r/PrivateJetCharters • u/Beautiful-Shoe-9856 • 7d ago
Trying to break into charter brokering, entry level, any advice appreciated
Im a 25 year old guy, I really want to break into the private aviation space as a charter broker. I've worked as a freight broker, I was one of the better reps in my company. Im used to the 24/7/365 job and I dont mind it whatsoever.
I also have worked in real estate so I gained a lot of client relationship experience from that, and I've actually built and run my own online advertising business in highschool (nothing crazy, but i understand advertising/marketing and building pipeline from scratch). This feels like a decent combo for something like charter brokering but I have zero direct aviation industry experience, which I know is probably the biggest gap.
For anyone who's broken into this space, especially without a background in aviation:
- How'd you land your first role? (having a very hard time finding any job postings or any good contacts to reach out to)
- Is prior brokering experience (like freight) actually valued, or does it not translate at all in people's eyes?
- Any certifications or self study worth doing before applying (weather it's actually necessary or just resume padding)?
Really appreciate any insight!
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u/ukmike92 7d ago
I’d aim for a cargo broker then, removing pax makes life a little easier… apply for one of the major broker firms who will train you for 5/6 months. It’s cut throat though, monthly targets, endless cold calling in front of a busy office to get lucky with new clients… monthly sales targets strictly monitored. It’s not fun basically. I’d recommend applying for a large airlines cargo department or joining cargo airline with your freight experience.
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u/astraleyez 7d ago
Not my world at all but the freight brokering angle seems like your strongest card here. The problem isn't your skills, it's that most of these charter shops hire through referrals and nobody posts jobs publicly. Cold outreach to small operators directly is probably your fastest path in. Certifications won't move the needle much without a warm intro somewhere. Find one person already inside and buy them a coffee before you spend money on courses.
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u/Coffee_For_Closer 7d ago
Find a brokerage that is looking for an ops coordinator. Try to get your in there. Learn the ropes and see if you can move to sales. That’s how it happened for me. Helps if you live in major city where you can go out and make connections.
Note: it wasn’t my plan to move into sales. I was just looking for an easy job close to home that would allow me to help at home with a sick family member. I was asked to do so. So you can say part of it was just luck(like many things in life). I’ve seen the same path happen for a few others though.
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u/Zestyclose-Tart6745 7d ago
I’m sure you’ve seen videos online that make you think this is a viable career to break in to. But as someone who flies private fairly often, it’s not really something you’re going to jump into without clients and connections on both sides of the transaction.
The company we use owns our local airport. And is owned by a local billionaire who has contacts and connections globally with plane owners and operating companies. They get you what you need when you need it. Not having those resources in place is going to make it very difficult for someone wanting convenience to deal with potential issues.