I Worked In Aviation - Lessons I Learnt and Now Apply As An Entrepreneur

My first job after college was in aviation. I remember my first day like it was yesterday. I had to memorise the phonetic alphabet in a day, otherwise I wouldn’t have been able to communicate with anyone.

The role was challenging but fun at the same time. It made me appreciate the value of good communication, teamwork and customer care. The lessons I learnt I now apply in my role as an entrepreneur.

Communication

Working in aviation taught me that communication is key. In my role I had to communicate with pilots and with air traffic controllers. Sometimes I was communicating with several teams at once. Your ability to communicate is tested frequently at every level of aviation. You have to be good at talking on the mic and you can’t let it stress you out too much when you make a mistake or two. That last part is especially important: because the job requires so much precision, you have to be prepared for mistakes—and unafraid of making them yourself!

Teamwork

In business, as in aviation, teamwork is king. You must work with your employees to achieve your goals. In aviation, I relied on my coworkers to do their part—and I had faith that they would. In business, you must foster the same kind of relationship with others in order to succeed. If you don’t trust them to complete a task correctly or think that only you can accomplish the task correctly then it’s time for a new team!

Support

Every team member is part of a support system whose purpose is to help passengers get where they need to go. Whether it’s the operations agent helping ensure your flight is on time and you know where to gate check your bag or the flight attendant assisting with your meal choices and making sure you have a pleasant experience onboard, we are all there to help. When that one passenger has an issue, we all step up and do what we can as a team to fix it. We have each other’s backs — no matter what happens. This is how teams in any industry should operate.

Safety

In aviation safety is an absolute priority. Creating a culture of safety has been an important part of becoming an entrepreneur. Safety - both physical and emotional - is critical for your well-being and for the success of your business.

Think about what you must do every day to make sure that you are safe, in all aspects of your life. Do you do regular self-checks of your health? Are you aware of when you need time out to recuperate? Are there rituals that help ensure safety in your workplace or with your family? We have proven that we can accomplish many goals together in aviation, but it starts with each person being committed to their own personal "safety first."

Experience

Your customers will want to know that you’re a person who can get the job done, and this is your chance to tell them why. When you’re in aviation you don’t have time for fancy introductions or long speeches. You have to think on your feet and be ready with a solution when somebody tells you they’re having a problem

As an entrepreneur, being ready with an answer when a customer calls can make all the difference in whether they decide to buy from you or not.

Accountability

I'm most proud to have a job that lets me work for myself. If you want to become your own boss in business, you need to learn how to take responsibility for all aspects of your job and always look at it objectively - because in the end, if you're unhappy at work, your customers will also know it!