After providing a job site to connect industry professionals with airlines, MRO companies and recruiters for the last 20 years, we were seeking new ways in which we could expand our offerings and connect jobseekers to genuine career opportunities. We spotted a gap in the market as the majority of available job fairs focussed specifically on pilots, which left thousands of other aviation professionals without a job fair that would be suitable to them – so we decided to change that! The event was meticulously planned for over 9 months, and pulled together by the teams in our Preston, Pembroke, Brighton and Barcelona offices – a real team effort! “Nine months ago, the event was just a concept. To see it come to life was challenging, exciting and utterly enjoyable. That’s the beauty of the Friday Media Group; it champions new ideas, creativity and enthusiasm.” Debbie Holden
On the day itself, we welcomed 22 exhibitors, many of them who you would instantly recognise, including BA CityFlyer, KLM UK Engineering, Wizz Air, Flybe, Bombardier, Loganair, Leonardo and BAE Systems.Over 700 jobseekers joined us on the day, all eager to find work or progress their career. Just 10 days before our event, the sad news of Thomas Cook collapsing broke, so we understandably welcomed many ex Thomas Cook employees along. We sincerely hope the event offered some genuine opportunities in the unexpected difficult circumstances they are now faced with. Also, during the day, seven guest speakers covered a variety of topics designed to improve our visitors current work life, or inspire them onto the next chapter in their careers.
Aviation has changed lives and helped people travel to distant lands. With traveling, we encounter people from cultures different from our own. The key focus of the aviation industry is to get travelers from point A to B, but not without the challenges of language and communication. We welcomed guest speaker and CEO of Online Lingo, Dr Molly Lim, all the way from sunny San Francisco, who discussed how an online language learning system can help you advance in your career, and expand your world. Lim said, “Aviation has changed lives and helped people travel to distant lands. With traveling, we encounter people from cultures different from our own. The key focus of the aviation industry is to get travelers from point A to B, but not without the challenges of language and communication.”
We also welcomed Travel Wellness Expert, Christopher Babayode, who with his company nojetstress, teaches the practice of nutritional therapy to cure jet lag for frequent fliers. During Christophers 20 years working as a Flight Attendant for British Airways, he has visited 45 countries and clocked up 1.2 million miles – which makes him well equipped to tackle the subject. Other guest speakers included Pilot Recruitment Consultant, Fenella Jefferson from Goose Recruitment, Senior HR Business Partner, Greg Walker from Bombardier, and our very own Account Manager, Bethany Smith from Aviation Job Search.
The Aviation Job Expo is the start of a new chapter for the Aviation Job Search team, with many more live job fairs planned for the future. In 2020, we will also begin hosting virtual job fairs, so it’s fair to say the events team will be busy for the foreseeable! Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for more information on that and future event dates!
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