First Officer Pilot Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this First Officer Pilot resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
First officers are the right-hand men and women of captains and other senior pilots. They’re the ones at the controls, flying the plane and taking care of passengers. And they’re usually the ones who get the most face time with passengers.
First officers are often new pilots who are still building their resumes. Or they might be experienced pilots making a career switch. Either way, first officers have to have an eye-catching resume that will convince hiring managers that they’ve got what it takes to be an effective pilot. Here are some tips and an example to help you write yours.
How to Write a First Officer Pilot Resume
Here’s how to write a resume of your own.
Write Compelling Bullet Points
Bullet points are the most important part of your resume because they’re the first thing recruiters will see. And if they’re not compelling, you’ll lose the opportunity to make a stronger impression in the resume summary or the rest of the document.
So it’s crucial that you use bullet points to showcase your experience, skills, and accomplishments. And the best way to do that is by using specific details and numbers. For example, rather than saying you “flew planes,” you could say you “flew Boeing 737-800 aircraft on daily shuttle flights between New York and Boston, transporting over 200 passengers per flight.”
The second bullet point is much more interesting and provides more detail about what you did and the results of your work.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a first officer pilot role, your resume is likely to go through an applicant tracking system (ATS). This system will scan your resume for certain keywords related to the job, like “flight planning” or “airport operations.” If your resume doesn’t have enough of the right terms, the ATS might discard your application.
To increase your chances of getting an interview, use this list of common first officer pilot keywords as a guide:
- Flight Safety
- Aviation
- Commercial Aviation
- Airlines
- Flight Planning
- Flight Training
- Aviation Regulations
- Piloting
- Airports
- Flight Operations
- CFI
- JetBlue
- Instrument Rated Pilot
- Aviation Safety
- FAA
- Operational Planning
- Military Aviation
- Single Pilot
- International Air Transport Association (IATA)
- Flight Instruction
- Military
- Boeing 737
- Teamwork
- Teaching
- Leadership
- Customer Service
- Communication
- Microsoft Access
- Management
- 5S
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a first officer pilot, you need to be proficient in the use of various software programs and systems. This might include flight planning software, aircraft performance software, and weather forecasting software. Additionally, you need to be familiar with the various types of aircraft systems, such as the navigation system, the electrical system, and the hydraulic system.
Recruiters are looking for first officer pilots who are comfortable using technology and are familiar with the various software programs and systems used in the aviation industry. So if you have experience with any of these programs or systems, be sure to list them on your resume.