So, this is it, my last week of college classes for the foreseeable future. I may end up taking more classes later on down the road if needed, or if payed for by an employer, but right now I am happy to get my bachelors degree and to enter the professional world. Obviously this is not the end of my learning about aviation, it is most likely just the beginning...
At the beginning of the semester I had the intentions of getting a job in airport operations and moving up the ladder, and at this point that is still my goal. I think operations sounds like a very fun job and would be a good stepping stone to higher positions for me. I am not the kind of person that wants to sit behind a desk and make decisions, I want to be very involved in the work I do and want to feel like I am making a difference. I have been searching for jobs online and through the AAAE job search with little luck, and I am starting to wonder if I may have to do something else first. I am very willing to relocate for work, and would actually prefer it, which is something that should make finding a job easier.
I have really enjoyed all of the guest speakers that came in to speak to our class. They all had good information to pass on, even though a lot of their presentations seemed to be tailored to the pilot side of the program. The two speakers that really stick out in my mind are Mark Johnson and Aubrey Grohowski. Mark's presentation was very interesting to me because he is an airport manager and showed us the pros and cons of being in that position and what all an airport manager actually does at a small airport. I am not sure if being an airport manager is something that I want to end up doing in the long run, but he had a lot of good information on what it is all about. Aubrey's Skype session was also very interesting to me because while I was still a flight major, I wanted to get into corporate aviation after graduation. I have always thought, and still do think, that it would be better than an airline job. The way that she achieved her current position is also very interesting and vastly different from the traditional way of doing things. I think her "go getter" attitude has stuck with me the most, and has made me want to put myself out there more than before.
As far as the blog topics for this semester go, I enjoyed researching and writing about UAVs and whether or not they have a commercial future the most. I have always been intrigued by UAVs and think that they have incredible potential. I am not sure how far they will actually become integrated into the aviation industry, but there are so many opportunities out there for them right now it will be interesting to see. Maybe one day UAVs will be conducting passenger operations across the globe! The blog that I least enjoyed researching and writing was the aviation business models blog. I found this blog the least interesting because I am not very interested in the business aspect of things. The information was rather unexciting and I did not feel like I learned anything after writing it. Some of the other blogs were rather uninteresting to me as well, but after researching and writing them I felt like I had learned something.
After graduation, I plan to continue my professional development by becoming more involved in the aviation community through attending seminars, conventions and meetings. While going to school I have been very busy and unable to attend any of these things, including the Great Lakes Conference at EMU, because I have held two jobs and had a full time class schedule here at Eastern. My goal after graduation is to find a job full time airport operations job within six months. If anyone hears of any opportunities or knows someone who can help me out, please let me know!
Thank you, as always, for reading and good luck to everyone! I look forward to seeing you on the professional side of things!
Kyle Wagenknecht
Sunday, April 14, 2013
Monday, April 8, 2013
Topic 11: Aviation Organizations: Who to Join and Why
In any career path, it is important to network with people in the industry and stay up-to-date with current advancements. Aviation is no exception, in fact, it may be more important since it is such a small and quickly advancing field. Professional organizations are a great way to meet other people that share common interests and to keep up with important events and information specific to your career path. Here is a nice list of professional aviation organizations put together by Embry-Riddle (Embry, 2013).
As a senior that is going to graduate in three weeks, a lot of thoughts about my future and where I want to end up have been flowing through my head. Finding a job that I am going to like, and thrive in, is very important to me. After searching online through google and not having a lot of luck, I remembered one of my professors mentioning that many professional organizations have job postings and are great to help you see what is out there and available. The organization that he was a part of and specifically told us about was the American Association of Airport Executives, or the AAAE. Each week he would print out the email newsletter that they sent him with current news and jobs postings in it. That email newsletter alone had a lot of great information in it, and it is only one small benefit of being a member. After many wasted hours with no luck of finding a job online, I decided that joining the AAAE would be a good idea.
The AAAE membership offers many benefits beyond just helping someone like me find a job. The membership includes subscriptions to Airport Magazine and Airport Report Today, which are two key industry information sources. These two subscriptions provide information on the latest news and developments in the airport industry as well as classified ads, job postings and more. The membership also allows the user access to the AAAE membership directory, which contains a complete list of all of the organizations members and their contact information allowing ample networking opportunities. Access to many technical reports, accreditation papers and other airport publications is also included. The AAAE hosts over 80 meetings, seminars and workshops all over the world each year, and members receive reduced registration fees and updates about the events. Professional development opportunities are also provided to members who seek to advance their career to the next level (AAAE, 2013). As you can see, there are many benefits to joining the AAAE. I was able to join this organization for only $40/year, which I thought was incredible.
I am currently only a member of one professional organization, and am content with that right now. While I was still training to be a pilot and going to school for flight, I was a member of another professional organization called the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA). This organization is great for people who own an airplane or who are pilots, as well as anyone who is interested in aviation in my opinion.
