Thoughts On My Resume?

A

Anthony8822

Filing Flight Plan
Joined
Mar 16, 2017
Messages
27
Location
Greenwood, Indiana
Display Name
Display name:
Anthony
I applied for a CFI job using this resume today. However, I'd like some more opinions if I don't get this job and have to apply elsewhere. I wasn't entirely sure if this was the best place to post this topic, so feel free to move/delete it if necessary.

---- First Page ----
3-23-2013

Mr. xxxxxx

Chief Flight Instructor

XXXX XXXX Aviation

XXXX ADDRESS

XXXX CITY, ZIP

Flight Instructor Position Opening

Mr. xxxxx:

I was informed by a former teacher and friend, XXXX XXXX (instructor there already), that XXXX XXXX Aviation was looking for flight instructors, and hope to be considered for the position.

My aviation background is diverse. I started training at Greenwood airport under Part 61, finishing my private pilot’s license and cross country experience there, and moved into Vincennes University’s program just before their certification as a Part 141 school. Upon completing the required coursework and earning my Associates of Science, I returned to Greenwood Airport to finish my Certified Flight Instructor rating in their PA-28RT-201 Arrow IV.

Thanks in large part to several aircraft switches, scheduling issues, and being a part of two different flight schools, I was trained in aircraft of all levels of sophistication: from flying with a single OBS at Greenwood, to the Garmin 600 series GPS and G500 glass systems at Vincennes. I also picked up experience with the Avidyne glass cockpit, and took Vincennes University’s class on the Garmin G1000 glass panel.

In addition to my flight experience, my background as the interim operations manager of a horse drawn carriage tour company gave me great experience managing reservation and booking systems, similar to the systems used to reserve aircraft and simulators.

Also, as a current student at IUPUI, I have taken several communications studies courses, in an effort to refine and increase my ability to communicate with a diverse range of people: from new students, to executive level management.

I am confident that my background in aviation, management, and communications will make me an excellent fit as a flight instructor at XXXX XXXXX Aviation.

Sincerely,

Anthony XXXXX

-Next Page-

Anthony XXXX
XXXX ADDRESS XXXXXX
Email: Anthony.3708822@gmail.com
Phone: (Mobile) XXX XXX XXXX
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-west-67472382/

Overview: Skilled flight instructor with diverse knowledge and experience in the operations of various models of aircraft common in flight training, as well as experience in management and computer booking software. Seeking position at as a Certified Flight Instructor at XXX XXXX Aviation to gain professional experience, as well as knowledge, to provide the most competent flight instruction possible to students.

Professional Skills:

- Comprehensive knowledge and experience in training programs under both FAR Parts 61 and 141

- Experience in operations of Piper PA-28-140/161/R/RT and Cessna 172N/R/SP type aircraft

- Notable experience with the latest GPS systems, including the G1000 and Avidyne glass panels

- Versed in techniques of flight and ground instruction, as well as critique and examination procedures

- Good communications skills obtained through communications classes taught at IUPUI (complete list of communications classes available upon request)

Flight Experience:

(Fitted to 3x2 table in Word, as list due to forum format)

Total Time: 317.6

Pilot in Command: 140.8

Cross Country PIC: 67.8



Cross Country Total: 107.7

Multi Engine: 31.5

Complex: 79.2



(Current {3-23-17} categorical breakdown available upon request)

Certificates: Second Class Medical (expires Nov. 2017), Commercial Pilots License, Multi Engine + Instrument Rating, Certified Flight Instructor

Education:

- Associates of Science in Aviation – Flight

Vincennes University, Indianapolis, Indiana, May 2016 Graduate

- Bachelors of Liberal Arts in General Studies

Indiana University – Purdue University, current student, graduation expected December 2017

Work Experience:
H. Weir Cook Memorial Project: Board Member (April 2011 – Present)

Blue Ribbon Carriages, Indianapolis IN: Carriage Attendant (December 2012- December 2016)
- Carriage Driver (April 2013 – February 2017)
- Interim Operations Manager (August 2016 – January 2016)

Maio Brothers General Contractors, Indianapolis IN: Day Laborer (May 2012 – September 2012)


(References redacted for confidentiality, but were included)

---- END ----

Any thoughts?
 
Please take with in the gentle manner it's offered.

How many hours actually teaching as a CFI? If you haven't done any teaching, then you're really not a skilled CFI. Based on your hours, you appear to be a novice in aviation with the bare minimum of hours.

If I were running a flight school, I'm not sure I want to hire someone with so little experience.

On the positive side, you write very well. Perhaps a bit too formal but as my mother always reminded me, 'tis better to be overdressed at the interview than under dressed. Always consider who your audience is.
 
Honestly the resume isn't going to make or break you for a CFI job.

