Careers in airline travel can still take you places
With all the recent turmoil in the airline industry, job seekers might be wondering whether there are solid careers in airline travel. Industry changes may create some instability, but they also open up new hiring opportunities. Don’t put your airline job search on hold; there are still plenty of viable airline service careers available, exciting and sporting some truly envy-worthy benefits. Break open that pack of courtesy peanuts, ignore the kid kicking the back of your seat and let’s talk about some of the really amazing benefits and opportunities the airline industry has to offer.
Benefits: Picture all the free pretzels you can eat
Even if you can’t be wooed by countless tiny snack packages, most airlines are still offering benefits that leave employees satisfied. Over at American Eagle Airlines, everyone from bus drivers to station agents qualify for health and life insurance benefits, an employee credit union, retirement savings with matching funds, and clear career development tools that make it easy to grow within the company. Airlines also have the advantage of offering benefits that appeal to your passport as much as your purse. Many have free or discounted travel for employees on their employer airline, and some even offer discounted travel on other lines.
Career Paths: The sky is the limit
Many entry-level positions in the airline industry require no formal education beyond a high school diploma or equivalent, so you won’t need to invest in any special training to get your first position and start getting some experience under your belt. But before you start your job search, ask yourself how many skeletons you have in the closet. Due to increased focus on security, you will need to pass a background check for most jobs working in the airport system. Candidates who have questionable areas within their background screening may find airlines an extra challenging career to pursue in the current environment.
Entry-level jobs
With little or no prior experience you can qualify for positions like bus driver or fleet services clerk. Think those jobs aren’t a big deal? Just ask the people trying to make their flight or find their cherished belongings among a sea of lookalike suitcases; they’ll tell you that the people who keep the airport running aren’t just the ones getting the planes off the ground.
After gaining some experience you can apply to become a station agent, flight attendant, mechanic and more. There are many components to a completing a successful airline travel experience, and different jobs are required at each step along the way. This creates an environment with rich opportunities for long-term career advancement all while staying within the air travel industry.