"I would highly recommend considering this industry if you like travelling and an ever-changing day to day role."
I am currently an aircraft broker. This involves finding and selling the spare time that an aircraft has when it is sitting on the ground, perhaps overnight. I will then sell this aircraft to an airline that needs it, perhaps because theirs has broken down (it happens more often than you might think!). It is an office-based job but it is very faced paced, with most of my time on my feet on the phones, usually frantically trying to find a pen whilst trying to keep up with the ever-changing news.
I enjoy my job. The only downside is that it involves shifts which can interrupt my social life, but my girlfriend and friends understand. I would highly recommend this area of work as you are dropped in at the deep end and get to talk to every airline out there!
Loughborough Grammar School set me up for this without a doubt. I worked hard at school, even though academia was not always my strong point. I therefore decided to take up other extra-curricular activities such as theatre lighting and sound for the campus.
Work hard and enjoy your time at school; work harder as you go on to enjoy university and then begin to reap the benefits when you get a great job. It really is that simple.
I would be happy to hear from anyone wishing to start a career in aviation. I am on LinkedIn and my contact details are available through the Development Office.
Alumni Wisdom
Job Search Tips
Be as proactive as you can and start early! My main piece of advice is to write down who you are: your hopes, fears, dreams and ‘ideal life’. Then consider what you are good and bad at. Really look in to yourself and find out who you are without thinking about jobs and UCAS forms. This should make aligning your job search easier.
Job sites are good for simply ‘jobs’, however good recruiters can identify jobs that can create a career. Often these jobs won’t be on the job sites. You are at an amazing school that will stand out, so aim high and reach for the best positions.
Really invest time looking for internships, as companies really value candidates who have undertaken one (or more). It also gives you an amazing perspective on a company without being officially ’employed’. Above all, always keep your options open. Depending on your personal circumstances, generally time is very much on our side, so try to experience as much as you can from the outset.
Current Needs of Employers in my field
Everyone has a degree. Everyone is ‘passionate’. Everyone is ‘determined’. What employers in any industry, including Aviation want, is proof. Prove everything with a practical example. Tell the story and make them excited to listen to you. When companies sell products they use colour, imagery and adjectives! Your interview and CV should be no different. It is all about proving that you can back up everything you say you are. So start acquiring great hobbies, awesome stories and passionate knowledge. It doesn’t even have to be related to aviation; just make prospective employers excited to hear who you are and make them believe in you!
Things I wish I’d known in Sixth Form
I wish that I had pushed myself to socialise more. It is one of the most important skills in the world; even more so than textbook knowledge. Social skills will always open opportunities, as well as make people gravitate towards you. So learn how to talk to people, how to make them feel special, how to listen and above all, how to make them feel like they are the focus of your attention. It sounds like a cliché, but believe me, the outcome will always be great.
Describe LGS in three words
The best place.