I agree, Ken. Good time to interview the Hiring Manager too, to help determine your fit in the organization. Asking questions as a potential employee is part of a healthy interview. The interview shouldn’t be a one sided street.
Put PP ASEL on non aviation resume?
- Thread starter exncsurfer
- Start date
NAUI? Of course not. Now cave and nitrox certs from NACD, NSS-CDS, and IANTD, on the other hand, should definitely be included...
I've been an engineering hiring manager and still do quite a few interviews, reviews of resumes, etc. I want to see a candidate who has some breadth in the form of outside interests and skills, but a short list under a heading that says "Other interests" is plenty. Don't write me a freakin' paragraph about your hobby on what should be a professional resume.
Just say "ham radio," for example; don't write that you hold an Extra class license and have your DXCC award and enjoy working QRP and digital modes and serve as a VE and....
Just say "ham radio," for example; don't write that you hold an Extra class license and have your DXCC award and enjoy working QRP and digital modes and serve as a VE and....
timwinters
Ejection Handle Pulled
I have it on mine. Just something to show I’m definitely a complete engineering nerd
FTFY
(And I, too, am guilty as charged)
I have it on my resume and, to answer Ravioli's question, I did a LOT of hiring in in my past corporate lives...
Somone who's not a pilot likely won't understand what it entails though.
It helped me a couple of construction management consulting gigs because they understood that it increased my mobility.
Last edited:
I know at a lot of airlines they want to see what you’ve done outside of aviation and want a diverse candidate. I’d assume the same is true for other non aviation companies. I’d put it down.
Unfortunately, you really can't tell with some of the online job applications.
Rushie
En-Route
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2006
- Messages
- 3,017
- Display Name
Display name:
Rushie
Probably depends but if they ask for hobbies and interests I'd spell out "private pilot" or something, not "PPL SEL" because yes that would seem pretentious.
But in the case of hubby when the CEO was a private pilot himself it was a plus. On the other hand if you're interviewing with someone who's got a NIMBY issue with the local GA airport near his home it might not be a plus.
Know something about the people you are applying for a job with and act accordingly.
But in the case of hubby when the CEO was a private pilot himself it was a plus. On the other hand if you're interviewing with someone who's got a NIMBY issue with the local GA airport near his home it might not be a plus.
Know something about the people you are applying for a job with and act accordingly.
labbadabba
Pattern Altitude
Yep.
For that matter anything that gives me resume some color. Like a was a full time opera singer (still sing professionally part time). I list my CAP membership and that I fly relief missions for Pilots and Paws.
Almost ever interview I've had, my flying and my singing have come up. I think employers are more interested in well-rounded individuals. Something unusual on the resume will make you stand out.
For that matter anything that gives me resume some color. Like a was a full time opera singer (still sing professionally part time). I list my CAP membership and that I fly relief missions for Pilots and Paws.
Almost ever interview I've had, my flying and my singing have come up. I think employers are more interested in well-rounded individuals. Something unusual on the resume will make you stand out.
Last edited:
I had one of those 50-60 hr week jobs (2016) and booked a total of 14.3 hours that year, and everyone of them was for Young Eagles. Cancelled my vacation plans, didn't go to my cousin's graduation from Med school, etc. Which is why I quit.
As a former manager (more than 40 people reporting to me on a USAF software contract) as well as a member of another Major aerospace company's college,recruiting team, I'm not interested in your hobbies. I'm not interested in your life style unless it gets in the way of delivering a quality product on time and in spec. Feel free to do anything and everything outside of work, that's not any of my business. I also don't believe in non-stop 50-60 hr weeks. Once in a while we all need the spurt for some reason or another. But being in a continuous mode of overtime and panic means TPTB don't know what they're doing.
Also remember that very few outside aviation know anything about learning to fly and the level of effort.
On the other hand, military pilot reference on a resume is something completely different. Shouldn't be, but it is.
I don't even have a hobbies and additional interest section on my resume. And education is at the bottom (except when I apply for a faculty gig)
Brad Z
Final Approach
When I was in the IT/project management world I included private pilot on my resume. If someone circular filed my resume as a result I'd probably consider that a blessing. As a IT hiring manager, so many programmers are one dimensional that someone who has other interests (even something as simple as tambourine player) is going to stand out from the other resumes with nothing interesting. I once interviewed a programmer whose resume mentioned that he was a glider pilot. Guess what we chatted about for probably 15 minutes or so?
I interviewed a guy with it on his resume last year. In the middle of his interview I asked him to tell me about the airspace above his house (he had his address on the resume). He wasn’t able to. We didn’t hire him, but it wasn’t because of missing that question.
