By Matthew C. Keegan

So, you need to find some work. An easy task, right? Wrong. In corporate aviation it can be difficult, expensive, confusing, aggravating, boring, almost impossible, etc. Each of these words should describe in a some way feelings that you experience at some point in your quest for work. The trick, of course, is to not let these same feelings overwhelm you or dictate your day- to-day goal: finding work.

The question I am often asked is this: can you help me find work? The answer is no and yes.

No, in that I cannot polish your résumé, pick out your interview suit, make sure that you look "just right" for your interview, speak for you when you meet your interviewer, help you say the right words, make sure you look the person squarely in the eye, smile, send your "thank you" letter, or a host of other important steps that must occur in order for you to be considered.

Yes, I can help you find work in that this web site provides valuable tools to you to empower you to go out there equipped to have the knowledge you need to possibly get a job in the first place. To that end we have: message boards to help you learn more about this industry; excellent articles about breaking in to this industry; lists of select charter and fractional operators for you to contact; advertisers who sell products and services directly related to this industry [and don't you know that some of them also hire!]; and a dynamic résumé service to allow you to have your copy posted and thereby previewed by recruiters.

Will it happen overnight? Not hardly. I know of highly qualified and capable candidates who have invested months to well over a year in finding work and have turned up little in that time. Why is that? Location can be a factor. If you aren't in a major area that utilizes corporate flight attendants, you could find yourself waiting much longer than the person in a key area. Or, you could be in that key area and find that there are plenty of other qualified candidates to compete with. With the first problem your resolution may require you to move, with the second problem you need to find a way to make yourself stand out.


Stuck? Drop me a note outlining your concerns and I will see what I can do for you. Hey, you needn't go through this alone. There are plenty of people who are willing to help. Take the initiative through our message boards or by contacting me directly. In this industry it is the pro-active person who finds work not the one sitting back and waiting.