A 737NG pilot’s journey

His task, should he choose to accept it, is to share his personal ‘non-flying job’ experience while approaching a few brave non-industry employers to find out what they really think about pilots. My ‘roving reporter’ was born.

Talking to non-aviation employers, I already know, is a lesson in how to relate to your audience and the start of navigating alternative business worlds for the first time.

Pilot E says, “When approaching non-aviation employers, many have zero experience of our industry and are not be able to relate to what we did in our lives as pilots.

Shooting an ILS down to CAT III LVO minimums while hand flying without the autopilot isn’t going to impress anyone outside aviation.

“There is help out there, but has the latest buzzword ‘transferable skills’ helped me while I’m sitting at home after 50 rejections wondering how am I going to pay the mortgage? It doesn’t feel like it. If we switch out ‘transferable skills’ for ‘relatable skills’ it makes more sense to me.

“The real question has to be: What skills in aviation can an outsider relate to? That might help pilots gain some insight into what they can offer.”

That statement really hit home for me. I have a Pilot Transferable Skills and Transition Program currently running and I immediately thought, I need to change the title. I train my clients to always think of hiring criteria from the ‘employer’s perspective’, sit in their seat and think, why would they hire me? Thanks for the reminder Pilot E, you are spot on.

Recently Pilot E applied for an Electoral Commission New Zealand position. “I ended up getting the role of a process leader for post-election vote processing in the 2020 general election. A core quality they sought was the ability to read and comprehend a manual and follow the processes it set out. All while maintaining an overall awareness of what we were trying to achieve, which was to maintain the integrity of the electoral system within tight deadlines. Here’s where those relatable pilot skills come into play in more ways than one. Pilots follow manuals and procedures with the overall goal of maintaining safety at all costs every day – check!

“The Electoral Commission is unique in that they hire a lot of people in a short space of time to conduct procedures and processes that only occur every three years while being given minimal training. My pilot experience in building rapport with people quickly as well as trust in a short amount of time kicked in. Just like a crew that have not previously worked together who set out to handle a large aircraft, fly safely and manage the odd emergency or passenger issue. My experience in listening and appreciating the background of each team member, identifying their strengths and delegating was a huge advantage.”

Pilot E accepted the role of process leader and chose the dual vote process to manage as it appealed to his safety investigation background. Within a week he was promoted to post election manager supervising three separate processes and managing 60 staff, all with only two days’ training.

His boss, the returning officer, mentioned she valued his ability to read the manual, envisage what the manual was trying to communicate and then implement it. She also sent him to help set up a voting station and cut through a mass of confusing manuals for the staff. That led to, you guessed it… another level of responsibility; managing 16 advance voting stations and 70 staff. Pilot E was using the very same skills he used every day in aviation; prioritise, problem solve, repeat and maintain an awareness of the big picture.

Election day called on an entirely different set of skills. Pilot E says, “Imagine being in the SIM but instead of one instructor throwing multiple instructions at you, you had 10 while simultaneously being invaded by hundreds of voters. OK, back to basics, everyone standby. Now, one at a time what are the issues, assess the options, lets prioritise, implement and report. Stay calm everyone and let’s work the problem.”

If he can handle a catastrophic engine failure or an unforecast typhoon, then this is a breeze – right? Of course things did not go exactly to plan, but like flying, he tells me they arrived safely at their destination.

Let’s go back to the roving reporter task I mentioned at the start of this article and see why one employer took the leap to invest in a pilot.

“The real question has to be: What skills in aviation can an outsider relate to? That might help pilots gain some insight into what they can offer.”

Q1: What did you see as the top three benefits of employing a pilot?

• Structure
• Stamina
• Process system thinking

Q2: What would you say to other employers who think pilots can only do one thing – fly?

You could have the same argument for everyone in an industry. Thinking more broadly.

Q3: This is the first time this wealth of skills has been available outside the industry, and the aviation industry won’t be in growth, they say, until 2024. Do you think a two- to three-year commitment is worth investing in?

Yes, it’s worth the investment.

Q4: What tips you can give pilots on how to approach other industries?

Look at it from a task completion point of view, not a lack of experience point of view. Aviation situations aren’t always good but you manage them; look at approaching other industries like a task, define the task and decide how to approach it.

Recruitment and rostering manager, Botany electorate, Electoral Commission.

I suppose he is saying: look for ways around the roadblocks, take each job application as a project and follow it through. If you can manage a B737 or a A380, then you can manage pretty much anything.

In case you missed them, I’ll finish my summarising the relatable skills and attributes Pilot E demonstrated during his time with the Electoral Commission, as they are highly likely to apply to most pilots.

The next time someone asks you what you have to offer, this might help:

• Problem solving
• Process management
• Complex instruction analysis
• Systems implementation
• Team building
• Team management
• Developing culture and trust
• Leadership and responsibility
• Calm under pressure
• Maintain situational awareness
• Stay focused on the big picture
• Prioritise
• Debrief and report
• Time management
• Trainability
• Respond quickly to unique situations
• Delegation
• Can adapt to different roles
• Managing tight deadlines
• Stamina
• Meticulous attention to detail