However, I would consider making it less wordy. For example, instead of "Notable experience with the latest GPS systems, including the G1000 and Avidyne glass panels", I would just write "G1000 and Avidyne glass panel experience." This puts the interesting part at the beginning of the sentence, where it is more quickly and easily parsed by the reader.

You also don't need to tell your story in the cover letter. There is too much detail. I would completely remove paragraphs 2, 3, 4, and 5. Save something to talk about in the interview.
 
My initial thought is to remove the statement about diverse experience, and probably remove the other "diverse" or replace it with broad. The only issue I see is that you are trying to sell yourself as having a lot of experience when you really don't. This is just a suggestion, but I would change the tone to being one of eagerness and willingness to accept new challenges instead of one of experience. I would certainly included all the things you mentioned, but maybe more in the line of saying that you are always looking for opportunities to broaden your experience. I think that puts what you want to say into a more realistic and believable form.
 
dmspilot said:
Honestly the resume isn't going to make or break you for a CFI job.

However, I would consider making it less wordy. For example, instead of "Notable experience with the latest GPS systems, including the G1000 and Avidyne glass panels", I would just write "G1000 and Avidyne glass panel experience." This puts the interesting part at the beginning of the sentence, where it is more quickly and easily parsed by the reader.

You also don't need to tell your story in the cover letter. There is too much detail. I would completely remove paragraphs 2, 3, 4, and 5. Save something to talk about in the interview.
Click to expand...
Very true...the objective of the cover letter is to get the interview.
 
I would downplay my experience with such a low amount of hours. You might sound cocky with the little experience you have. You keep saying things like "skilled" and "diverse experience", when you really have very low hours. You don't want the guy with 3000 hours who reads the resume to think "oh who does this kid think he is".
 
Leave out the decimal points on flight hours. Leave out the aircraft types. They are all small planes and really not much difference in them.

Keep in your friends name. First thing the reader will do is contact your friend that works there.

Instead of dating your medicals expiration, just put current 2nd class.

Overview.....I don't think I would leave in the skilled instructor part. In fact I would probably leave that line out and just use the 2nd line starting..."Seeking position..." I am guessing this is for your first instructor job. So somewhere in that paragraph you need to specifically state you are applying for an instructor position. I realize you state that in the cover letter, but some folks might not look at the cover letter.

Straight and to the point is what you are looking for. While you write well, your resume should all fit on one page plus the cover letter.
 
First, let me say that I am not in the aviation industry, but in general, the intro letter is to ask for the job. Keep it short and sweet 'Three paragraphs, no more.


"hello, I am so and so. xyz informed me you were looking for CFI;s I am a CFI."

Tell them why you should hire them instead of someone else. (Why I am great).

contact me at xxxx.xxxx.xxx

Sincerely,
XXXYYYYZZZ

Second, you do write quite well, so you should be successful in your search.

The resume should put you best qualifications first. The entire letter and resume should be a sales pitch.. "what I can do for your company"

Good luck,
I think you will do well.
 
considering firing up the "license" vs "certificate" argument... but then I ran out of fuel
 
gkainz said:
considering firing up the "license" vs "certificate" argument... but then I ran out of fuel
Click to expand...

... and "certificated" vs. "certified." ;) ha.

Nice resume. Tone down the unintentionally overstated nods to your limited experience, as others have said. I might have missed it, but how many hours of actual instruction have you given to be so skilled? Make that part obvious. Good luck.
 
I echo the above (except maybe the scotch). The only other thing I would add to shorten it even more (trust us, shorter is better), is to eliminate the references.

Unless you have a high-profile well known name in there to encourage a call back or an interview, they won't need it until you pass an interview...they won't be wasting their time calling references until they've met you and by then they will ask you for refs if still interested in you.

All the best for you...
 
murphey said:
Please take with in the gentle manner it's offered.

How many hours actually teaching as a CFI? If you haven't done any teaching, then you're really not a skilled CFI. Based on your hours, you appear to be a novice in aviation with the bare minimum of hours.

If I were running a flight school, I'm not sure I want to hire someone with so little experience.
Click to expand...

How many hours teaching period? If youre not yet a CFI, you cant be a 'skilled CFI' and if you haven't actually taught anything, its pretty hard to by an 'Instructor'. Everybody has to start somewhere, but don't overstate your position this early in the game.
 
For the resume - eliminate the Overview, move "licenses and certifications" to the top followed by Flight hours - that's what they want to know. Never had an interviewer go further than that before they set the resume down and started talking to me about well... me. For the love of all that is holy, if they do set the resume down and start talking to you don't refer back to the resume, this is your time to put your salesman hat on and sell yourself.

Two cents worth.

PS - for the cover letter, talk less about yourself and more about your potential employer i.e. what you like about them and how you would fit into that.
 
