Gaining new career skills

During this time of less flying, you have a great opportunity to improve your pilot skills. Many of these skills you may already have, but the sign of a good pilot is that they’re always working to improve their skills. What’s more, refining these skills is also important if you are going for any kind of upgrade or new position.

Here are some skills that will help you rise higher in your career:

• Leadership - This skill is required for FOs looking to upgrade to Captains. Captains should also work on improving this skill, as it will help them become TRI/TRE/ Chief pilot/DFO ETC.

• Decision-making – While this skill is needed for pilots at all levels, it’s even more important for Captains as it is a key part of their role. FO’s should ensure they are developing this skill and learn the best way to act fast and effectively. Be sure to follow the four steps needed for good decision-making. First, know what it is you need the outcome to be. Secondly, weigh up your different options. Thirdly, consider the consequences for each different option. And lastly, make your decision

• CRM & Teamwork - Used to enhance the safety of every flight, CRM promotes the use of non-technical skills, like teamwork and decision making to ensure sound situational awareness and problem-solving. It encompasses a wide range of knowledge, skills and attitudes including, communication, situational awareness, problem-solving, decision-making and of course, teamwork.

• Time management - A skill that everyone should continuously develop, time management is vital in aviation as it ensures everything goes to plan and there are no delays. By making sure tasks and checks are completed within given time parameters you’ll ensure the mission will be successfully accomplished.

• People management – Every day, pilots work with people such as their crew, passengers and engineers, so it’s imperative that they have good people management skills. Being able to deal with any problems that arise and managing the people who are involved, is key to ensuring safety and avoiding any delays.

• Communication – Although it’s an obvious skill, being able to communicate clearly efficiently can’t be over emphasized. Pilots need to communicate not only with each other, but also with passengers, cabin crew, air traffic control, airport staff, and engineers.

Now is an excellent time to develop the above skills. Using online videos or websites is a great way to get started. Be sure to add these skills to our CV, as they are exactly what employers want to see.