We’ve recently relaunched our candidate profiles so that jobseekers can better showcase their talent, including professional credentials, formal qualifications and awards, as well as soft skills, hobbies and personal projects.
The candidate profiles are designed to set you on the path to your dream career through:
Connecting You With More Career Opportunities
Recruiters regularly search our candidate profiles to discover top talent, meaning impressive candidates can be contacted directly with career opportunities.
Speeding Up the Application Process
Jobseekers can seamlessly apply for jobs with just one click using their Aviation Job Search profile, as well as their CV.
Increasing Your Chances of Reaching the Interview Stage
Recruiters often use candidate profiles to confirm who they would like to interview; by having an outstanding profile, it’s an opportunity to really stand out. In fact, your profile could be the difference between you and another jobseeker reaching the interview stage.
But how do you craft an impressive candidate profile which gets you hired? Here’s our complete rundown of what to include in each section and how to make it stand out from everyone else.
Start with the Basics
All good profiles will start with basic information – your name, location, profile picture and contact details. Contact details are essential so that recruiters can get in touch with career opportunities.
When uploading a profile picture:
- Make sure it is a professional representation of yourself, perhaps in uniform
- Use a high resolution image
- Ensure your face takes up 60% of the frame
- Avoid distracting backgrounds
Capture Their Attention With an Executive Summary
The executive summary is similar to a personal statement but shorter. This is an opportunity to briefly highlight where you’re up to in your career, explain what you’re passionate about and how this contributes towards you being an excellent employee.
Top tips
- Keep it brief but make an impact – this is a potential employer’s first impression of you
- Set yourself apart from everyone else – make a recruiter want to continue reading your profile
- Be enthusiastic – don’t be afraid to share what you’re passionate about
Set Expectations
In your candidate profile, you can include information on your current circumstances but it’s also a good idea to include your preferences, such as location, salary and contract type, for upcoming opportunities.
For example, if you’re currently based in London, but are seeking opportunities in the Middle East, you can amend your preferences accordingly.
This will help to set expectations with recruiters who may be interested in contacting you about career opportunities. By outlining your preferred terms, it will save time in discussing vacancies which are not suitable.
Executive Summary Example
From when I took my first flight at seven years old, I became mesmerised by planes and how to fly them. Over the years, my interest ‘skyrocketed’ and I found myself dreaming of a life sitting in the left seat.
Through sheer grit and determination, my dreams finally became a reality in 2009 when I was appointed as Captain for Emirates on a A380 aircraft.
I spent 11 wonderful years serving for the flag carrier of the UAE but due to a change in personal circumstances, I am now seeking employment within the UK.
During my time as First Officer and Captain, I have relished every minute building up my XX,000 flight hours and I eagerly anticipate the next chapter in my flying career.
Include Hard and Soft Skills
The aviation industry is built on hard skills such as technical proficiency, knowledge and experience, and while these are essential, soft skills are also extremely valuable to employers.
Soft skills include things such as people skills, listening skills and time management. You could be the best pilot in the world, but if your poor timekeeping delays a plane from taking off, this would be a big problem for your employer.
When building your candidate profile, be sure to include a range of hard and soft skills which are relevant to the roles you are applying for.
List Relevant Professional Experience
Similar to the skills section, only include professional experience which is relevant to the roles you are applying for. While it can be tempting to include the history of your entire career, recruiters don’t need to know about your paper round from thirty years ago.
Top tips
- List your experience in chronological order, with the most recent appearing first
- Draw parallels between the experience you’ve previously acquired and the roles which you are applying to
- Remember to include how your role contributed towards the business’s goals. For example, instead of saying, “My role was to reduce the airline’s costs,’ you could say “By implementing X,Y & Z, we reduced the airline’s costs and increased revenue by 10%”
Soft Skills
Interpersonal (people) skills
Listening
Time management
Empathy
Ability to remain calm in a crisis
Positive attitude
Hard Skills
Technical proficiency
Flight hours
Type ratings
Spatial awareness and coordination
Situational awareness
Showcase Certifications, Academic Qualifications & Professional Credentials
This section of your candidate profile enables you to detail the qualifications which you have achieved over the years. Recruiters will use this to ascertain if you have the right qualifications for the job.
