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

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)

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

A bad header

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.

Example for an entry-level air traffic controller resume

Example for experienced air traffic controllers

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

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

Incorrect example

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

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