In a competitive job market, a well-crafted CV can be the difference between securing an interview and being overlooked. For aircraft maintenance engineers, the CV needs to communicate your qualifications, licence, type experience, and employment history in a clear, accurate, and compelling way — tailored to the specific requirements of technical aviation recruitment.
At Protec Technical, our consultants review hundreds of engineering CVs each year. We’ve developed clear views on what works and what doesn’t, and we share that knowledge freely with the candidates we work with. Here’s our guide to building a strong engineering CV.
Lead with Your Credentials
Unlike CVs in many other sectors, where a personal profile at the top is conventional, aviation maintenance CVs should make your licence and type ratings immediately visible. A recruiter or hiring manager needs to know, within seconds of opening your document, what category of Part-66 (or equivalent) licence you hold, what type ratings you have, and what aircraft you have been working on recently.
Consider using a brief “Credentials at a Glance” or “Technical Profile” section at the top of your CV that lists:
- Licence category and issuing authority (e.g. CAA B1.1 Licence, No. XXXX)
- Aircraft type ratings held
- Any additional qualifications (NDT, Human Factors, specific training)
- Total years of aircraft maintenance experience
This allows technical reviewers to assess your core qualifications immediately without having to read through your employment history first.
Employment History: Accuracy and Specificity
Your employment history should be in reverse chronological order (most recent first) and should, for each role, specify:
- Organisation name and location
- Job title and employment type (permanent, contract, agency)
- Dates (month and year, start and finish)
- Aircraft types worked on
- Scope of work (line maintenance, base maintenance, C Check, D Check, engine overhaul etc.)
- Key responsibilities and, where possible, specific examples of notable work
Be accurate about dates — gaps in employment history will be noticed and should be explained briefly (eg “sabbatical,” “family responsibilities,” or “COVID-related redundancy with subsequent retraining”). Gaps are not disqualifying but unexplained gaps raise questions.
Quantify Where You Can
Specific numbers and examples are more compelling than general statements. “Performed line maintenance on A320ceo aircraft, including overnight checks and defect rectification” is good. “Performed line maintenance on A320ceo fleet of 14 aircraft at Gatwick base; regularly led a team of three engineers on overnight check slots” is better. The specifics demonstrate the scale and responsibility of your experience.
Education and Training
List your formal qualifications (Part-66 modules, apprenticeship, degree) and any significant training courses (type training, NDT courses, Human Factors training, leadership programmes). Keep this section factual and concise.
Format and Length
Two to three pages is appropriate for most engineering CVs. Use a clean, professional layout with consistent formatting. Avoid excessive use of graphics and tables — they can cause problems with applicant tracking systems. Use a standard font (Arial, Calibri, or similar) and keep font sizes readable.
Proofread carefully. Typos and grammatical errors signal a lack of attention to detail that is a red flag in a precision-oriented profession.
Using Protec Technical’s CV Builder
Protec Technical offers a CV builder tool on our website to help engineers structure their applications effectively. Our consultants are also happy to review and advise on CVs as part of our candidate support service.
Ready to take the next step? Register with Protec Technical and let us help you find the right opportunity.
