Air Traffic Controller Resume | Writing Tips, Examples, and A Comprehensive Guide

Working in this field has multiple benefits, including great opportunities for advancement, a good salary while in training, and excellent pay.

Last update:
01/01/2024
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Word (Microsoft)
A4
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Air Traffic Controller Resume Sample

Melissa Frank
Air Traffic Controller
820-092-763
melissafrank@gmail.com
Las Vegas, NV
linkedin.com/in/melissafrank

Professional summary

Committed air traffic control specialist with ten years of expertise in controlling air traffic and giving control instructions in case of flight path changes or potentially hazardous conditions. Skilled at operating flight control software to relay flight plans and provide direction on a remote landing site and emergency landing fields when required. Excellent communication and organizational skills.

Work experience

Federal Aviation Administration
Air Traffic Controller
June 2018-Date

  • Monitored and regulated air traffic by transferring departing flights to traffic control centers and accepting control of arriving flights.
  • Alerted airport emergency services in case of an emergency to maximize safety and minimize delays.
  • Analyzed data and reports to provide flight path changes if required and direct pilots in case of hazardous weather conditions or visibility problems.

Air Methods Corporation
Air Traffic Controller
March 2016-May 2018

  • Authorized flight path changes and guided pilots during take-off and landing.
  • Monitored airplanes to ensure that they were moving in the assigned air space.
  • Issued landing and take-off authorizations to pilots following the government regulations.

Education

High School Diploma
Westchester High School
2017

Skills

  • Aviation flight planning
  • Critical thinking skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Flight operations
  • Organizational skills
  • Facility operations
  • Knowledge of radar systems
  • Communication skills

Additional informationCertifications

Control tower operator certificate

Whether you’re getting started in this career or moving to an advanced position, you need an exceptional air traffic controller resume. Your resume should highlight the experience, skills, and top accomplishments that make you the best candidate.

Writing a resume that gets the recruiter’s attention does not come easy to everyone. As you know, air traffic controllers must have exceptional qualifications on their resumes to get a position in this field.

This article will give you the tips you need to get started on your resume. We’ll also cover the following topics:

  • An air traffic controller resume example like no other.
  • The professional experience every air traffic controller should have on their resume.
  • The most recommendable skills to include.
  • The best resume format and layout.
  • How to level up your application effortlessly.

Job Market And Salaries For Air Traffic Controllers

According to the U.S. Bureau of Statistics, the employment of air traffic controllers is projected to grow 4 percent from 2020 to 2030.

The industries with the highest levels of employment in Air Traffic Controllers include:

  • Federal Executive Branch(OEWS Designation)
  • Support Activities for Air Transportation
  • Scheduled Air Transportation
  • Local Government, excluding schools and hospitals

The average salary for an air traffic controller is $81,000. The typical range is between $66,000 and $100,000, depending on education, skills, and experience.

How to Make an Air Traffic Controller Resume

The job requires a lot of multitasking, so you need to show the hiring manager that you’re an excellent multitasker. Each job may have different requirements, so you should check the job description and tailor your resume to match the recruiter’s specifications.

The layout, format, and structure are important factors to consider as you create your resume. Let’s look at them in more detail.

Best format for your resume

There are three common formats you can choose from. They include:

  • The reverse-chronological format which focuses on experience. This format is perfect if you’ve worked as an air traffic controller for some years.
  • The functional resume format - If you recently graduated from school or are changing careers and don’t have much experience, this format is perfect. It focuses on your skills and is also referred to as a skills-based resume.
  • Combination/hybrid resume - This format blends the best features of the two previous formats. This format is for you if you have the required experience and skills.

The resume layout should make it easy for the recruiter to read and understand. Easy-to-read fonts such as Georgia, Helvetica, Times New Roman, Arial, and Calibri are your best bet. The font size should be 10-12pt.