Did I read that right? 140 hours Pic looking for a CFI job?
 
Anthony8822 said:
Total Time: 317.6

Pilot in Command: 140.8

Cross Country PIC: 67.8

Cross Country Total: 107.7

Multi Engine: 31.5

Complex: 79.2

Certificates: Second Class Medical (expires Nov. 2017), Commercial Pilots License, Multi Engine + Instrument Rating, Certified Flight Instructor
Click to expand...

Ravioli said:
Did I read that right? 140 hours Pic looking for a CFI job?
Click to expand...

You've received a lot of great feedback. I'm not sure if this is what @Ravioli is getting at, but your hours look funny.

Typically, in training, all student solo flights and all Single Engine hours past your Private would be logged as Dual Received and PIC. Multi-engine training hours would be just Dual until you pass your checkride, then any additional would be PIC.

So in your case, with a total time of 317, I would expect you should have about 250+ hours of PIC. Having only 140 PIC either means it took you 150+ hours of dual to get your Private, or more likely, you've been logging it wrong. For example, all your instrument rating training would be Dual and PIC. Same for your Commercial. Multi-engine, again, would just be Dual until your checkride, then Dual and PIC if you went for any additional Multi training.

Same for XC PIC and XC Total - this implies you had 40 hours of XC training as a student pilot? That doesn't seem right.

There are alternate ways you could have these unusual numbers (like military flight training or getting your Private in a twin, or having an uncle who lets you fly right seat in his Citation), but I'm assuming you're like most people in your progression. If you do have some (good) unusual circumstances I'd be sure to clearly spell them out.

Oh, one more thing - you say you have a Commercial with Multi and Instrument - that implies you don't have a Single-engine certificate, which is possible and happens more often than you may realize. So this may cause some confusion especially if the school only has single-engine airplanes.

Good luck! I think you'll be fine.
 
RussR said:
You've received a lot of great feedback. I'm not sure if this is what @Ravioli is getting at, but your hours look funny.

There are alternate ways you could have these unusual numbers (like military flight training or getting your Private in a twin, or having an uncle who lets you fly right seat in his Citation), but I'm assuming you're like most people in your progression. If you do have some (good) unusual circumstances I'd be sure to clearly spell them out.
Click to expand...

My guess is he acted as a safety pilot for a ton of hours. That would be logged as total time but not PIC time, correct?
 
It's not a proper aviation resume.

Do NOT say you have a diversified background when you don't, aside from a little glass your experience is very cookie cutter.

Leave out the overview, you're a low time CFI, they are a flight school, you don't need to connect those dots for them.

Here is the end all guide to a pilot resume

http://www.avcanada.ca/forums2/viewtopic.php?t=47666


Also I'd leave off the cover letter and deliver the resume by hand if at all possible, emailing unsolicited resumes tends to maybe get you 15% of the jobs that walking in, shaking hands and shooting the chit with folks gets ya
 
jordane93 said:
Nope. Safety pilot logs PIC when the other pilot is under the hood.
Click to expand...

Nope. It may be logged as PIC only if the safety pilot is actually acting as PIC. If the hooded pilot is acting as PIC, the safety pilot's time is SIC.
 
jordane93 said:
Nope. Safety pilot logs PIC when the other pilot is under the hood.
Click to expand...

Assuming both parties agree that the safety pilot is ACTING as PIC (with all the baggage that comes along with that).
 
jordane93 said:
61.51(e)(1)(iii)
Click to expand...


giphy.gif
 
Your resume is better written than most. That said, it still needs a thorough proofread. You've got some grammatical fixes that need to be made (watch your apostrophe use). It's also too wordy. Agree with the others who say put your certs and hours at the top, that's what they care about. Nobody cares about the "overview"; ever. Don't offer anything "on request." People reviewing this know you'll provide stuff if they ask for it. Your "professional skills" section is pretty generic; I'd either revise or remove.
 
James331 said:
Both saftey pilot and pilot under the hood log PIC.
Click to expand...
Only if the safety pilot is acting as PIC, and the posts to which I was responding assumed that to be the case, rather than making it an option as stated by dmspilot.
 
MauleSkinner said:
Only if the safety pilot is acting as PIC, and the posts to which I was responding assumed that to be the case, rather than making it an option as stated by dmspilot.
Click to expand...

I hope the saftey pilot is acting as PIC, otherwise he's a pax in the front of a VFR plane with the pilot blindfolded :yikes:
 
James331 said:
I hope the saftey pilot is acting as PIC, otherwise he's a pax in the front of a VFR plane with the pilot blindfolded :yikes:
Click to expand...
i prefer to use safety pilots who take their job seriously, regardless of who is acting as PIC. The qualifications and job description are the same.

"Hoping" for safety has about the same standing with me as promoting ignorance.
 
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