Should I get instructor rating?
Joined: Oct 2007
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 1,027
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From: Wherever I go, there I am
Every company (or recruiter) is different. Some won't look at your resume without a cover letter, while others won't take a glance at the cover letter and go straight to the resume. I've worked alongside both types of recruiters. When possible, I tried to always read a cover letter. I felt that's where I was reading about the individual. It told me more of a story than the person. I got to see insight into how the person spoke (most pilots write as they would speak), how they view themselves as a professional and individual, and what they felt made a good pilot and fit for the company. I felt I saw more of what the person could bring to a company beyond simply flying an airplane, which anyone with a pulse and a license can do (well, for the most part). After a while I learned to tell who took the time to research the company or who simply threw our company name into a template created for 50 different operators. A cover letter is good for expanding on your experience that may not be immediately obvious to the recruiter. In your example, many recruiters may not know how a field like paramedicine would apply to aviation. They may dismiss such experience without a cover letter. I'll admit, I wouldn't have known until I came across my first experience with someone transferring from medicine to aviation, but that's why most operators have a recruiting team. A cover letter is used to sell yourself where your resume may not indicate relevant experience, so, yes, it can make a difference to those who view them. But you don't know who wants a cover letter or not, unless it is specifically asked for in the ad.
My advice is to always send one unless you're specifically asked not to. In the digital age, a recruiter can decide on their own to look or not. It takes a little more time for you, but it could be the part of the package that gets you the job.
My advice is to always send one unless you're specifically asked not to. In the digital age, a recruiter can decide on their own to look or not. It takes a little more time for you, but it could be the part of the package that gets you the job.
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2016
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 82
Likes: 1
From: Ontario
Every company (or recruiter) is different. Some won't look at your resume without a cover letter, while others won't take a glance at the cover letter and go straight to the resume. I've worked alongside both types of recruiters. When possible, I tried to always read a cover letter. I felt that's where I was reading about the individual. It told me more of a story than the person. I got to see insight into how the person spoke (most pilots write as they would speak), how they view themselves as a professional and individual, and what they felt made a good pilot and fit for the company. I felt I saw more of what the person could bring to a company beyond simply flying an airplane, which anyone with a pulse and a license can do (well, for the most part). After a while I learned to tell who took the time to research the company or who simply threw our company name into a template created for 50 different operators. A cover letter is good for expanding on your experience that may not be immediately obvious to the recruiter. In your example, many recruiters may not know how a field like paramedicine would apply to aviation. They may dismiss such experience without a cover letter. I'll admit, I wouldn't have known until I came across my first experience with someone transferring from medicine to aviation, but that's why most operators have a recruiting team. A cover letter is used to sell yourself where your resume may not indicate relevant experience, so, yes, it can make a difference to those who view them. But you don't know who wants a cover letter or not, unless it is specifically asked for in the ad.
My advice is to always send one unless you're specifically asked not to. In the digital age, a recruiter can decide on their own to look or not. It takes a little more time for you, but it could be the part of the package that gets you the job.
My advice is to always send one unless you're specifically asked not to. In the digital age, a recruiter can decide on their own to look or not. It takes a little more time for you, but it could be the part of the package that gets you the job.
Fleet Manager
Joined: Aug 2006
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 7,081
Likes: 2,938
From: Ontario, Canada
If you think that a cover letter is important (and I do) then I hope that you think that taking the time to make it personal is worth it. I like correspondence to appear to me to be personal, and I will then consider it personally....
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2016
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 82
Likes: 1
From: Ontario
Or I just have no idea how to go about cover letters lol.
Fleet Manager
Joined: Aug 2006
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 7,081
Likes: 2,938
From: Ontario, Canada
I'm no expert in cover letters either, and to be honest, I have never prepared a resume, nor applied for a job ever in my life. I'm about the last person to ask about how to prepare a resume! That said, I have been responsible for hiring and training people, both in aviation and other industries. First impressions are important. Is my first impression of you to be a letter with my company name, my position in the company, and maybe even my name on it? (you thought to personalize it) Or, a less thought out "to whom it may concern" (which was photocopied to everyone)? Two otherwise same resumes on my desk? The one which has my company name/my name, and your handwritten signature on it gets picked up first.
