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Making a change in your career

by Nicole Calliste Careers Executive

Making a change in your career can be daunting. But rest assured BALPA is here to support you from beginning to end. The BALPA Blog recently featured a case study from Mark Clayton, whose dream of a career in the sky took him on a path from military to civil aviation. He talked about his experiences and the challenges he faced. If you missed it you can read his blog here.

Mark’s blog gives you some insight in to resources that are available for military pilots who are thinking about moving into the world of civil aviation. But that’s just one type of career change and no matter the path you are hoping to take, helicopter to fixed-wing, airline to airline or any other move, BALPA is here to help.

What resources does BALPA offer to support a career change?

We have several resources to help you make a career change, including representatives and staff who can provide support. BALPA can point you towards pilots like Mark, who are happy to give you insights into their experience so that you can benefit from their knowledge.

BALPA also has several key documents that can aid you through your career change journey, these include our CV and interview guide which aims to help you develop your skills and display your important transferable skills.

To complement this, we can provide training delivered by AirlinePrep. This training is by qualified pilots who have used their experiences to build effective training solutions for those who need help. They help you develop a range of vital skills linked with securing employment within the industry, such as group preparation and interview skills.

Being a BALPA member also brings a number of benefits including:

  • Access to BALPA website and general members forum
  • Access to career services, including CV and interview advice and access to Crew Connected – an advisory service that offers exclusive advice to new pilots
  • Introductory personal legal advice
  • Access to BALPA Financial Solutions our independent financial advisors for pension planning, investments and savings planning, flying licence insurance and trainee pilot insurance.
  • Quarterly member magazine, The Log

Upcoming event to help you make that change:

BALPA Flight Crew Futures, Tuesday 17th October, The Hilton – Gatwick Airport

If a career change is something you are considering, a good start would to be to attend our Flight Crew Futures event. It aims to partner pilots with airlines and recruiting agencies who are specifically looking for experienced, low-hour and recently-qualified flight crew to fill their right and left seats. Flight Crew Futures is particularly beneficial for military air crew who are seeking pilot career opportunities within the commercial sector. The event specifically targets pilots in the following situations:

  • Experienced pilots considering career progression
  • Pilots considering a career move overseas
  • Low-hour pilots
  • Recently graduated ATPL pilots seeking their first career opportunity
  • ‘Frozen’ ATPL pilots
  • Military pilots leaving the forces who are now seeking opportunities in the commercial sector

The Flight Crew Futures event is a great place for you to find out how you can make a career change or gain your first job. It is also a fantastic opportunity to network with other pilots, airlines and recruitment teams.

Even better news is that it is FREE for BALPA members. Find  out more or register for your free place here