The structure of your air traffic controller resume should have the following sections:

  • The header section
  • Professional summary/objective
  • Work experience
  • Education section
  • Skills section
  • An additional section (Certifications, languages, awards/honors, and interests)

air traffic controller

Start With The Header Section And Contact Information

The first section of your resume is the header. It contains your personal details and contact information that should be accurate to ensure the recruiter reaches you. Here are the details that should be in this section.

  • Your full name
  • Job title
  • Phone number
  • Professional email address
  • Location
  • A link to your LinkedIn profile.

A good header

CORRECT
Robert Scott

Air Traffic Controller

262-009-273

robertscott@gmail.com

Minneapolis, MN

linkedin.com/in/robertscott



air traffic controller

A bad header

INCORRECT
Robert Scott

Air Traffic Controller

262-009-273

robertscott@gmail.com

699 Progress Way

House number 23

Minneapolis, MN

Date of birth 01/01/1977

linkedin.com/in/robertscott


📌The header section should only have the details that the recruiter requires to contact you.

Photo or No Photo?

Most hiring managers advise job seekers not to add a photo to their resume. This ensures that you’re nor discriminated against and have an equal chance as everyone else.. However, if the recruiter requires you to have one on your resume, ensure that it’s a professional one.

How To Describe Your Work Experience as an Air Traffic Controller?

Most hiring managers want to see if you have what it takes to work as an air traffic controller and your previous experience gives them an idea of what you can do. Our resume examples give you easy tips to follow as you add this section to your resume.

So what are some of the details you’ll add to this section?

Start with the name of the workplace, your job title, and the period you’ve worked at each place. Remember to start with your most recent workplace going backward and focus on the experience relevant to the air traffic controller position.

Under each workplace, add three to five job duties and quantify them with figures and facts to set yourself apart from the other candidates.

If you don’t have relevant experience, you might be wondering what you’ll add to this section. You can add volunteer experiences or any other experience that has taught you transferable skills that will be useful in the new job.

📌As you add your duties, include keywords and action verbs that optimize your resume to ensure it gets past the ATS systems.

Example for an entry-level air traffic controller resume

Acuity International

Air Traffic Controller

March 2017-June 2019

  • Assisted in determining air routes and the procedure for flight vector changes for a safe and expeditious flow of air traffic.
  • Directed ground traffic, including aircraft maintenance and baggage vehicles.
  • Informed pilots about nearby planes and any hazardous weather conditions or visibility problems.


air traffic controller

Example for experienced air traffic controllers

Object Stream

Air Traffic Controller

May 2017-December 2020

  • Coordinated aircraft movement by maintaining radio and telephone contact with adjacent control towers and other air traffic services.
  • Prepared planes about to enter assigned airspace by organizing flight plans and traffic management plans following all safety procedures.
  • Directed air traffic operating under visual flight rules and instrument flight rules to maintain a traffic pattern until there was space for them to land.

Describe Your Educational Qualifications

Working as an air traffic controller requires an associate or bachelor’s degree from an Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) approved school. Once you graduate, you also need to pass some tests by the FAA and go through some training before getting a job.

When you’re listing your education, you’ll start with the name of the degree, the name of the school, and the year of completion.

If you have three years of experience or more, you may not need a degree and can add your high school diploma.

Correct example

BSc in Air Traffic Control

Eastern New Mexico University

2017


How To List Your Skills for Air Traffic Controllers

Air traffic control requires you to monitor aircraft within a specific airspace and control air traffic, among other duties. You need particular skills that will allow you to perform these duties diligently.

Hiring managers always look for these skills on your resume, and if you don’t have them, you’ll miss out on the opportunity. The job description usually has some of the skills the recruiter is looking for, so check it out and add the ones you have to your resume.

It’s essential to have the perfect blend of hard and soft skills. Hard skills are technical skills you learn at school or through job training. Soft skills are interpersonal traits that help you interact well with clients and individuals at the workplace.

Let’s look at some of the skills you should have on your air traffic controller resume.