Joined: Oct 2007
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 120
From: Wherever I go, there I am
There is a reason professionals pay money for someone else to design a cover letter and resume! Many people don't have a clue where to start, and most of us have to battle through a few versions of our cover letters and resumes before we find one that starts yielding results. What I mean is, don't beat yourself up if it seems like you don't know where to start. We've all been there.
While your experience may not change from one employer to another, how you use that experience in the workplace will vary considerably. The majority of a cover letter will be similar, on that you are correct. That's why you have to research the company you want to apply to. That's how you make the letter personal. Pilot DAR, like always, hit the nail on the head for how to get started:
I was never the guy who had his name on Pilot Career Centre or AvCanada as the contact for hiring, it was always the Chief Pilot. That's the first part of making it personal: who is Chief Pilot or, failing that, the recruiter. That immediately you've proves you've taken at least 30 seconds to find out who runs the show. The next part is, did you dig a little deeper to find our what parts of your skillset the company may want from a pilot, but that they don't advertise. Let's take some non-specific examples to see how this plays out: a bush operator, a corporate operator, and an airline. This runs long, and I don't mean to suggest you do this for every job, but rather it gives you an idea of what I thought about when I finally got the hang of writing a cover letter.
The bush position will be for a company that requires a fair amount of heavy lifting, early starts, late finishes, going in and out of the cold, and some on-demand flying. You'll be flying to remote locations in non-ATC environments with very limited support (if any) from the company, likely with limited navigation aids save for a panel-mounted GPS and your eyes, and with (or without) up-to-date weather information for the locations you'd be flying to. It may include rotation work or week-long stays at a base camp, and will likely include some mix of passenger and cargo flying, Landing on pavement will be a luxury you will have maybe at the beginning and end of the day. The focus applying to a location here is stamina and ability to follow directions, taking the initiative, and learning quickly. What do you have in your past that would be an asset to a bush pilot?
The corporate position will be for a company that has a very varied route structure, if you can call it a structure at all. Regardless, you'll likely be responsible for flight planning and, in some smaller locations, you'll be responsible for obtaining flight and overfly permits, visas, customs declarations, et cetera. You'll have to be at least familiar with Canadian and American airspace, if not higher level considerations such as RVSM and, if you're lucky, oceanic operations. You'll be on some form of on-off period, and when you're on, it could be 24 hours notice or 20 minutes notice to go flying. You could be flying for 1 hour or find yourself on the other side of the world. In some corporate positions, saying no to a trip is not an option (especially if you stay on long enough to get those sweet end-of-year bonuses that can amount to your yearly pay). The good corporate pilots have the airplane ready to go whenever the client wants to go flying. The best corporate pilots have the airplane ready and the cabin stocked with the clients favourite drinks, magazines, and snacks - some play the part of pilot, buttler, and confidante. They learn about clients work and family and can converse about a variety of topics should the client want. They learn to anticipate when the client may want to go flying based on their business and what is happening in the news cycle for that industry. The focus here is on attention to detail, taking the initiative, being nimble, a people person, and available at a moments notice. What do you have in your past that would make you a successful corporate pilot?
Finally you have the airline position. The airline environment is very structured, and you will be expected to follow standard procedures to the letter. The focus is on safety and on-time-performance above all else. You will operate within a set, but varied, route structure with more resources that you could ever hope to know in your head. Knowing where to find information is often more important than knowing that information. You will know your schedule a month in advance and will either hold reserve (they call you) or a block (anywhere from 1 to 5 days of flying). You will be part of a team: 2 pilots and maybe a few flight attendants. Your job is to fit in with that team, and knowing what someone is expected to do at what time is key. Risks are evaluated well ahead of time; the focus when airborne is a loose term called flight optimization - ensuring we get to destination by the scheduled time using the least amount of fuel and giving the passengers the smoothest ride possible. The focus here is strict adherence to procedure and attention to detail. What do you have in your past that would make you a successful airline pilot?
