Flight resumes are tricky.

Success with flight resumes is…

a balancing act.

Put too much detail on your resume, and it gets trashed.

Not enough detail on your resume, and it gets trashed.

So how do you keep your flight resume out of the trash can? Where do you find the perfect balance between too much and too little information? And how do you package everything just right?

A good place to start is by trimming the fat.

Flight program managers rarely have the time to look at each resume closely, and they typically spend about six seconds on their initial go or no-go decision.

If you want past the first round, you need to have some solid qualifications — and the perfect resume to highlight them.

Here are 10 Things To Take Off Your Flight Resume STAT

1.) Annoying Buzzwords

According to Careerbuilder, here is a list of the biggest turnoff words on a resume:

• Best of breed (You’re not a puppy)
• Go-getter
• Think outside the box
• Synergy
• People pleaser

For a list of terms employers do like to see on resumes, check out 17 Trigger Words That Are Like Cheat Codes For Your Flight Resume.

2. Generic Explanations of Accomplishments

Don’t just say you’re God’s special gift to aviation and medicine.

Do give specific reasons and details about why you’re a good candidate for a flight position.

Instead of “Saved money,” try “X project saved ambulance company 20% of normal travel expenses.”

3. More Than 15 Years of Experience

You and your mom can forever celebrate your unprecedented selection as a shrub in your sixth-grade school play.

But it’s not the type of information that should make your resume. Events dating back more than 15 years are best left off your flight resume.

If you have major accomplishments dating back more than 15 years, mention the accomplishment in your cover letter or a different section of your resume.

4.) Social Media Stuff Not Related To A Flight Job

Don’t share links to your personal blog or facebook hobby page unless it directly relates to the position you’re targeting.

Don’t make the mistake of thinking your personal social media has value to anyone but you.

Do share pertinent links from LinkedIn or other professional social media sites related to your target position.

5.) Industry Specific Jargon and Cliches

Don’t refer to helicopters as “the bird.”

Don’t say its always been your dream to “fly on the bird.”

For obvious reasons, avoid references that could be misconstrued as anyone giving or receiving “the bird.”

On a similar note, don’t refer to ambulances as “buses” on your resume.

6.) Unprofessional Email Addresses

Don’t make your contact email address BeerPongKing69@gmail.com or RaceTheReaper22@yahoo.com.

Do yourself a favor right now and claim yourname@gmail.com or yournameemail@gmail.com if you don’t already have a professional email account.

It seems trivial, but trust me, recruiters notice.

7.) Personal Pronouns

Don’t include the words “I,” “me,” “he,” or “my” on your resume.

Don’t write your resume in the first or third person.

It’s understood that everything on your resume is about you and your experiences.

8.) Dumb Fonts

If you read that too quickly, please read it again.

Fonts determine how your text looks on a resume.

Don’t use unprofessional (comic sans) or hard-to-read fonts. The perception that a fancy font somehow gives your resume more value is wrong. Readability is the key.

If you’re not sure which font to use, go with Arial size 12.

9.) Your Current Employer Contact Info

This one is a no-brainer. But sometimes in the excitement of the flight interview process, smart people mess this up.

You don’t want a flight company calling your ambulance service before you’re ready, right?

So don’t put that information on your resume. When it makes sense, or when the flight company asks for it, give it to them then.

10.) Blatant Lies

Don’t let your resume become an example of how not to submit a resume.

What I mean is – tell the truth. Get rid of any exaggeration or excessive hyperbole.

Don’t turn “lab tech” into “found cure for cancer” unless it’s true.

You get the idea.

More Flight Interview Resources

Here are links to more resources to help you succeed in the Get-a-flight-job process:

10 Smart Questions To Ask In A Flight Interview

Give Me 5 Minutes And I’ll Give You The Secret To Flight Medic Interviews

10 Tips To Nail Your Flight Job Phone Interview

Follow the 10 guidelines above and you’ll be ahead of 95% of your competition for flight jobs.

Here is the Audio Version of this Blog Post:

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