Covid-19 has been stressful. Its been stressful on not only businesses & corporations, but also on students around the world. In this post we share with you the top 6 tips for students on how to make the most out of the current situation and enter the industry stronger than ever.
1- Take Aviation Online Courses
This goes without saying. With Covid-19 many of us have tons of free time to spare. In what better way can we utilize this free time than to invest it into our careers. Its important as a student that is entering an industry that has suffered almost billions of dollars in losses, to come back strong. One of the ways to do that is by taking online aviation courses. There are many organizations around the world that offer free online courses. In fact we have written a post summarizing for you some of the best organizations to your next aviation course here.
Some of the benefits of taking an online aviation course include:
- Expanding your aviation knowledge.
- Reinforcing what you already know from your university studies.
- Learning about recent updates to recommended practices & operating procedures.
- Know about the latest trends and technologies that are currently used in the industry.
Did you know that IAFA student members receive a complimentary aviation course after they sign up ?
2- Take Personal Development Courses
Its important that you seize the opportunity once it presents itself. Therefore, you should be ready whenever a company posts an opening for a co-op or job opportunity. With that said, it is recommended that you utilize your time during Covid-19 by learning how to properly market yourself for that company for example. You start doing that by taking courses in topics such as, CV/Resume Writing Skills, Interview Skills, Personal Branding Skills, etc… There are many free courses at there & countless paid ones. You can start by youtube for free, then head over to linkedin and use your free one month trial with LinkedIn Learning to learn all these personal development skills you need to land your dream job. (pun intended).
3- Update your CV/Resume
Once you have studied the essentials & industry standards about how to write a perfect resume, its time to actually put theory into practice. This is the hard part though as everyone starts to procrastinate when it comes to this. Just schedule a time on your calendar, and stick to it no matter what. Trust me, it will be very challenging to try & speed write a resume once a recruiter requests it from you, let alone do a spectacular job at it. Just think of how nice it would be to have a perfectly worded resume that is customized for that specific dream job of yours, just ready for you to send it. Now, go get it done.
4- Spend Time to Plan your Career
If you haven’t done so already, now is the time to draft an overall plan for your career & explore different pathways that you might be interested in. We promise to discuss this in-depth in a later post, but for now, start by drafting a short term plan & then a long term plan. Try to layout what courses do you need to finish your degree, & in which semester do you plan on taking those courses. This short term plan is usually 1-2 years from now and consists of everything you plan on doing for your career during these 2 years. After that, move on to writing your long term plan. Here, you’ll contemplate on who you aspire to be in 10 years or so from now, or in what position would you like to be in, or even in what company do want to be part of. Put out these aspirations, and then research and write down the step by step process of reaching that goal of yours.
5- Volunteer
In what better way can one spend his time than to volunteer for a cause ? With so much time on our hands these days, many people are volunteering with organizations and non-profits. Whatever your background or skillset is, you will always find a way to volunteer and contribute. People who have drivers licenses are helping with delivering food, and much needed groceries to families in need. People who have a marketing background are volunteering to charities to help feed the poor. Even you in as an aviation student, even if you think you don’t have relatable skills, you will always find a way to help & support your industry. In fact, you can even start with us ! All you need is a computer, an internet connection, & enough passion to give back to the aviation community. All our volunteers are working virtually from their homes & are helping IAFA connect, inspire, & empower aviation students from around the world.
Become Part of the Team!
6- Learn New Skills:
Since we have a lot of time on our hands these days, its wise to start learning a new skill that you can use to your advantage. Try to use a skill that you think is a weakness of yours and try to work on that. For example, I personally found that graphics design was challenging, & that learning Adobe Illustrator was near impossible. Although it took me some time to get used to it & with some challenges here & there, I finally got the hang of it. Although I don’t consider myself a professional graphics designer at all, but I was able to turn that skill into a small freelancing gig.
So how is this related to Covid-19 you say ? Well, in times like these where the aviation industry is suffering, its wise to have a plan B. We’ll definitely dedicate a full post on this topic as it relates to the majority of us, but during this pandemic we have seen many professionals in aviation turn to secondary jobs while they are on standby. I once read a post about a First officer who switched to become a Full-time Nurse at a local hospital helping the fight against the Corona Virus. Not only was he able to sustain himself and his family by switching to working at the hospital but he was also able to help with the honorable cause of saving lives.
In my opinion, Covid-19 has brought a lot of challenges, but at the same time, brought the world together. Today, we are seeing corporations collaborating together to find solutions, we are seeing people give unconditionally, & we have seen new initiatives that bring people together for a greater cause. We hope that everyone makes the most out of these times & invest their time in meaningful contributions towards themselves, their careers, & the communities around them. We hope you use these 6 tips to your advantage to so that when the industry is ready, you are too.
Stay Safe, Dream Big, & Keep Flying.
Abdul Rahman Al Jandali
