| Writing a résumé can be one of the most | | | | should be mentioned as well including: food service, |
| daunting parts of any job search. Quite frankly, it is one | | | | wine courses, language training, etc. The training |
| of the most important elements in helping you find | | | | section could easily be titled "Education" and include |
| work. A good résumé can ease doors open while | | | | college degrees and other post high school training as |
| a poorly written one will certainly shut these very | | | | well. |
| same doors. In aviation, there are certain things that | | | | References: Please do not include references on your |
| must be included in a résumé to help you get | | | | résumé! If you feel the need to mention |
| noticed and getting noticed is, of course, the first step | | | | references, please conclude your résumé with |
| toward securing an interview which may lead to | | | | something like this: References furnished upon request. |
| employment. | | | | That's it. Nothing fancy. If you do mention that |
| There is no "one-size fits all" résumé that will | | | | references will be included at a later time please make |
| guarantee success. In my many years of reviewing | | | | sure that you have at least three, be prepared to |
| pilot and, later, flight attendant résumés I have | | | | present them upon request, and make sure your |
| seen submitted everything from multipage treatises to | | | | references know that you are using them as |
| two paragraph summations. As a private flight | | | | references. |
| attendant, your résumé should fall somewhere in | | | | Hobbies: Hmmm.... I am not sure why some people feel |
| between: a one page copy is the preferred length in | | | | the need to include details on how they spend their |
| this industry. | | | | free time. Perhaps they are trying to tell the person |
| The top part of your résumé must include the | | | | reading the résumé that they are a well rounded |
| following: | | | | person. In my opinion, save those details for your |
| 1. Your name | | | | interview. |
| 2. Your complete address: house or apartment | | | | Other personal information: In most states giving out |
| number, street, city, state, zip and country if applying | | | | one's marital status, age, height and weight is illegal. If |
| internationally. | | | | you are applying for work overseas the company or |
| 3. Your home phone number. | | | | agency may want this information in addition to a full |
| 4. Your cell phone or secondary number such as a | | | | length picture of yourself and a headshot. I have heard |
| fax machine. | | | | objections from some about this particular practice. |
| 5. Your email address. | | | | Remember: the U.S. Bill of Rights stops at our borders. |
| This first bit of information should be centered for easy | | | | If you want to work internationally, you must respect |
| reading and your copy should be on white or off white | | | | local laws and customs. Your opinion will probably not |
| paper. No fancy fonts, no loud colors, nothing to make | | | | shape what they want if you do not like it then do not |
| it stand out. Why? More than likely it will be trashed if it | | | | apply. |
| is not visually appealing. Trust me: in business aviation, | | | | College and universities are key institutions where |
| which is generally a very conservative field, the | | | | many get their first try at crafting a résumé. I like |
| flamboyant self promoter is often ignored. | | | | what the University at Buffalo School of Management |
| What follows next is open to debate. Some human | | | | has to say about writing a résumé: |
| resources people insist that you need an Objective on | | | | Do: |
| your résumé while others do not. If you do include | | | | * Do try to fit your résumé on one page |
| an Objective, please write a strong and positive | | | | * Do leave an appropriate amount of margin space (1 |
| statement about your career and job objective, | | | | 2 - 1 inch is good, no less than ¼ inch) |
| concentrating on your strengths and how you can add | | | | * Do use positive action verbs to highlight your skills |
| value to a potential employer. When creating your | | | | * Do use the present tense for current activities and |
| objective, use clear and concise language. One of the | | | | the past tense for previous experiences |
| advantages of including an Objective is that it tends to | | | | * Do place important items in the most prominent |
| set the tone for the entire résumé. Leaving one | | | | areas of your résumé |
| out is sometimes preferable if you are applying for | | | | * Do proofread your résumé for spelling, |
| different positions. Always state in the Objective what | | | | punctuation, grammatical, and typographical errors |
| you can contribute to the company and not what you | | | | * Do make sure your résumé is neatly typed and |
| want to get out of the job or the company. | | | | letter perfect |
| After you write your Objective, you should follow up | | | | * Do be honest and accurate in the facts you give on |
| with your work history. Instead of centering the | | | | your résumé |
| remaining information, align your copy to the left of the | | | | * Do be Positive! |
| page. | | | | Do Not: |
| Work History: Please, if you have been working for | | | | * Do not write RÉSUMÉ on top of the page |
| many years, you might want to consider limiting your | | | | * Do not use "I," "Me," or any abbreviations! |
| information to the last ten years. A résumé is not | | | | * Do not date the résumé, attach advertisements, |
| your job history, rather it is a summation of who you | | | | or list salary requirements |
| are and what you bring to the table. Save the nitty | | | | * Do not leave out volunteer or other experiences |
| gritty details for the application form. This is particularly | | | | where you have demonstrated relevant skills |
| important if you are over 40: do not kid yourself by | | | | * Do not give any false information |
| thinking that age discrimination does not occur. You | | | | * Do not include reasons for changing jobs |
| want to get the interview and then you can work on | | | | Have others proofread your copy and do not be |
| getting the job during the interview. In some situations | | | | offended by their suggestions or comments. Consider |
| you will not even get the interview if someone finds | | | | all comments and suggestions for possible changes to |
| out that you are 49. Is this legal? Usually, no. Is it | | | | your résumé if you are rigid about your |
| provable? You probably will never find out. | | | | résumé you may be too rigid for this industry. |
| Training: After including your work history, you will need | | | | Remember, there is no "one-size fits all" résumé |
| to list your training. If you completed FACTS, Alteon, | | | | your copy, however, should accurately reflect what |
| FlightSafety, Beyond and Above, etc. then spell it out. | | | | you are all about and what you can do for the |
| Include training locations, dates, and a brief synopsis of | | | | company. |
| the training. For example, "emergency egress training, | | | | For more information about the wonderful world of |
| emergency medical procedures, food safety and | | | | business aviation, please visit the internet's premier |
| culinary arts, wine service, etc." Do not write several | | | | independent site for private flight attendants, the |
| paragraphs but do include some information about | | | | Corporate Flight Attendant Community. Links to this |
| what was accomplished during your training. Taking | | | | site and others are listed in the resource box which |
| other types of training related to the field can and | | | | follows. |