Editor’s Viewpoint

Aug. 14, 2008
Maximize Your Career Choice

Welcome to Aircraft Maintenance Technology’s 10th annual issue of Maximizing Your Career Choice. We dedicate this issue to topics that will improve your career opportunities in aviation maintenance.

With the ups and downs that the industry and the economy face, having a job at the same company over your entire career is a rare occurrence. So to help with the transitions, AMT is here to assist you.

Career planning requires some work on your part. First do a self-assessment. What are you interested in, what are you good at? Explore career options that utilize skills you have or a passion you have. Then choose the best match of interest and skill level. Finally, form an action plan: how do you get from where you are to where you want to be.

This issue describes the efforts of NCATT which is working with business, academia, and industry organizations to raise the level of professionalism by developing curriculums and skill levels that meet today’s maintenance requirements. An article on page 18 reveals how far you can go, as someone that started as an A&P is now a vice president at Cessna; The Sky’s The Limit. If money is an issue for additional training, there is an article on what different industry associations offer in the way of aircraft maintenance scholarships. And Bill O’Brien shares his view of the industry to attrack high school seniors into the aircraft maintenance field.

Avjobs.com is once again a partner with AMT to provide a look at what the current pay is for various aircraft maintenance jobs.

The News section offers career development solutions with various training, networking, and career day opportunities with dates and locations provided.

And if you can’t find answers to what you need in this issue, there is an index of the articles from the past 10 years to help you in your career planning and professional development.

As always, we welcome your comments on this or any issue. You can email me at barb.zuehlke@amtonline or mail to:

Barb Zuehlke
Aircraft Maintenance Technology
1233 Janesvile Ave.
Fort Atkinson, WI 53538

Thanks for reading!