Hard skills

  • Knowledge of Precision Approach Radar
  • Secret security clearance
  • NOTAM systems
  • FAA regulations
  • Ground aircraft monitoring
  • Map reading and navigation skills
  • Flight data processing
  • Landing instructions

Soft skills

  • Communication skills
  • Flexibility
  • Decision making
  • Multitasking skills
  • Problem-solving skills
  • Team player
  • Time management
  • Organization skills

Write Your Professional Summary

A professional summary introduces the resume. It also gives the recruiter an idea of what to expect in the rest of your resume. It should be short but have the top accomplishments that get the hiring manager’s attention.

Correct example

CORRECT
Dedicated Air Traffic Specialist with eight years of experience working at air traffic control facilities. An inspiring and conscientious leader with a strong background in maintaining facility training records and coordinating the movement of numerous airborne aircraft between civilian and military aircraft. Excellent multitasking and decision-making skills.

📌The example above describes the candidate’s experience and skills that make them the right person for the job.

Incorrect example

INCORRECT
Accomplished and ambitious Air Traffic Controller with experience performing multiple air traffic controller duties.

📌The example above fails to describe the top skills and accomplishments that make the candidate unique.

What is a Resume Objective?

A professional objective is suitable for candidates who don’t have much experience and accomplishments to introduce their resume. It summarizes the candidate’s career goals and shows the recruiter how they align with the company goals. It also allows you to express your interest in the position.

Correct example

CORRECT
Hardworking Air Traffic Controller graduate looking for a challenging position at Amentum International. Highly skilled in using flight control software such as Data Automation Processing Group and Flight Data Input/Output(FDIO) to perform controller functions. Proven multitasking and leadership skills.

📌The example above expresses the candidate’s interest in working for the company and highlights the skills that make them a great candidate.


air traffic controller

Additional Section for Your Air Traffic Controller Resume

Each resume needs an additional section that hosts your extra qualifications. Getting a job as an air traffic controller can be challenging because the industry is competitive, so you need to separate yourself from everyone else. This section is also helpful in highlighting the skills you don’t want the recruiter to miss. Check out our resume templates or resume builder to help you structure this section.

We’ll also look at some of the sections you can add here.

Computer Skills and Certifications

Working from an air control center requires you to use specific software and computer equipment to communicate with pilots and other personnel. You need computer skills to do this, and highlighting them under this section ensures that the recruiter doesn’t miss them.

Certifications are crucial for air traffic controllers and should be added to this section of your resume. You need to be certified by the FAA to get a job, and the most popular certification is the Air Traffic Control Tower Operator.

Interests

If you have specific interests that you want to add to your resume, you should add them under this section. This is a great way to show the recruiter who you are outside of work, but ensure that you add interests that align with the company culture and build on some of your skills.

Languages

Your language skills should always be in a separate section because you don’t want the recruiter to miss them on your resume. You should list your languages using the official language reference as follows:
  • Goethe Zertifikat or TestDaF for German
  • DELF for French
  • SIELE for Spanish

Summary: Key Takeaways

  • The resume header is the first section of your resume, and it contains your personal details and contact information.
  • The resume summary/objective introduces your resume to the recruiter.
  • Separate the hard skills from the soft skills and list them using bullet points.
  • List your educational background in the education section.
  • Choose the correct format that best represents your qualifications.
  • Highlight your extra qualifications in the additional section.

Write A Cover Letter To Complement Your resume

A resume without a cover letter makes your application incomplete. A cover letter expresses your interest in the position and further describes your top accomplishments, experience, and skills. You should not accompany your resume with a cover letter if the recruiter doesn’t require one. Check out our cover letter examples.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which top companies are hiring air traffic controllers?

According to Glassdoor, these companies include:

  • S. Army
  • FAA
  • US Air Force
  • US Navy
  • US Marine Corps
  • S. Department of Defense

Which are some of the best college degrees for an air traffic controller?

  • Bachelor of Science in Air Traffic Control
  • Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Science
  • Bachelor of Science in Air Traffic Management

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