Getting In, Growing and Navigating a Career in Corporate Aviation

There is so much focus in corporate aviation on getting the job. What training do I need? How do I get my first opportunity? How do I stand out at interview?

But getting into corporate aviation is only one part of the journey.

What happens when you're 16 years in and a job you loved suddenly changes? What happens when the rotation no longer works for your life? Or when you're still trying to get your first opportunity and wondering whether you need to spend thousands on another training course to finally be considered ready?

And perhaps an even bigger question: how do we prepare ourselves for opportunities we don't even know are coming yet?

These were three of the conversations that came up recently in one of my group coaching sessions. I've removed names, companies and anything that could identify the people involved. Their individual situations are private, but there was so much shared learning in these conversations that I think is relevant whether you're trying to get your first corporate aviation role, you're already well established in the industry, or you're somewhere in between.

Do you actually need an expensive silver service course?

One of the questions that came up was whether it was worth investing a significant amount of money in a hands-on silver service course before two upcoming final-stage interviews.

This particular person has already done a lot of learning online with me, using videos, pictures and demonstrations to understand table settings, service and many of the other practical elements of working onboard. What she hasn't yet had is the opportunity to physically put all of that into practice in the air, and I completely understand how daunting that can feel.

Sometimes doing some hands-on training can absolutely help with confidence. These are what I would class as our hard skills: how to lay a table, where everything goes, different styles of service, how to move around the passenger and all of those practical elements of the role. The more familiar they become, the less mental energy we need to give them when we're under pressure.

But what was really interesting was the feedback she'd already received from both companies.

Both had essentially said, "We really like you."

She'd established a great relationship with the people interviewing her, and both companies were interested enough to take her through to the final stages, knowing that they would provide their own hands-on training if she were successful.

Then we have what are technically called our soft skills: our way of being, how we communicate, how we connect, how we respond under full-on high expectation and pressure, and what it actually feels like to spend time with us.

Interestingly, these are often the things that determine whether somebody wants to invest in us in the first place.

The hard skills can be taught. And unless you're coming from somewhere such as a low-cost airline and genuinely haven't received much service training, I wouldn't automatically assume you need to spend thousands of pounds on another course.

There are some fantastic resources on YouTube. Get your plates, glasses and cutlery out at home and practise. Set yourself a timer. Lay the table, clear it and start again.

That's not to say hands-on training isn't valuable. It absolutely can be. There's no right or wrong answer here.

But when an employer is already offering to train the successful candidate, remember that they're not necessarily looking for the person who knows the most. They're also looking for the person they believe is worth investing in.

When a job you loved changes

Another really interesting conversation came from someone who has been in the industry for 16 years and has been in a long-term role, but due to operational changes, the rotation she previously had has been taken away.

She kept going, but she'd reached the point of recognising, "I can't keep doing this."

It's such a difficult position to find yourself in, particularly when it isn't necessarily the job you've fallen out of love with. The conditions around the job have changed.

This happened to me about five years ago too. A role and rotation that had worked really well for me changed because the operation changed, and suddenly I had to look at whether what I was being asked to do still worked for me.

A big part of our conversation was therefore about how to have what could potentially be a difficult conversation without creating defensiveness or shame, or going in with an ultimatum.

How can you explain what's changed, the impact it's having on you, what you need in order to thrive in the role again, and then invite the other person into finding a solution with you?

Because that conversation also gives you valuable information.

Is this an employer who's willing to hear you and meet you halfway?

We also explored whether the priority was actually more money or more time.

That's such a personal question because our priorities change throughout our lives. For me now, in my 50s, time and energy have become most important. Going through menopause has made me far more aware of how strategically I need to use my energy, where I'm spending it and, importantly, where I'm leaking it into things that aren't serving me.

That's been a growth journey in itself! Cue boundaries and tough conversations!

Sometimes the answer isn't earning more. It's having enough time and energy left to take care of yourself and actually have a life outside of your work.

And I think there's another important lesson here.

This person has been in the industry for many years. She's hugely experienced, and she is navigating another completely new layer of growth.

We can fall into the trap of believing that once we've got the job and built the experience, eventually we'll reach a point where we've got everything figured out.

But our circumstances change. Our priorities change. We change. And the industry changes too.

Different stages of our careers will ask different things of us.

While working through what can change in your current situation, you can also make sure everything else is working for you in the background. We talked about making sure your CV and LinkedIn feel really aligned and communicate the true value you bring, your uniqueness and the best of who you are, particularly in terms of where you want your career to go next.

The bigger point is making sure the story you're telling about yourself reflects where you're heading, rather than simply being a record of where you've been.

Getting ready to be ready

This brings me to probably my favourite theme from all three conversations: getting ready to be ready.

One person in the group is currently working in an environment where she's regularly interacting with private aviation clients and crew. Through the mentorship she's been learning much more about how to really connect with people, notice how they're feeling and become aware of the environment she creates around her.

She was reflecting on how much she's already been putting this into practice where she is now.

People have started asking for her by name, which is such lovely evidence that something is working.

She'd also had to have a difficult conversation with her manager some time ago. She handled it, got through it and realised afterwards just how much it had boosted her confidence and commanded respect.

And I think that's the point.

Life will continually give us situations in which we can practise these skills, wherever we happen to be. Difficult conversations, demanding people, busy environments, opportunities to connect, moments where we have to speak up or trust ourselves a little more.

Rather than waiting until the interview, the trial flight or the job arrives to suddenly try to become confident, use the life you're living now to practise.

Every time you have the conversation you've been avoiding, communicate clearly when you're under pressure, really connect with somebody or navigate something that feels uncomfortable, you're building that muscle.

So when the interview comes, or somebody asks you to do a trial, or an opportunity suddenly appears that you weren't expecting, you're not starting from scratch.

You've already been practising.

And the amazing thing is that these skills don't only make you better at working in corporate aviation.

Oh my God, they make you better at life!

Because ultimately so much of life comes down to relationships, particularly how we navigate them when things aren't easy.

Perhaps our careers are building us too

And perhaps this is the part that feels most important to me after 21 years in this industry.

We spend so much of our careers thinking about where we're trying to get to. The first job. The better job. The right rotation. The salary. The aircraft. The next opportunity.

But when I look back now, I realise that while I thought I was building a career, so much of the time my career was actually building me.

The uncertainty taught me to trust myself. The mistakes taught me that getting something wrong didn't mean I wasn't good enough. The difficult people taught me boundaries. The wonderful people reminded me why connection matters so much.

Losing things I thought I needed taught me that I could begin again, and the times when I had absolutely no idea what was coming next taught me that somehow, I would find my way through.

And maybe that's worth remembering when you're in a part of your career that doesn't currently make sense.

We are so quick to judge our lives by what's happening right now, when we have absolutely no idea what this particular chapter might be preparing us for.

Sometimes you're getting ready for an opportunity. And sometimes, without even realising it, life is getting you ready for the person you're going to need to become when it arrives.

And after everything we navigate along the way, I reckon if we wore stripes on our uniforms, we'd have earned them. ❤️

Wherever you are in your corporate aviation career

Whether you're trying to break into the industry, wondering why the opportunities aren't happening yet, or you're many years in and suddenly having to rethink what you want from your career, please don't assume that where you are right now is where you're going to stay.

After 21 years in this industry, I've seen and experienced an awful lot. There will always be another challenge, another change, another period where you're not quite sure what to do next. But there will also always be something you can do.

Keep learning. Keep practising. Keep having the conversations. Keep becoming clearer about who you are, what you bring and what you need.

And if you're struggling to get into the industry, or you're struggling while you're already in it, just know that every single thing is figureoutable.