AOPA's membership fee is very reasonable and offers many great benefits. AOPA strongly fights to protect general aviation, pilots' rights, user fees, airport closings, etc. Anything that threatens someones right to fly, they will fight against. The membership allows you to choose to receive one monthly magazine, either Flight Training or AOPA Pilot, both include many hot safety topics and tips for pilots along with some current news. An aviation specialist hotline is available for members to call with any questions they may have. Access to AOPA's website offers pilots many flight planning tools and other services. There are a variety of safety courses and seminars that are available online, or in-person, through AOPA (AOPA, 2013).
The direct benefits that professional organizations give to you and allow you to use are great in themselves, but the benefits do not end there. Being a part of a professional organization is a great thing to put on a resume and shows your current, or future, employers that you are dedicated to the industry. Being part of an organization may be what sets you apart from all of the other applicants, and that alone would be worth the annual fee. All of the knowledge that you can learn from the websites and publications will only help you to advance to whatever you want to do (Cherwin, n.d.).
If you are like me, having many people tell you how important it is to join a professional organization and to be part of something may not be enough to actually make you join. It may take hours of wasted time searching for jobs, or the realization that you do not know anyone in the field of work that you are going into. Whatever it takes, at some point you will realize that joining a professional organization will benefit you in many ways and is completely worth the price.
References
AAAE. (2013). Membership benefits. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from, http://aaae.org/membersh ip/membership_benefits/
AOPA. (2013). Member benefits. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from, http://www.aopa.org/join/benefi ts.html
Cherwin, K. (n.d.). Why join a professional association? Retrieved April 8, 2013, from, http://ww w.higheredjobs.com/articles/articleDisplay.cfm?ID=157
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. (2013). Professional organizations. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from, http://careers.erau.edu/find-job/networking/professional-organizations/index.html
As a senior that is going to graduate in three weeks, a lot of thoughts about my future and where I want to end up have been flowing through my head. Finding a job that I am going to like, and thrive in, is very important to me. After searching online through google and not having a lot of luck, I remembered one of my professors mentioning that many professional organizations have job postings and are great to help you see what is out there and available. The organization that he was a part of and specifically told us about was the American Association of Airport Executives, or the AAAE. Each week he would print out the email newsletter that they sent him with current news and jobs postings in it. That email newsletter alone had a lot of great information in it, and it is only one small benefit of being a member. After many wasted hours with no luck of finding a job online, I decided that joining the AAAE would be a good idea.
The AAAE membership offers many benefits beyond just helping someone like me find a job. The membership includes subscriptions to Airport Magazine and Airport Report Today, which are two key industry information sources. These two subscriptions provide information on the latest news and developments in the airport industry as well as classified ads, job postings and more. The membership also allows the user access to the AAAE membership directory, which contains a complete list of all of the organizations members and their contact information allowing ample networking opportunities. Access to many technical reports, accreditation papers and other airport publications is also included. The AAAE hosts over 80 meetings, seminars and workshops all over the world each year, and members receive reduced registration fees and updates about the events. Professional development opportunities are also provided to members who seek to advance their career to the next level (AAAE, 2013). As you can see, there are many benefits to joining the AAAE. I was able to join this organization for only $40/year, which I thought was incredible.
I am currently only a member of one professional organization, and am content with that right now. While I was still training to be a pilot and going to school for flight, I was a member of another professional organization called the Aircraft Owners and Pilot Association (AOPA). This organization is great for people who own an airplane or who are pilots, as well as anyone who is interested in aviation in my opinion.
AOPA's membership fee is very reasonable and offers many great benefits. AOPA strongly fights to protect general aviation, pilots' rights, user fees, airport closings, etc. Anything that threatens someones right to fly, they will fight against. The membership allows you to choose to receive one monthly magazine, either Flight Training or AOPA Pilot, both include many hot safety topics and tips for pilots along with some current news. An aviation specialist hotline is available for members to call with any questions they may have. Access to AOPA's website offers pilots many flight planning tools and other services. There are a variety of safety courses and seminars that are available online, or in-person, through AOPA (AOPA, 2013).
The direct benefits that professional organizations give to you and allow you to use are great in themselves, but the benefits do not end there. Being a part of a professional organization is a great thing to put on a resume and shows your current, or future, employers that you are dedicated to the industry. Being part of an organization may be what sets you apart from all of the other applicants, and that alone would be worth the annual fee. All of the knowledge that you can learn from the websites and publications will only help you to advance to whatever you want to do (Cherwin, n.d.).
If you are like me, having many people tell you how important it is to join a professional organization and to be part of something may not be enough to actually make you join. It may take hours of wasted time searching for jobs, or the realization that you do not know anyone in the field of work that you are going into. Whatever it takes, at some point you will realize that joining a professional organization will benefit you in many ways and is completely worth the price.
References
AAAE. (2013). Membership benefits. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from, http://aaae.org/membersh ip/membership_benefits/
AOPA. (2013). Member benefits. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from, http://www.aopa.org/join/benefi ts.html
Cherwin, K. (n.d.). Why join a professional association? Retrieved April 8, 2013, from, http://ww w.higheredjobs.com/articles/articleDisplay.cfm?ID=157
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. (2013). Professional organizations. Retrieved April 8, 2013, from, http://careers.erau.edu/find-job/networking/professional-organizations/index.html
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