Tantalum
Final Approach
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2017
- Messages
- 9,250
- Display Name
Display name:
San_Diego_Pilot
To be honest I haven't applied for a job in about 10 years, and as it is I feel like resumes have grown into 5 page CVs, but I think I would still include it. It shows you are dynamic, etc., and I think to most non pilot people telling them you are a pilot carries with it some "default" merits like "oh, this person is obviously smart, rational, disciplined, etc." <- although maybe that last part belongs in the "unsubstantiated things that you believe anyway" thread lol
Tantalum
Final Approach
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2017
- Messages
- 9,250
- Display Name
Display name:
San_Diego_Pilot
^or maybe your hiring manager is actually a pilot himself, and it can make for a good ice breaker
I wonder how much he flew. Maybe the occasional weekend warrior VFR guy would have trouble with that... but I mean if you fly even a remotely descent amount (like, 40 hrs a year) I think you would be familiar enough with your local airspace to know roughly what your house is under... wonder if he got a license at one point but hasn't flown in a decade...
Katamarino
Pattern Altitude
I include "Commercially rated pilot" and a few words about my charity flights (to about half of Africa so far) under other interests. After I arrived at my latest job, my manager's boss remarked "Ah yes, you're the pilot" so it evidently stuck in his memory. I've been asked to give presentations at work about it, and my company actually gave me 4 months to go and do the Africa flight.
Tantalum
Final Approach
- Joined
- Feb 22, 2017
- Messages
- 9,250
- Display Name
Display name:
San_Diego_Pilot
Yeah... that's a pretty big one to miss!
Either he hasn't flown in 10 years and keeps it on there cuz he thinks it's cool, or he has abysmal situational awareness, in which case he shouldn't be a pilot anyway hahah
To be fair I think I asked what the bottom of the bravo shelf was above his house and he had no idea. Didn’t even guess at a couple possibilities.
I got the impression he hadn’t flown in awhile.
N747JB
Final Approach
I do some hiring, mostly managers and it would certainly help spark the conversation. Of course, if we are in my office the candidate will be asking me about all the airplane models and pictures anyway!! I would add private pilot as interests or notes, leave off the details of hours etc.
paflyer
Final Approach
Resume, probably not unless it's related somehow to the job (engineer at avionics mfr, for example) ; hiring mgrs and HR pukes not in the know might see it as "risky" and affect their WC policy. Plus, resume real estate is expensive if you have a significant work history.
My LinkedIn profile does include my certs (not hours- that's pretentious unless it's a flying gig) and my EAA volunteer leadership experience since it's "free" and might generate interest from a like-minded recruiter.
My LinkedIn profile does include my certs (not hours- that's pretentious unless it's a flying gig) and my EAA volunteer leadership experience since it's "free" and might generate interest from a like-minded recruiter.
unsafervguy
En-Route
Your no pilot, you forgot big watch.......
SkyDog58
Ejection Handle Pulled
- Joined
- Jun 11, 2015
- Messages
- 14,600
- Location
- My own special place.
- Display Name
Display name:
Canis Non Grata
I include my pilot certificate and ratings on my resume but I am an aviation maintenance professional so I believe it adds value. What I don’t include are any other interests and hobbies. The fact that I might enjoy travel, play golf, hike, camp, hunt, etc. have no relevance to the job so they add no value to the resume.
I have found in the last decade or more that many companies do not even accept an applicant’s own resume anymore. They all want you to complete their online application / resume builder which is used for data mining and automatic scoring. I know that many HR departments love this but that many hiring managers do not.
In the past I have been hired based on my resume alone. After hiring, I was sometimes asked to fill out the company application form as a matter of formality. These days, if you don’t use their online form, you have no chance.
I have found in the last decade or more that many companies do not even accept an applicant’s own resume anymore. They all want you to complete their online application / resume builder which is used for data mining and automatic scoring. I know that many HR departments love this but that many hiring managers do not.
In the past I have been hired based on my resume alone. After hiring, I was sometimes asked to fill out the company application form as a matter of formality. These days, if you don’t use their online form, you have no chance.
Rushie
En-Route
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2006
- Messages
- 3,017
- Display Name
Display name:
Rushie
Kind of hard to understand. Anyone who has ever had a PPL or even just got far enough into lessons to do cross countries I would think would automatically have an awareness of the airspace above his own house for the rest of his life. Like Bruce has said, aviation is like herpes once it gets into your blood. But to be fair I understand not remembering the exact shelf, I don't carry around those kinds of numbers in my head years after I've flown, so I think your diagnosis is right.
Rushie
En-Route
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2006
- Messages
- 3,017
- Display Name
Display name:
Rushie
This is true and also applies to a lot of government agencies. You can still network real humans and get your foot in the door via someone you know, but at some point they will ask you to fill out the online application as a formality.
Ted
The pilot formerly known as Twin Engine Ted
- Joined
- Oct 9, 2007
- Messages
- 30,006
- Display Name
Display name:
iFlyNothing
I put my pilot certs on my non-aviation resumes, but I work in the aviation industry (just not as a pilot) so it's considered a positive. I would include it. You'd be surprised how many other pilots you run into, and pilots generally want to hire other pilots. If nothing else, it means there's someone else to talk about aviation with.