| The importance and sensitivity of work done in the aerospace industry means that experience is often seen as the best professional asset. Aerospace firms, after all, can plug in experienced designers and engineers in a variety of positions without explaining their job responsibilities to them or providing extra training. The experience barrier is only one such barrier that can make the postgraduate job hunt tough for young professionals. The international nature of the aerospace industry means that applications come in from all over the world for each position. As well, the high standards of aerospace firms mean that exceptional aerospace professionals are at a premium. In the end, graduates and young professionals need to utilize a variety of methods to find their dream aerospace job.
Intelligence, creativity, and potential are valuable for aerospace professionals to have but they can often be difficult to portray to hiring managers. The first step in beating out the competition is to build an exceptional CV which lays out your qualifications for a particular job. Aerospace professionals need to tout any academic honours and exceptional academic performances in their time at university. A good CV for aerospace purposes includes any project-based positions or experiences which may translate into success with a firm. As well, internships or volunteer opportunities which show initiative toward success in aerospace jobs are invaluable on a CV. Finally, aerospace professionals need to pick and choose their contacts carefully, as to maximize these valuable resources.
One way for graduates to gain access to the aerospace field is to utilize an apprenticeship or fellowship. These opportunities are typical among major aerospace companies and are highly competitive, drawing thousands of applicants yearly. However, young professionals who take advantage of these opportunities gain a strong foothold in the competitive aerospace field. Interns and fellows work alongside experienced engineers, designers, and managers to learn a specific aspect of the industry. While there are a limited number of these positions within the industry, young professionals need to take a chance by applying for one.
For most professionals, however, the job hunt awaits them after graduation. Graduates interested in aerospace jobs should consider consulting with their university advisor about tools through the school to find a job. Other graduates combine a use of general job sites with classic newspaper classified ads to find their job. One way of cutting through all of the searching and applying is to do research on which aerospace companies are the most promising and research their web sites for jobs. |
