With students receiving their GCSE results today low cost airline easyjet are reaching out to students who have come out with flying colours to consider a career as a pilot.
easyJet First Officer Rachel Sylvester Murphy says that more young people, especially more women who are significantly underrepresented in the industry, should explore becoming a pilot as it’s a fantastic career, full of variety with impressive career prospects and it doesn’t require a degree.
In fact, to become a pilot, many training programmes require just five GCSEs at a minimum C grade, including Maths, English and a Science so there could be thousands of future pilots receiving their GCSE results today and considering their career choices ahead of their final years at school or college.
Rachel left school with A-Levels in Maths, Physics and Geography and applied for a pilot training school in Spain, however, she says the biggest misconception about the job is that you need to be an engineer or physicist, when in fact there is no requirement to have sciences or maths at A Level to apply for commercial pilot training courses.
Joining a pilot training course does require going through a rigorous selection process where candidates will be assessed for practical skills that demonstrate a basic aptitude for flying such as hand-eye co-ordination and multi-tasking, as well as group exercises and interviews that look for teamwork, communication, leadership skills and motivation skills.
First Officer, Rachel’s Top Tips:
1. Don’t panic
Don’t panic if your GCSE results aren’t exactly what you were expecting. Look at the entry requirements for pilot training courses. You can apply to most flight training schools all year round so if you need to retake anything, there is time and flexibility to do so.
2. Research is key
Research what skills you need, and get some experience. Rachel says her top three you should be prepared to demonstrate are: teamwork, communication and hand-eye co-ordination. Joining a sports team, getting a part time job and volunteering are fun activities that develop all of these qualities. Even babysitting is a great example of responsibility!
3. Check out flight schools
Research different flight schools and where in the world you can train, check the airline relationships of flight schools and how they can support you with getting your first airline job. Research the airline industry and use this in an interview to show you are motivated.
4. Talk to a pilot
easyJet pilots do hundreds of school visits every year and anyone can contact them to locate a local pilot who can come and speak to you and your classmates.
To find out more about becoming a commercial pilot with easyjet visit becomeapilot.easyjet.com
