"1337", Job Search Etiquette, Resumes and You

derg

Apparently a "terse" writer
Staff member
Not that I'm a job search guru or the "Tony Robbins" of finding a job in this economy but I get a lot of feedback from quite a few different people that are looking for pilots from time to time.

Some common things I've been hearing from a major pilot application service and other people that are looking for good people to fill pilot jobs.

1. Consider the market. There are A LOT of people looking for jobs today and the dynamics that we were able to enjoy a few years ago when "Have license, will fly" was enough to score you an interview do not exist today. Look sharp, be upstanding and in any correspondence with a potential employer, triple check it.

2. Grammar counts. You're not SMS'ing your BFF, responding to a forum post, or "Twittering" (Gosh, I hate even hearing about Twitter because it's doofus and over publicized), you're basically representing yourself in words. Write in complete sentences, use proper grammar and keep in mind that your reader is going to form a "profile" of you by what you say. They don't have time to give you the benefit of the doubt, especially in this economy.

3. Spelling Counts -- even the most basic telephone will spell check your text messages, you'd better be damned sure your resume and cover letter (see below) has proper spelling, punctuation and grammar. There aren't any excuses for this in 2009. Forum postings, well, those are semi-excluded ;)

4. Cover letters, people! Don't just email your resume in an attachment. If the employer wants you to send a CV or resume, attach it to a well-written email, highlighting what job you're interested in, a little about yourself and THEN attach your resume to the email. Do not simply attach a resume to a blank email and hit 'send'.

5. Remember, even though you're "OneOfTheGoodGuysB787PilotWithLoadsOfExperienceAndAGreatAttitude" on the forum, when you apply for a job, you're largely a "John Doe" and the way you present yourself in your cover letter and your resume is very important.

If I was going to walk a resume into the chief pilots office for you, and even though you're a great person, highly recommended, but you can't reflect that by taking the time out to take items 1 thru 4 seriously, you've just wrecked any confidence the chief pilot may have in the applicants I bring to him.

If I WAS the chief pilot, I'd be fit-to-be-tied that my friend didn't take the time and give due diligence to make himself look as professional and worthy of consideration.

Please, take this constructively. Remember to "pay it forward" and godspeed to us all in this economy.
 
Wonderful advice.

But, you know what, some people just suck.

No amount of guidance or suggestions could help them.

More importantly, when they flood the bucket with haphazard cover letters and resumes, it makes it much easier for those of us with the real skill and knowledge to stand out. In the military we called that . . .wait for it. . .Professionalism.

So be it. . .
 
Wonderful advice.

But, you know what, some people just suck.

No amount of guidance or suggestions could help them.

More importantly, when they flood the bucket with haphazard cover letters and resumes, it makes it much easier for those of us with the real skill and knowledge to stand out. In the military we called that . . .wait for it. . .Professionalism.

So be it. . .

But there's this 'circle of life' that I'm trying to preserve. The more "junk" people send to potential employers, the less value they find in even posting an opportunity on the website.

If we can all collectively get our crap together and stop sending out emails worded like a drunken forum posting, TXT MSG, employers and others thriving to pay-it-forward will find more value in posting opportunities on the website.
 
That's debateable boss.

Companies need good, professional employees. They're not going to stop posting job opportunities online because that's where they get 75% of their applicants.

Like I said, it's not a detriment to the company. The only people they are hurting are themselves by not properly following directions or making themselves look like a fool.

So be it. Makes it easier for the good guys. I love the opportunity to compare myself to a recent HS graduate who barely made it through school, and then my own life and professional experiences. It's not a tough sell at that point.

Now, are we talking about YOUR website or job posting websites?

Even if it's JC we're talking about here - then I see what you're doing crystal clear. You want companies to feel that the quality of members is worth their time. Inspirational and certainly appreciated. But let's not hide behind the fact that anyone can register - anyone.

I continued the above thought, but was disconnected. Essentially, it's tough to explain to someone who wants everything spoon fed to them that they themselves actually need to take the time to present themselves, in person and in print, that they are indeed a professional and are qualified for the position. If they fail at that, so be it, someone before or after them will make them look like an idiot and THAT will be the person who lands the job.
 
If we can all collectively get our crap together and stop sending out emails worded like a drunken forum posting, TXT MSG, employers and others thriving to pay-it-forward will find more value in posting opportunities on the website.

Are you being serious...as in do people actually do this?
 
I only bring up the CV vs Resume thing because most jobs of late say send a CV and Resume :dunno:. When I was looking for work I sent CVs and a Resume, had more than one ask what the CV was and why I sent it instead of a cover letter.

The expectation goes both ways, if employers want qualified applicants make the job posting clear and not full of grammatical errors (actually saw one for a pilot position but a requirement was computer skills with one item being a datebase, I don't know what a datebase is).
 
Are you being serious...as in do people actually do this?

Yes. Yes and YES. YESSSSSSSSSSSSS :panic:

Whenever I see my friend from airlineapps, it's about all he talks about.

"Hey, so how's that Mad Dog captain thing goin' for ya?"

"Let me tell you about some of the applications we've been getting...."

Now I'm getting feedback from several other people as well.
 
It was fun talking to my brother in law (also my boss) at my non-aviation job reviewing resumes for an internship (which pays a $32k/year salary, although its only for the summer) . I did interviews as a supervisor at a previous job, but I've never screened through a pile of resumes. Almost 100 resumes from the nearby university. Each one gets a quick read through, first pass eliminates spelling and grammar problems (and a few other things).

On the one hand, its scary that a great employee could be getting tossed aside. On the other hand...your resume is more important to you than any work project will be. Your resume is a reflection of how you work, and in reality it's probably even BETTER than the work you will produce. If you didn't bother to read your resume through..."there" or "their" could mean you wont even get called by some employers.
 
Yes they do. I'll hit the delete button on at least 25% of the "I want a job" emails before giving them much more than a cursory glance.

Yes. Yes and YES. YESSSSSSSSSSSSS :panic:

Whenever I see my friend from airlineapps, it's about all he talks about.

"Hey, so how's that Mad Dog captain thing goin' for ya?"

"Let me tell you about some of the applications we've been getting...."

Now I'm getting feedback from several other people as well.

WOW, I'm shocked quite honestly. I've always been taught to use proper grammar, spelling, and follow directions when applying for a job. I'm 18 and I feel 'old school' about it now....:dunno:
 
Doug, the feedback you got is downright embarrassing. It's said that one is judged by the company they keep, and I'm not too proud of the company at the moment.
 
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