Category: Job Seekers

Moving from the role of Director of Maintenance (DOM) to Director of Aviation (DOA) might be atypical for certain corporate flight departments. However, as recruiters and advisors to business aviation, here at Aviation Personnel International, we feel this career path deserves much more attention, especially for maintenance professionals who have a desire to lead. To learn more about taking the leap from DOM to DOA, we spoke with two aviation department leaders: Brian Gill, a Director of Operations, and Mike DelMastro, an Executive Director of Aviation services. Brian and Mike each run a […]

Lately, a lot of us are talking about aviation retention strategies—especially with the critical shortage of qualified talent. So, the question is: why should an aviation director take heed? For starters, most flight departments are already operating with a lean staff. But the biggest reason we should put the issue of retention strategies on the front burner is because of the significantly high cost of pilot turnover.   Gone in the Blink of an Eye One of the major problems with turnover is that the departure of a corporate pilot can leave your organization high […]

Do you think there’s a ceiling in business aviation? Meaning, if you’re a corporate pilot or maintenance technician, is there a limit to your career growth? Unless you’re waiting for your boss to retire, the answer is resoundingly “yes.” It just so happens to be the nature of the beast in our industry. Whenever I think of issues surrounding career advancement in business aviation, I often think back to a conversation I had years ago with Steve Ripley. (If you’re not familiar, he’s the Aviation Director for a large, Fortune 100 consumer product […]

In December 2017, I participated in NBAA’s Workforce Summit and was recently quoted in NBAA’s Jan/Feb issue of the Business Aviation Insider. In the article, “Expand Your Talent Base Through Diversity,” the author discusses the pilot shortage as well as how our American workforce demographics are changing. The article goes on to share how important it is that we in the business aviation industry put diversity front and center. Because we’re already so far behind the eight-ball. Since hiring for diversity is so top-of-mind for us at API, I’d like to highlight various […]

For recruiters, interviewing and selecting you as the right job candidate is not as easy as it might seem. Attempting to assess your skills and appropriateness for a certain position can be quite difficult. Especially if the recruiter is only meeting you once or twice. Too often, interviewers rely on their intuition (gut). Many times they do this instead of asking behavioral questions and looking for quantifiable, concrete data. Sometimes recruiters misread signs. (Yes, we’re human). For example, the interviewer might inadvertently think that your “confidence” translates to “competence.” And, if you come across as […]

Are we in the midst of a business aviation maintenance shortage? The answer is a resounding “yes,” according to 89 percent of business aviation maintenance leaders surveyed by Aviation Personnel International (API). Of the 45 respondents we surveyed, 55 percent of them have lost one or more maintenance professionals in the past year. In fact, from our survey data, a total of 43 maintenance professionals have left 24 different organizations. The 43 who left their departments in the past year cited the following reasons: 16 left for another flight department 13 retired 7 left […]

At a recent aviation industry golf tournament in Minnesota, someone asked me a great question. “Jennifer, how long should it really take us to complete the aviation recruiting process?” he asked. “I mean, how tight should our timeline be, given the high-demand job market right now?” I wish I had had a more definite answer. The best one I could offer him is: “It depends.” It’s true: once you’ve identified the right slate of candidates, it might take three weeks. Other times, it could take months. But in this market, the tighter the timeline, […]

Congratulations! You’ve just landed an interview for your dream job! Once upon a time, this meant practicing your interview answers, loading up your briefcase and heading out the door for your aviation interview. Those days are long gone. In today’s digital world, and especially in the fast-paced aviation industry, it can be challenging for potential employers to schedule face-to-face interviews. Especially for pilots and flight attendants, it can be difficult to guarantee your availability without a month’s notice. Lucky for you, we now live in the era of phone and video interviews. This means that […]

With so many critical changes occurring in the aviation industry—most notably the pilot shortage—we’re hearing more and more from our API Registered Professionals. Many are telling us they are relatively happy in their current positions, but that they’re also curious about other available opportunities. You can bet that the minute they begin entertaining ideas that the “grass might be greener” somewhere else, they’ve got at least a toe out the door. If this happens to be a situation you find yourself in, it’s important to think about what you really want before you […]

There’s little doubt we’re in the midst of the long anticipated talent shortage. And this shortage applies to nearly all disciplines within aviation—be they in maintenance, pilot, cabin crew or leadership. Its widespread impact affects Part 91, 135 and 121 operations alike. Simply put, this situation is very good news for aviation job seekers. But it’s not great news for employers. In fact, some of the biggest brands in business aviation are struggling to find the right cultural fit. In this September 2016, Business Aviation Insider article, “Is a Staffing Shortage Looming?” […]