Fresh Advice: Career Alternatives to Airline Jobs

Published on 2008-08-11

So your airlines job has been grounded indefinitely by airline bankruptcy, oil prices, and the overall hostile aviation environment. Knowing that thousands of other aviation careers have also been brought to a halt isn't a comforting fact, either, in the already overcrowded job market.

To facilitate a successful transition from airline jobs to other types of employment, you need to first assess your skill set and your interests. An easy way to do so is by visiting your local career center, where you will be given tests to determine your strengths. Once you have completed testing, staff members can help you decide whether you want to pursue positions that are similar to airlines jobs or whether you want to change the trajectory of your career altogether.

Let's take a closer look at some of the dominant skills you honed during your airline employment and how they might relate to other occupations. If yours was one of the many flight attendant jobs that were cut recently, your customer service skills are still in top form. You're probably an excellent verbal communicator with a knack for making people feel comfortable in tense situations, which is true of most people who hold airline cabin crew jobs. In addition to people skills, flight attendant and airline pilot jobs require a good head for retaining policies and regulations, problem-solving skills, and the ability to command authority. Some of the alternatives to this kind of aviation employment include emergency medical technician jobs, firefighting, teaching, customer service, training, administrative support, personal care and services, sales, or even government work. For commercial pilots, military, transportation, and logistics jobs might also be a good fit.

Folks with previous aviation employment as air traffic controllers could go a somewhat similar route to airline pilots. Air traffic controllers - who must have analytical and monitoring skills, as well as good communication, memory, and focus - could transfer their skills to government, transportation and logistics, management, or telecommunications careers.

The skills associated with aircraft mechanic jobs, which call for extensive knowledge about maintenance and repair of different aircraft, may not transfer directly into another career. However, a former aircraft mechanic's knack for technical information will. The logical transfer of these skills is employment in the automotive and motor vehicle industry, although manufacturing, installation and repair, or even energy and utilities jobs could be satisfying alternatives as well. Aircraft mechanics' aviation maintenance jobs also are likely to involve long hours of physical labor in stressful conditions. Thus, the aforementioned paths may provide similar working conditions.

Of course, the breadth of airline careers is not limited to those in direct contact with aircraft. Although all airports bumped up their security measures in 2001, some airport security jobs may also be at risk due to declining ticket sales. Likewise, airport-based customer service jobs such as ticket agents and even food services employees could face the threat of elimination. The good news is that in some respects, these airport jobs may require less difficult transitions from an airport environment to other facilities, offices, or establishments. Don't rule out customer service and call center jobs or hospitality and travel positions, either.
While the current market outlook for aviation jobs in Florida to Washington is bleak, the sky's still the limit on good employment options, even for people who have suffered mandatory furloughs or layoffs. Don't despair. This could be the opportunity to pursue that childhood dream you've been chasing for years or the chance to find a job you never knew existed! Once you have decided what career path to pursue, check back with Fresho.com to post your resume, find jobs, and read other career-related articles such as this one. Good luck!