rйsumй; your copy, however, should accurately reflect what you are all about and what you can do for the company.

 



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