Today, the aviation sector is becoming an increasingly popular industry. Whether you’re an avid aviation geek or a newbie to the world of aviation there’s a career for you. Currently, 14 out of the 15 top aircraft lessors are headquartered in Ireland with a combined value of $125 Billion. EVERY MINUTE an Irish aircraft takes off or lands around the globe! Does this seem like an industry for you? Time to bust some myths about the sector and employment opportunities.
Where you’re an aircraft finance, a pilot or an air traffic controller the average salary in the industry stands at just under €63,000 almost twice the average salary of the general population!!
On the ground, the average aircraft maintenance worker stands to net an average €47,000. This is why a career in aviation is so lucrative.
Stand out from the crowd - Make your experience relevant to the job and be sure to have it in direct view. Recruiters scan CV’s for only 30 seconds and that’s the time when you have to make the greatest impact.
Use your network - Building a network of allies is key to success in any Industry. Use the resources you currently have and ask favors. This could help you in the long term in securing an interview, at which point you follow the 5P rule.
The Five P’s - Prior Preparation Prevents Poor Performance. No matter what the job title, if you go into an interview blind you will set yourself up for failure. Research the company and know a bit about everything as opposed to a lot about one topic. The grounding of the Boeing 737 Max is a hot topic in the industry, so bring that up and share your opinions on the topic (HINT – Don’t be too controversial)
Possibly one of the most popular industries for Business Graduates to enter is the Aviation Finance sphere. Whether you work on the financing team, the credit risk team or the deals team you will be working in a fast-paced environment dealing with high-net wealth assets. Are you a quick thinker, good with finance and numbers? Then pursuing a career in aviation finance will be lucrative. According to a recent Irish Times article, “Ireland is the Centre of the Global Aviation Industry” . If you do want to pursue this route but feel you are lacking the specific technical knowledge that will be required then maybe further education is the answer and institutions like the Michael Smurfit Business School or the DCU Business school are the answers offering a Msc in Aviation Finance and a Bsc in Aviation Management with Pilot Studies.
Does 18 months in sunny Spain interest you? Then why not pursue the route of an office in the sky and become a commercial airline pilot? On a 2 yearly rotating basis, airlines like Aer Lingus, British Airways and EasyJet offer the chance to train as a commercial airline pilot at one of their bases in the UK or Spain fully funded. Aer Lingus offer a particularly noticeable program which will qualify you to fly on their extensive fleet of Airbus A320’s before progressing through their Long-Haul fleet. Many recent series have taken a look at the life of a new recruit cadet and a worth a watch to see what goes on beyond the closed door 35,000 feet in the air. There are many benefits of a cadetship, so why not take a quick look at their website to gain some valuable information from current cadets
If it’s a career that keeps you grounded, you’re after then pursuing an apprenticeship with the Atlantic Aviation Group or the Air Corps might be for you. Aer Lingus once again seem prominent in this section of the industry offering a Maintenance and Engineering Apprenticeship a four-year program spanning all areas of the ground and maintenance teams. By joining the Air Corps you will not only receive top notch but also learn the highly technical skills required to become a commercial airline pilot.
A great place is start is to decide what path through the industry you would like to take. Would you favor a career in the skies over a desk job valuating aircraft? The Irish Aviation Student Association is a great place to start if you are based in Ireland. This not for profit student run organisation was created to help students like you discover the opportunities out there. If you’re outside of Ireland, the Pilot Careers Live event, a global event, might be in a city near you.
Sources; MentalFloss.com, AviaitonFinance.aero, icadet.com, @IrishAirCorps