As you can see, there are differences, but similarities. The recruiter knows you don't have a lot of flight experience, so they're looking to see what other experiences you bring that will benefit their operation that is not necessarily involved in flight ops. Only you know how your previous experience could help them, and that's how you make it personal from you to them. It doesn't need to be long. My last cover letter was 5 paragraphs:
I don't think you would need the fourth paragraph at this time. For me, I used that to highlight my experience with record and document control, supervisory duties, and training program development, among other things. You could use it to highlight other aspects in your past to do the same, but you'd want to be very selective and careful at this point in your career. You don't want to make it seem like fixing to be the next Chief Pilot or Training Captain. But, you could say something that alludes to your previous instructing history and that you'd like to continue down that avenue when you and the company feel you've developed enough as a pilot to move further with the company...something like that.
While your experience may not change from one employer to another, how you use that experience in the workplace will vary considerably. The majority of a cover letter will be similar, on that you are correct. That's why you have to research the company you want to apply to. That's how you make the letter personal. Pilot DAR, like always, hit the nail on the head for how to get started:
Is my first impression of you to be a letter with my company name, my position in the company, and maybe even my name on it? (you thought to personalize it) Or, a less thought out "to whom it may concern" (which was photocopied to everyone)? Two otherwise same resumes on my desk? The one which has my company name/my name, and your handwritten signature on it gets picked up first.
The bush position will be for a company that requires a fair amount of heavy lifting, early starts, late finishes, going in and out of the cold, and some on-demand flying. You'll be flying to remote locations in non-ATC environments with very limited support (if any) from the company, likely with limited navigation aids save for a panel-mounted GPS and your eyes, and with (or without) up-to-date weather information for the locations you'd be flying to. It may include rotation work or week-long stays at a base camp, and will likely include some mix of passenger and cargo flying, Landing on pavement will be a luxury you will have maybe at the beginning and end of the day. The focus applying to a location here is stamina and ability to follow directions, taking the initiative, and learning quickly. What do you have in your past that would be an asset to a bush pilot?
The corporate position will be for a company that has a very varied route structure, if you can call it a structure at all. Regardless, you'll likely be responsible for flight planning and, in some smaller locations, you'll be responsible for obtaining flight and overfly permits, visas, customs declarations, et cetera. You'll have to be at least familiar with Canadian and American airspace, if not higher level considerations such as RVSM and, if you're lucky, oceanic operations. You'll be on some form of on-off period, and when you're on, it could be 24 hours notice or 20 minutes notice to go flying. You could be flying for 1 hour or find yourself on the other side of the world. In some corporate positions, saying no to a trip is not an option (especially if you stay on long enough to get those sweet end-of-year bonuses that can amount to your yearly pay). The good corporate pilots have the airplane ready to go whenever the client wants to go flying. The best corporate pilots have the airplane ready and the cabin stocked with the clients favourite drinks, magazines, and snacks - some play the part of pilot, buttler, and confidante. They learn about clients work and family and can converse about a variety of topics should the client want. They learn to anticipate when the client may want to go flying based on their business and what is happening in the news cycle for that industry. The focus here is on attention to detail, taking the initiative, being nimble, a people person, and available at a moments notice. What do you have in your past that would make you a successful corporate pilot?
Finally you have the airline position. The airline environment is very structured, and you will be expected to follow standard procedures to the letter. The focus is on safety and on-time-performance above all else. You will operate within a set, but varied, route structure with more resources that you could ever hope to know in your head. Knowing where to find information is often more important than knowing that information. You will know your schedule a month in advance and will either hold reserve (they call you) or a block (anywhere from 1 to 5 days of flying). You will be part of a team: 2 pilots and maybe a few flight attendants. Your job is to fit in with that team, and knowing what someone is expected to do at what time is key. Risks are evaluated well ahead of time; the focus when airborne is a loose term called flight optimization - ensuring we get to destination by the scheduled time using the least amount of fuel and giving the passengers the smoothest ride possible. The focus here is strict adherence to procedure and attention to detail. What do you have in your past that would make you a successful airline pilot?
