4 Steps to Start Your Career
in the Canadian Drone Industry
If you’re thinking about switching careers or looking for a side gig there has never been a better time to get started in the Canadian Drone Industry.
The North American drone industry continues to expand and grow in both the U.S. and Canada. In fact, by 2021, BI Intelligence has predicted that drone sales will be more than $12 billion.
For more information on the future of the drone industry and the different types of jobs read our article here.
With the information I’m about to share here you can increase the potential of getting hired in all types of positions with Canadian Drone companies.
Step 1. Take an online or in person prep course to get your advanced drone pilot certification exam through Transport Canada.
The keyword here is advanced. Transport Canada offers a basic and advanced certification. Most companies will want to see that you have an advanced drone pilot certificate.
The Canadian Drone Institute offers online courses to help you pass your advanced drone pilot certificate exam and we are listed on the Transport Canada website as a compliant drone pilot school. You can save 10% off all online courses with us by using the discount code “drone10” at checkout.
Step 2. Pass your flight review.
If you don’t have experience flying a drone we recommend buying a small drone and taking a class with a local instructor in your area. If you are already an experienced drone pilot you will also want to find a local company that is a Transport Canada approved flight reviewer.
The Canadian Drone Institute offers flight reviews in select areas, but you can also search locally on Google.
Step 3. Apply for your Advanced Drone Pilot Certificate through Transport Canada.
Currently, this is just a $25 fee to get an electronic copy of your certificate.
Step 4. Register your drone with Transport Canada and start applying for jobs in the Canadian Drone Industry.
There are two routes you can go to get started working for a company in the drone industry. You can apply specifically for drone pilot jobs (See “Job Resources” at the bottom of this article) or you can bolster your current resume and apply for higher paying jobs with drone technology companies.
A quick Google search of “Canadian drone technology companies” will produce many companies hiring right now! Who’s the company going to hire – The Engineer? Or the Engineer with the Advanced Drone Pilot Certificate?
Alternatively, you can start your own drone photography business once you’re certified. Real estate agents, small film and commercial productions, weddings and more are looking for drone photographers more and more. With a basic website, insurance, a drone, and your advanced drone pilot certificate you’ve got everything you need to get started!
Learn more in this article we wrote about starting your own drone business.
If you have questions about our courses or general questions about the industry feel free to reach out to us any time at info@thecanadiandroneinstitute.com.
Job Resources
Indeed “UAV” – https://ca.indeed.com/Uav-jobs
Indeed “Drone” – https://ca.indeed.com/jobs?q=drone&l=
Glass Door – https://www.glassdoor.ca/Job/canada-drone-jobs-SRCH_IL.0,6_IN3_KE7,12.htm
Simply Hired – https://www.simplyhired.ca/search?q=uav&job=OMdsh-n_xHW-tjC77H-sKNqTYnq5Qldzd0ns8JH9t-0BQ9Q7C2FwKA
Linkedin – https://ca.linkedin.com/jobs/drone-jobs?pageNum=0&position=1
Search google.com – “Drone pilot jobs Canada” and look at the ads at the bottom and top of the pages. Many companies are running google ad campaigns to find new drone pilots!
Additionally, make sure you are searching drone, drone pilot, UAV, RPAS on all of the major job sites and when searching on google as companies all list them differently.
