Get Your A&P License from Military Experience (Part 2 of 5)

Before we dive into any technical nuances you need someone to help you navigate the rest of this process. Having a more than adequate support system, specifically a mentor you can call on who has done this leap before, is going to make this process smoother.

What are the facts?

The military required us to have an assigned mentor. There was that awkward meeting every quarter or six months to assess where you were and where you were heading in terms of goals and career growth. Most of the time, none of us really took that seriously, if those meetings ever occurred at all.

What ends up hurting us the most is not totally understanding how beneficial having a mentor actually is.

Finding a mentor

This really isn't like searching for El Dorado or being anyone except King Arthur, and trying to pull Excalibur from the stone. You're already halfway there because:

1. Chances are you have 6 degrees of separation or less between yourself and someone who started in military aviation and is certified. (A great example is my friend and colleague, Gary McGraw.)
2. You're reading this article so you probably already have a LinkedIn account and know how to use that tiny magnifying glass in the upper left-hand corner.
3. Now that I mentioned it, you're looking at the search box wondering how that's going to help you get a mentor.
4. After reading number 3 you're going to type in "Aircraft Mechanic", "AMT", "Director of Maintenance", or something in that vein that you want to be when you "grow up". Then you're going to select the people option.
5. Find someone who has an A&P License and has military aviation maintenance experience in their "work experience" section. Once you do you're going to want to choose to connect with them by leaving a note. That note should be an enticing personal message about how you like (insert thing that interested you about their profile and how that connects the two of you) and that you are looking for a mentor if they're open to it. (Insert thanking them for their time here).
6. It's extremely important to note here that no one owes us their time because of our current or former active duty status. Do you enjoy helping people that act entitled to your time?

Once you have connected with someone who is willing to help guide you, keep building rapport with them. Being mentored is a type of relationship, it should never be one-sided or parasitic, so invest time and effort into it.

Prepping for your interview with the FAA

Go over the basics of how systems work. Look at what you wrote in your 8610-2 forms, review the information in your training records, and mull over any other supporting documentation. Supporting documentation can be a letter from your Maintenance Officer or your military evaluations.

While there isn't anything to be scared of, keep in mind they aren't there to be your friend. The job of the inspector is to review whether or not you are qualified based on your experience displayed in the information you submit, and the answers you give in that interview.

Consider how the FAA interviews candidates for jobs

We both know you aren't going in for a job, but consider using the process many federal offices do for candidate selection against them. The process known as Knowledge, Skills, Ability, or KSAs, is a format for how job descriptions and interview questions are curated. This will help you better answer any questions that'll be thrown your way:

• Knowledge: This is aquired through learning and is the body of information that you need to know before doing tasks. Ex: Knowing the theory of boiling the perfect egg.
• Skills: This is practice and amounts to any proficiency you develop through training or experience. Ex: Having boiled water and eggs before.
• Ability: This is the capacity of doing something, which is typically underlying. Ex: Reading comprehension skills help you read and understand information and ideas through written words.

Checkout the photo below to give yourself direction with exactly how you may structure answers to technical questions thrown your way during the interview.

Will all interviews be like this?

No, of course not, but it never hurts to go in prepared. This is certainly one way, of many, to get ready for an interview and records review.