As you can see, there are differences, but similarities. The recruiter knows you don't have a lot of flight experience, so they're looking to see what other experiences you bring that will benefit their operation that is not necessarily involved in flight ops. Only you know how your previous experience could help them, and that's how you make it personal from you to them. It doesn't need to be long. My last cover letter was 5 paragraphs:
- A single intro sentence stating my intent,
- a single sentence that described my then current position, why I was looking to change, followed by a table that outlined how I met the companies specified experience levels,
- a single sentence that outlines the skills I believe make me a hireable asset,
- a three sentence paragraph that highlights additional skills not directly attributable to the job, but that could be used by the company at a later date, and
- a one or two sentence concluding paragraph.
I don't think you would need the fourth paragraph at this time. For me, I used that to highlight my experience with record and document control, supervisory duties, and training program development, among other things. You could use it to highlight other aspects in your past to do the same, but you'd want to be very selective and careful at this point in your career. You don't want to make it seem like fixing to be the next Chief Pilot or Training Captain. But, you could say something that alludes to your previous instructing history and that you'd like to continue down that avenue when you and the company feel you've developed enough as a pilot to move further with the company...something like that.
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2016
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 82
Likes: 1
From: Ontario
I saw that and have applied. I'm totally ok with committing as having kids here means I'm not going to move away quickly, not after living here for Five years.. But sadly, haven't heard back
Joined: Oct 2007
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 120
From: Wherever I go, there I am
Give it time. Hiring is boom and bust, and not just by numbers. I can't remember if I said it earlier, but a company will tell you this week that they have no open positions and they don't expect any in the near future, but the next week they're asking if you could start tomorrow. Somewhere like Ornge is big enough that they may very well have a hiring planning day - a day where HR and Flight Ops gets together to go through the pilot resumes and pick out people to interview or offer jobs to. That's how we did it when I was last involved. There were three of us involved, and we'd each take a stack of resumes to go through at 0900. At 1100 we'd make our initial decisions and by 1300 the interview offers went out. At a busy time we would do that twice a month, but during lighter times (the peak seasons for an airline) we would only do it once a month. Unlucky was the pilot who applied to a position the day after we did one of these as it might be a full month before they heard anything other than the "we received your resume" that we would send out.
Thread Starter
Joined: Apr 2016
Aviation Qualifications: CPL
Posts: 82
Likes: 1
From: Ontario
Give it time. Hiring is boom and bust, and not just by numbers. I can't remember if I said it earlier, but a company will tell you this week that they have no open positions and they don't expect any in the near future, but the next week they're asking if you could start tomorrow. Somewhere like Ornge is big enough that they may very well have a hiring planning day - a day where HR and Flight Ops gets together to go through the pilot resumes and pick out people to interview or offer jobs to. That's how we did it when I was last involved. There were three of us involved, and we'd each take a stack of resumes to go through at 0900. At 1100 we'd make our initial decisions and by 1300 the interview offers went out. At a busy time we would do that twice a month, but during lighter times (the peak seasons for an airline) we would only do it once a month. Unlucky was the pilot who applied to a position the day after we did one of these as it might be a full month before they heard anything other than the "we received your resume" that we would send out.
Joined: Oct 2007
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 1,027
Likes: 120
From: Wherever I go, there I am
Every job ad is different. Sometimes it'll be for 1 position, other times it is multiple positions. That's the unfortunate part of applying - you don't know. As for who puts up the job ad, that all depends on the size of the company. At a larger company, the staff budget is set on an annual basis with hiring requirements set by Flight Ops. Once a position is required, flight ops would advise HR who would be the ones who handle the recruiting process. At smaller companies, that may all be one person. I'd think Ornge would be the former.
With that said, Mrs.+TSRA works at a large corporate outfit and they just had a scenario almost what you describe - management hired a pilot, bypassing both HR and Flight Ops, because that pilot was friends with the CFO. Normal vetting was not done, and it turns out he was not a pilot the chief pilot would have hired. The pilot has since left the company. So yeah, that happens too, but I would imagine not at a company like Ornge.
With that said, Mrs.+TSRA works at a large corporate outfit and they just had a scenario almost what you describe - management hired a pilot, bypassing both HR and Flight Ops, because that pilot was friends with the CFO. Normal vetting was not done, and it turns out he was not a pilot the chief pilot would have hired. The pilot has since left the company. So yeah, that happens too, but I would imagine not at a company like Ornge.
