one of the many wannabes

[Swanwick wannabe]

Hi , I have got my initial tests for NATS in london 12.12.2007 , have looked through aptitude tests given as examples and all seems relatively straight forward.

I was looking to see if anybody on the forum is from the southampton area currently working @ swanwick control?

I am currently working for a bank in there very busy call centre , I have been there for just over a year now and have sold my way to top of the department.

I now want to get out of the sales enviroment and the banking industry as it is now filled to the brim with wannabe "stockbrokers" and everyone expects to be rich.

I'm not particuarly advanced at maths , however i have good common sense , am quick to learn new things and honestly believe that given proper training i would be able to operate as an ATCO.

My main concern is that i will be left @ the start line , should i expect to turn up to my testing day to be confronted by hundreds of dare i say "plane obsessives"?

My question is , are the tests really that hard or just another means of assessment? Will they look at my personal history , realise i am adaptable and have excelled in my current and previous roles ?

My pre-assessment nerves are clearly showing , I just want to make sure i dont under or over prepare.

Any advice would be most appreciated , I have looked through the many forums relating to this , however most are dated in the 2001 area so i should imagine there has been some drastic changes.

I would also be interested in speaking to any ATCO assistants currently in role.

Cheers

Jon

[BusinessMan]

Hi SW,

I know your post asks a number of varied questions but if you're looking for some responses specifically from people "from the southampton area currently working @ swanwick control" or "ATCO assistants currently in role" then you may get more response posting on the 'ATC Issues' forum as someone so described may not frequent this forum? (apologies if you already have copied this post there - I didnt check)

I've often felt, as a wannabe, that I shouldn't post outside the 'Wannabes Forum' but have increasingly found that the most useful insights are to be gained from the specialist forums (in my case Rotorheads but I thought that same may apply to a similarly specialised group, such as ATC).

Obvious with hindsight I guess as the successful wannabes end up on the other forums, by definition ;), so they've been in our shoes at some point. But my point is don't let being a wannabe put you off going straight to where the experience is to ask - they're the guys in the know after all and often more than happy to help out someone with similar interest

Best of luck, BM