Australians are dreaming of a job in aviation, survey shows

IF YOU’RE staring off into space dreaming about a career change, chances are you’ve got your heart set on a job in this industry.

Aviation is so hot right now. Picture: Miramax

IF YOU’RE staring off into space dreaming about a career change, chances are you’ve got your heart set on an aviation job.

The industry’s biggest players have topped the list of Australia’s most sought after employers, with Virgin on top and Qantas coming in a close second.

And it seems that many workers have itchy feet; 84 per cent of those surveyed believed travelling for work added value to their job, and 55 per cent would like a job that involves international travel — yet only 24 per cent currently do.

More than half of the 10,000 Aussies surveyed by Randstad wanted to work for Virgin Australia, putting the company founded by entrepreneur Richard Branson at the top of the list for the second year running.

While 51.34 per cent gave Virgin a tick, a close 51.3 per cent said they would like to work for Qantas.

The reasons cited included work-life balance, a positive working environment and strong management. Virgin was also recognised as the most attractive employer for women and young people.

It seems that Virgin staff have all the fun. Picture: Instagram

Randstad chief executive Frank Ribuot said the aviation sector was valued for its training, working atmosphere and fun factor, along with a perception of strong management, work-life balance, salary, benefits and career progression opportunities.

“It is perceived to have more attractive attributes than any other sector,” Mr Ribuot said.

“Many Australians consider the opportunity to travel as part of their job a tremendous benefit alongside their salary. This is a key point for employers looking to fill roles that require travel, to note it and promote it in job descriptions and conversations with prospective talent — no matter what sector they operate in.”

Qantas came in a close second. Picture: Duncan Killick

Perhaps more surprisingly, the Department of Immigration & Border Protection — which last year changed its name to the Australian Border Force — ranked as the eighth most popular employer.

It ranked behind arms manufacturer BAE Systems, whose chairman this week told anti-war protesters that “weapons sales encourage peace”; broadcasters Seven Network and ABC; engineering giant GHD; and food and beverage multinational Nestle.

Presenting the Most Attractive Employer at Sydney’s Quay restaurant last night, Mr Ribuot said Virgin Australia “clearly has a winning formula”.

“Aviation has proven to be an incredibly popular sector for Australian workers for a number of years,” Mr Ribuot said.

“This year it appealed to almost all demographics in the country including both men and women, all age groups from 18 to 65 years and people in every state, except Western Australia, where mining and natural resources held its ground.”

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Originally published as Australians are dreaming of a job in aviation, survey shows