NATS interview process

[Prototoes]

Originally Posted by hunteruk

Hi Guys,

I have been viewing this forum as a guest for the best part of 4 years now, coming back and too and reading about your experiences with the NATS interview process and I figured it's about time I signed up. I am 23 and I'm planning to submit my application and hopefully begin the interview process. It's something I've planned to do for a while but I wanted to build up some life experience.

I work in the Web Design industry as a web developer, and my first question is, does anybody have any tips or suggestions of how I should structure my CV. I can list skills and qualities that I have developed that relate to ATC easily enough, but I can't list any aviation work experience or anything like that because I have never worked in an airport. Would that be a problem?

Second, I have been practising the the games on the NATS careers website and I think I perform pretty well in most, my biggest weakness certainly being the playing cards memory game! I intend to keep practising but could anybody advise if the games on the NATS website accurately portray the level of assessment or are they like easier examples of what to expect on the big day?

My final question is, I read on this thread from a couple of years ago that their may be some Speed, Distance Time questions, such as:

If an aircraft runs out of fuel 60nm from an airport, and is descending at 2000fpm flying at a speed of 240kts, will it be able to land at the airfield?

Can anybody advise if those types of questions are involved in any of the assessment days in 2018, since I haven't seen anybody mention this in a good couple of years. I have a bit more practise to do on my S/D/T calculation skills before I think I'd be comfortable to submit my application.

P.S, one more question. The internet is filled with conflicting answers regarding re-applying to NATS in the future. Does anybody have current information on this, can you reapply if you're unsuccessful or is it a one-time chance as it stands?

Thank you for reading my questions and thanks in advance to anybody who can help

Re-applying has recently changed - it used to be one shot only, but now (I imagine because of limited numbers of successful applicants they are getting through coupled with the national shortage) they have allowed annual re-applications.

S/D/T calculations, I would indeed get to grips with this - it might be a better idea to just understand the physics/mechanics rather than rote remembering how to do the calculation.

The games on the website are designed to test different aspects that they test during the application process, so in that respect they are 'accurate'. The tests are different and there isn't a whole lot you can do to improve other than trying to improve short-term memory and techniques to help remember sequences - after all, it is an aptitude test.

Best of luck!