Pilot Resume Example & Writing Guide
Use this Pilot resume example and guide to improve your career and write a powerful resume that will separate you from the competition.
Pilots are responsible for the safe operation of aircraft. They fly planes, helicopters, and other aerial vehicles on scheduled and chartered flights, transporting passengers and cargo from one place to another.
If you love airplanes and have always dreamed of flying for a living, becoming a pilot could be the perfect career move for you. But before you can land your dream job, you’ll need an incredible pilot resume to help you stand out from the pack. Here are some tips and an example to help you write yours.
How to Write a Pilot Resume
Here’s how to write a pilot 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 and hiring managers will read. And if they’re not compelling, you’ll lose the opportunity to make a strong impression.
So it’s crucial that you use them 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 “managed a team of 10 employees,” you could say you “managed a team of 10 employees, achieving a 15% increase in productivity over six-month period.”
The second bullet point is much more specific and provides a clear sense of the scale of the project and the level of success achieved.
Identify and Include Relevant Keywords
When you apply for a pilot role, your resume goes through an applicant tracking system (ATS). This system looks for certain keywords related to the job in order to determine whether you are a good fit. If your resume doesn’t include enough of the right keywords, your application might not make it past the initial screening process.
One way to make sure your resume contains the right keywords is to read through the job posting and take note of the terms that are used most frequently. Then, you can incorporate those same terms into your resume. Here are some common pilot keywords:
- Flight Safety
- Aviation
- Piloting
- Commercial Aviation
- Flight Planning
- Airworthiness
- Aviation Regulations
- Aircraft Maintenance
- Helicopters
- Flight Management
- Aircraft Systems
- Aeronautics
- Air Transport
- Military
- Flight Training
- Military Aviation
- Flight Crew
- Maintenance & Repair
- Military Operations
- Operating Aircraft
- Flight Safety Auditing
- Civil Aviation
- Airports
- Air Traffic Control
- Single Pilot
- Airports Operations
- Aviation Security
- Passenger Handling
- Airline Operations
- Aircraft Maintenance Management
Showcase Your Technical Skills
As a pilot, you rely on a variety of technologies to help you complete your flights. Programs like aviation weather software, GPS navigation systems, and in-flight entertainment systems are all essential to your work. Additionally, pilots need to be familiar with aviation regulations and safety procedures. So if you have experience with any of these programs or systems, be sure to list them on your resume.