1 - Objective
You may skip the objective section until and unless you are applying for a specific job. Usually it is seen that a pilot is eligible enough to meet more than one position at a time. S/he can very well handle the job of a pilot or an instructor and at other times a co-pilot. You should not limit your chances of filing alternative positions by mentioning the objective confined to a particular position.
2 - Qualifications
You should list all your qualifications in order of their importance and not their date. You should list all your qualifications and not miss any one in due course. Right from any degree in college to flying hours, every detail should be properly entered on your resume. If you are applying for a particular job post, make sure to include every detail related to that position. If possible highlight the relevant facts about the position.
3 - Credentials and Awards
There should be a separate section for the credentials. Here you can give details of certificates that you were awarded by flying schools or for that matter, any other workshops that you have attended in the due span of your career. You must not forget to mention the breakdown of your flying hours here. It would also be better to mention every kind of flying experience here, be it flying multi-engine planes or co-piloting and also solo-flying. Your personal credentials play an important role in presenting yourself to the hiring manager.
4 - Work Experience
While mentioning your work experience, make a simple list. While other jobs may demand a detailed explanation on the kind of work experience that you have acquired over the years, the resume of a pilot stands different from the rest. You need to simply mention your experience or achievements and make sure you don’t exaggerate them by any means. Most of the recruiters pay special attention to this section so see to it that you don’t go overboard in explaining your duties. If you have experience of being a flight instructor, simply mention ‘Flight Instructor’ in the list. Until and unless you received any special award or was assigned any specific responsibility, which does not relate much to the job role, there is no need of writing in details the role that a flight instructor performs.
5 - Achievements
The special achievements section needs to be included only if you are sure you made some significant achievements. The achievements should be important enough to be highlighted in the resume. Mere mentioning of minor achievements can draw the recruiter’s attention to your weaker areas and you may end up loosing the job. So pay special heed when you are writing this section. You may also include achievements that are remotely related to aviation, for example some humanitarian activities. But always remember, the resume of a pilot is more about giving hints about the role and achievements and not so much about impressing the recruiter about inherent talents.
Never print your resume on a paper that includes images or diagrams. Airplane-decorated papers are a strict no-no.
