Most large airlines, airports and aerospace companies use online hiring systems to collect and sort applications. These systems read your CV, pull out details such as job titles, licences and dates, and help recruiters search and filter candidates. A CV that looks beautiful but cannot be read properly by the software may never reach a human. This guide explains how to write a CV that works for both.
Keep the layout simple
Hiring systems read text from top to bottom. Complex designs confuse them.
- Use one column. Two-column layouts can mix your skills into your work history.
- Avoid tables, text boxes and graphics for important information. Text inside them is often skipped.
- Use standard section headings: Profile, Licences and ratings, Experience, Education, Training, Skills, Languages.
- Choose a common font such as Arial or Calibri at 10 to 12 points.
- Put contact details in the main body, not in the page header or footer, which some systems ignore.
- Send the file type the employer asks for. If they accept either, a Word document is the safest choice for older systems; a text-based PDF works well with most modern ones. Never send a scanned image of your CV.
Mirror the language of the job advert
Recruiters search their systems with keywords taken from the job advert. If the advert asks for "line maintenance experience on A320 family aircraft", those words should appear in your CV, as long as they are true.
Read each advert closely and note the exact terms it uses for licences, aircraft types, systems and skills. Then make sure your CV uses the same terms. Write abbreviations out once with the short form in brackets, for example "Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL)", so both versions can be found.
Tailor your CV for each application. A pilot applying to a cargo operator and a low-cost passenger airline should emphasise different experience.
Put licences and ratings near the top
In aviation, licences and certificates often decide whether you are even considered. Give them their own section, directly under your profile, and be precise.
For pilots:
- Licence type and issuing authority
- Type ratings held, with the aircraft type written in full
- Total flight hours, and hours on type, as pilot in command and on multi-crew aircraft
- Medical class and expiry date
- Language proficiency level, where your licence records one
For engineers and technicians:
- Licence categories and issuing authority, for example a Part-66 B1 licence or an FAA A&P certificate
- Type courses completed and aircraft on your licence
- Specialist approvals such as NDT levels or borescope inspection
For cabin crew:
- Safety and emergency procedures training, first aid certificates, and any current cabin crew attestation
- Aircraft types you have operated on, if you have flown before
- Languages, with your level for each
Show results, not just duties
Each role in your experience section should show what you achieved, not just what the job description said.
- Weak: "Responsible for aircraft turnaround."
- Stronger: "Led a ramp team of 8 handling up to 14 narrow-body turnarounds per shift, with on-time departure performance above station target."
Numbers help: aircraft handled, passengers served, hours flown, defects cleared, audits passed, costs saved. Only use figures you can explain in an interview.
Get dates and job titles right
Hiring systems calculate your experience from your dates. Write each role with a clear job title, employer, location, and start and end month and year. Keep the same format throughout. Explain gaps briefly if they are long, for example "Career break: full-time flight training".
Photos, personal details and regional differences
Expectations differ around the world. In the UK, the US and Canada, CVs usually leave out photos, date of birth and marital status. Many employers in the Middle East and Asia, and cabin crew recruitment in particular, often expect a professional photo and some personal details. Follow the instructions in the job advert, and when it asks for photos for a cabin crew role, use a clear, recent, professional image.
Before you press submit
- Check that your name, phone number with country code, and email address are correct.
- Read the CV aloud to catch spelling mistakes. Aviation is a safety culture, and recruiters notice carelessness.
- Keep it short: two pages for most roles. Senior pilots and engineers may need a little more for flight hours and type experience.
- Name the file clearly, for example "Firstname-Lastname-CV-B1-Engineer.pdf".
- Apply through the employer's official careers site. Every job on this site links straight to it.
When your CV is ready, find open aviation jobs and filter by role and country to see which employers are hiring now.