Top tips
- List your credentials in chronological order, with the most recent appearing first
- Only include qualifications which are relevant to the roles you are applying for
- Upload supporting documents to verify your achievements
- Don’t include incomplete qualifications without good reason (such as it explains a gap in your academic history)
- Don’t include expired qualifications. If you have to include them, make it clear that these are expired to avoid misleading recruiters
- Remember to update your candidate profile as and when you acquire new qualifications
Show Off Your Communications Skills
Detailing your language proficiency is a significant area within the candidate profile.
Communication is a vital part of any job but it is critical for those that work within the aviation industry. Poor communications have contributed to a number of deadly plane crashes since the beginning of modern air travel, which is why pilots must now provide proof that their English language proficiency meets the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s (ICAO) requirements.
For those outside of the cockpit, good communication is still an extremely important part of the job. Working in aviation means that you will regularly come into contact with passengers who do not speak the same language as you. Being able to understand and cater to your passengers’ needs is a desirable, if not essential, trait which employers will look for.
Remember to be honest when listing your language proficiency, as recruiters may ask you to provide documentation to support your claims.
What is ICAO English
Level 4?
ICAO English Level 4 is the basic operational level of aviation English and ICAO English language proficiency. ICAO English Level 4 allows you to fly in all countries of the world. However, an aircraft operator or your employer could demand a higher level of English language proficiency.
Highlight Personal Projects
Are you a volunteer? Part of a sports club? World champion at chess?
Though not related to a job role specifically, personal projects can give additional insights into your personality, attitudes and behaviours. They can also highlight additional skills such as dedication, empathy or enthusiasm, which could be qualities that a recruiter is looking for.
Shine a Light on Awards
Listing an award is a fantastic way to stand out from your fellow jobseekers. Employers love to read about accomplishments rather than a list of job responsibilities.
Awards or honours display that you perform well and deliver results, which are desirable traits to employers. By highlighting these achievements, you’re much more likely to be invited to an interview.
Your award could be:
- Awarded from a professional association
- Scholarships
- Graduation distinctions
- Extraordinary results in examinations or tests
- Employee/volunteer of the year
- The award could also be something which you achieved as part of a team. For example, “As part of the 9,000 strong team of cabin crew, we won the ‘World’s Best Airline Cabin Crew’ award at the 2020 Skytrax World Airline Awards.”
Some Final Things to Consider
Complete All Fields
It’s really important to take the time to complete all the fields which apply to you. An incomplete profile won’t be visible to Aviation Job Search recruiters, and you could miss out on career opportunities as a result. Besides, an incomplete profile is hardly going to impress any recruiters.
Put the Time In To Make It Awesome
If you’re serious about your career, creating a great candidate profile is time well spent. It’s your passport to unlocking career opportunities and confirming to an employer that you’re the right person for the job.
Things to consider:
How will your profile set you apart from other jobseekers?
What could you include to make an employer want to interview you?
Spelling and grammar – don’t give employers any reason to dismiss your profile
Inject Some Personality
Recruiters aren’t looking for a robot, so don’t be afraid to inject some personality into your profile. At the end of the day, the most exciting people to hire are the people who are the most excited about what they do.
Keep it Updated
Keeping your candidate profile updated is extremely important. Each time you build upon flight hours, gain experience or win an award, be sure to include it. You should aim to update your profile every 6 months, even if you’re not actively searching for a job. Who knows what opportunities may present themselves if a recruiter likes what they see?
Now you’ve discovered how to craft an outstanding candidate profile, all that’s left is for you to get started. Remember, once your profile is created, you can start applying for vacancies on Aviation Job Search using it.
