What non-flying skills would be useful to a potential employer
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Joined: Dec 1997
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 4,929
Likes: 6
From: Suffolk UK
Assuming your aim is the airlines, you are (potentially) being employed as a driver (airframes), nothing else, and the qualities you must have are related only to that purpose, really. You should look presentable, but we have uniforms to make that easier! You will have a certain minimum intelligence, we hope, and you will have the ability to learn what is required of an airliner captain before you are called upon to be one. You will need the ability to get on with others in a confined space for up to 16 hours at a time, and you will need a degree of diplomacy to work successfully with the various agencies you depend upon to get your job done. You will need to be literate and reasonably lucid.
However, qualities or achievements like languages or MBAs and the like are not required. Don't get me wrong - they'll do you no harm, but they ain't necessary for an airline pilot. If you fancy the bizjet world, though, it's a different matter. There you may have significant responsibilities in the organisation beyond the cockpit, and languages may be crucial in your employer's estimation. Business qualifications may also be a significant advantage when you can share much of your time with the top peeps in the company.
In fact, it's probably fair to say that the smaller the company, the more qualities and qualifications you will need. Basically, it's horses for courses!
However, qualities or achievements like languages or MBAs and the like are not required. Don't get me wrong - they'll do you no harm, but they ain't necessary for an airline pilot. If you fancy the bizjet world, though, it's a different matter. There you may have significant responsibilities in the organisation beyond the cockpit, and languages may be crucial in your employer's estimation. Business qualifications may also be a significant advantage when you can share much of your time with the top peeps in the company.
In fact, it's probably fair to say that the smaller the company, the more qualities and qualifications you will need. Basically, it's horses for courses!
