Business Aviation Networking Notes

Home
>
Aviation & Flying
>
Business Aviation Networking Notes

Business Aviation Networking Notes

The process of finding out about a job, getting interviewed, and eventually receiving an offer for employment starts with networking. By networking I don't mean sending hundreds of copies of your resume unsolicited to H.R. managers throughout the country, but by establishing contacts with people who may be in a position to hire you or refer you to someone who does the hiring. Let's take a look at some ways to help you break in to business aviation by following certain tips.

In corporate aviation, there are several key players in the field that you probably have heard of. Jet Aviation, TAG, and Netjets are some of the larger players and they all have a staff of qualified flight attendants or cabin service representatives on hand. In addition, smaller players including Jet Alliance, Clay Lacy Aviation, and Trans Exec are part of the charter market. Finally, you have a whole host of independent flight departments with one, two or more aircraft. Some of these operators utilize larger cabin aircraft and are in need of flight attendants.

You could send out a copy of your resume to every single company that flies a Falcon, Gulfstream, Challenger, or any of the other larger cabin jets. You may get an interview, but you'll also spend an excessive amount of time researching names, addresses, paying for postage, paper and more. Instead, the best way to land a job according to Richard Bolles, author of the acclaimed job hunters and career builders guide, "What Color is Your Parachute?" is through networking.

Networking involves plenty of people contact. Some of best ways of having contact with others is at a convention [in our case, the NBAA Flight Attendant Conference]; over the internet via message boards [such as this one]; while flying a trip as a contractor; working for a company in another role [e.g., as a dispatcher, flight manager, etc.]; or through a friend already in the business.

Successful people establish a list of contacts from the smallest lead [e.g., a receptionist or switchboard operator at a charter operator] to doing voluntary work on an association's newsletter or with a steering committee for the same type of organization. Each person you come into contact with is a potential person who may know of someone in the business or know of a job opening. Conversely, unsuccessful people rely too much on waiting for a phone call, for an answer to an unsolicited letter, or by not going out to meet people face to face. Quite simply it takes a lot of phone calling, pavement pounding, and other forms of action to land the job that you want. Plus, it takes someone with dedication, professionalism, zeal, enthusiasm, confidence, and a caring attitude to help make things work. If you are not confident of your abilities, you will have a much more difficult time landing a job.

Very important when looking for a position is to have a top notch resume. Make sure that there are no spelling errors, grammatical mistakes, that it is formatted professionally, printed on bond paper and that you include correct contact information including your name, address, phone numbers, and e-mail address. You can be the most talented person in the world, but your resume could look awful. Busy employers look at resumes and toss the unprofessional looking ones away [or they file it for a predetermined amount of time].

You also need: three top notch references [don't list them on your resume, but be able to furnish them upon request]. Alteon, FACTs, or FlightSafety training are very important ? agencies such as Jet Professionals insist on it; most of the larger operators require it as well. Additional training including galley services, a wine class, emergency training, can all help you out.

Finally, when you do receive a call -- even if unexpected ? be prepared to interview on the spot. Most interviewers will screen you on the first call and you will need to sound sharp as well as be focused. Be prepared to give a concise background on who you are and what you can offer the company. Do not focus on your needs, but focus on the company's needs and how you will benefit them. Do not expect them to be thrilled by your focusing on yourself. This business isn't about you -- it is about the customers and the company. Successful candidates know this and they are the ones who will be hired, trained, paid well, and otherwise be perceived as being an asset and not a detriment to the company.

Matt manages the Corporate Flight Attendant Community at http://www.corporateflyer.net and http://www.cabinmanagers.com

In The News:

Yahoo! News: Top Stories

Geithner likely treasury pick; Clinton 'on track' (AP)

AP - President-elect Barack Obama is likely to name Timothy Geithner, president of the New York Federal Reserve, as Treasury Secretary in a time of intense economic turmoil as he rounds out the upper echelon of his Cabinet, a senior Democratic official familiar with the deliberations said Friday.

Dow ends up nearly 500 on Geithner treasury report (AP)

AP - Wall Street staged a surprising comeback Friday, with the major indexes jumping more than 5 percent and the Dow Jones industrials surging nearly 500 points in a late afternoon rally, ending another volatile week that saw stocks reach six-year lows.

Neb. lawmakers OK age limit for safe-haven law (AP)

AP - Gov. Dave Heineman signed into law Friday a bill adding a 30-day age limit to a safe-haven law that allowed 35 children Â— including teenagers as old as 17 Â— to be abandoned at state hospitals. The law, approved hours earlier by the Legislature in a 45-3 vote, goes into effect Saturday, and makes Nebraska the 14th state with a 30-day age cap. It had been the only state with a safe-haven law without an age limit.

Iraqi Shiites burn Bush effigy in anti-US protest (AP)

AP - Chanting "no to America," supporters of a radical Shiite cleric burned an effigy of President George W. Bush Friday in a protest demanding parliament scuttle a U.S.-Iraqi security pact and American troops begin withdrawing from Iraq immediately.

