If you want to succeed in your career as a pilot, you’ll need a well-written resume that showcases your skills and expertise in detail. While several commercial airline organizations don’t ask for a resume for a pilot position, they do refer to these resumes when interviewing job applicants. To operate a commercial airline, you will require basic education in aviation, a pilot license from an approved accreditation body, and a sufficient number of flight hours logged.
This pilot resume is ideal for experienced pilots who want to take their careers to the next level. It starts with a powerful summary that includes some keywords from a typical pilot job post, along with some of the key skills required from an experienced pilot. The resume also includes a separate section on education, licenses, and the total number of flight hours logged to make it easier for the hiring manager to review and evaluate your credentials.
Finally, each job role is split into job duties and key accomplishments to provide the hiring manager with a comprehensive overview of your skills and core competencies and how you can contribute to an organization’s bottom line.
When writing a pilot resume, start by providing your full name, contact details, and professional email address. After that, write a resume summary in 2-3 sentences. The objective of this summary is to introduce yourself, briefly talk about your previous experience, mention your soft skills, and explain to the hiring manager why you will be a good fit.
Next, talk about your previous job roles in the professional experience section. For each job role, provide a short paragraph on your duties and responsibilities and a few accomplishments in a bulleted list. It’s important to mention job experience that is relevant to the job role you’re applying to and try to quantify each accomplishment.
Since pilots require specialized education and training, it’s important to add a section to your resume on your education, license, certifications, and training. You can log your total flight hours in this section, as well as any awards or recognition you have received.
To stand out among other applicants, you can add a final section to your resume where you can talk about your memberships and affiliations. If you have any strong references, you can add their details as well.
Pilots need a combination of technical and people skills to excel in their job role. Here are a few key skills you should consider adding to your resume.
Knowledge in advanced physics and mathematics
Expertise in aviation and aircraft technology
Spatial awareness and hand-eye coordination
Stress management and the ability to remain calm under pressure
Critical thinking, analytical, and problem-solving skills
Executive decision-making skills
Strong attention to detail and multitasking
Management and leadership skills
Teamwork and collaborative skills
Written and verbal communication skills
Interpersonal skills
Summary example
Pilot with extensive experience serving as captain and co-captain for a variety of aircraft on domestic and international flights. Prepare and file flight plans, evaluate weather conditions, and develop contingency plans and alternate routes. Calculate weight and balance, fuel on board, and performance charts. Ensure with compliance with federal, airfield, and corporate policies and procedures. Dedicated to providing world-class customer service to corporate executives, employees, and their guests.
Employment history example
Chief Flight Instructor/Flight Instructor at GATEWAY TECHNICAL COLLEGE, Kenosha, WI 2015 — Present
Leverage extensive experience to instruct students at various levels of proficiency. Manage ground school training program, schedule and conduct stage checks, and perform checkrides. Oversee team of instructors, including monitoring proficiency and performance. Lead tours to members of the public and prospective students.
Spearhead updates to training course outline and order instructional material/supplies to ensure students receive up-to-date information.
Teach basic and advanced aerospace science and piloting topics, including airplane systems and instrumentation, aerophysics & aerodynamics, aviation safety, and decision making.
Instructor – 500 Series Citation at FLIGHTSAFETY INTERNATIONAL, Wichita, KS 2004 — 2015
Delivered initial and recurrent training for Part 91 and Part 135 pilots in Citation Encore and Encore+ aircraft. Evaluated pilot proficiency levels and professionalism.
• Certified Training Center Evaluator.
Education example
Bachelor of Science in Aviation/Business, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, OK