Air patrols, cameras to watch big inaugural crowd (AP)

AP - Law enforcement officials bracing for the largest crowds in inaugural history are preparing far-reaching security Â— thousands of video cameras, sharpshooters, air patrols Â— to safeguard President-elect Barack Obama's swearing-in.

Fla. teen commits suicide with live Web audience (AP)

AP - A college student committed suicide by taking a drug overdose in front of a live webcam as some computer users egged him on, others tried to talk him out of it, and another messaged OMG in horror when it became clear it was no joke.

Prosecutor who had Cheney indicted yells at judge (AP)

AP - A county prosecutor who brought indictments this week against Vice President Dick Cheney and others pounded his fist and shouted at the judge Friday during a routine hearing. Willacy County District Attorney Juan Angel Guerra asked Presiding Judge Manuel Banales to recuse himself from the case, which alleges abuse at federally run prisons.

Lavish 1,800 year-old bronze chariot unearthed in Bulgaria (AP)

AP - Archaeologists have unearthed an elaborately decorated 1,800-year-old chariot sheathed in bronze at an ancient Thracian tomb in southeastern Bulgaria, the head of the excavation said Friday. "The lavishly ornamented four-wheel chariot dates back to the end of the second century A.D.," Veselin Ignatov told The Associated Press in a telephone interview from the site, near the southeastern village of Karanovo.

Suspect arrested for greasy imprints in Neb. town (AP)

AP - Police have arrested a man suspected of leaving greasy, graphic imprints on the windows of stores, churches and schools in a small Nebraska town. A 35-year-old man was caught in the act by police early Wednesday morning, Cherry County Attorney Eric Scott said Friday. The man hasn't been charged yet, but authorities believe he is the vandal some townsfolk have dubbed the "Butt Bandit."

Warriors swap Harrington for Knicks' Crawford (AP)

AP - The Golden State Warriors traded disgruntled forward Al Harrington to the Knicks for guard Jamal Crawford on Friday in a swap that addresses both the Warriors' injury problems and New York's salary cap concerns. "I drafted Al back in 1998, and I think his talents are a great fit for our style of play," Knicks president Donnie Walsh said in announcing the deal in a statement. "This trade also gives us more long-term flexibility while enabling us to remain competitive this season."

Geithner reportedly picked for Treasury; Clinton still in talks (Reuters)

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama has selected Timothy Geithner as Treasury secretary, charging the respected head of the New York Federal Reserve with pulling the United States out of an economic nosedive, NBC news reported on Friday.

Bailout debate simmers as GM pares output (Reuters)

Reuters - Detroit automakers began work on the turnaround plans demanded by Congress in return for a possible $25 billion rescue as General Motors Corp said it will cut production more deeply and drop two of its controversial corporate jets.

Citigroup shares drop; CEO plans to keep Smith Barney (Reuters)

Reuters - Citigroup Inc Chief Executive Vikram Pandit tried to downplay speculation the banking giant might sell major businesses to restore its health and investor confidence, but shares still tumbled for a fifth straight day.

Obama eyes Summers as adviser, could go to Fed: report (Reuters)

Reuters - President-elect Barack Obama is likely to name former Treasury Secretary Lawrence Summers as an economic adviser with the expectation that he will eventually be tapped for the Federal Reserve Board, The New York Times reported on Friday.

U.S. seeks Afghan troop increase before elections (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates said on Friday he expected to move five combat brigades into Afghanistan next year and wanted at least some of them in place before the country's election next fall, stressing this was a top priority.

Bush, Hu to meet ahead of APEC summit (Reuters)

Reuters - U.S. President George W. Bush and Chinese President Hu Jintao planned to discuss North Korea's nuclear program on Friday evening as Asia Pacific leaders gathered for an annual economic summit amid the worst financial crisis since the 1930s.

Iran rejects U.S. reports it has basis for atom bomb (Reuters)

Reuters - Iran rejected Friday U.S. reports it had enriched enough uranium to make an atom bomb, saying this would require steps it had ruled out like ejecting U.N. inspectors and leaving the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline on fire after attack: TV (Reuters)

Reuters - Unknown assailants launched an attack on the Kirkuk-Ceyhan pipeline between Iraq and Turkey on Friday, triggering a large fire, broadcaster CNN Turk reported.

Bush bows out, China assertive at APEC summit (AFP)

AFP - US President George W. Bush began Friday his last scheduled foreign trip, meeting the leader of increasingly important China ahead of a summit aimed at containing a spiraling financial crisis.

Congo demands stronger mandate for UN troops (AFP)

AFP - Congo demanded a stronger mandate for UN troops in the conflict-torn east Friday, while residents of a squalid refugee camp said government soldiers killed a woman during a looting spree.

Business Aviation Networking Notes

Aviation & Flying Aviation & Flying