Trying to get back on thread, in discussions with potential recruits from Spain I have been left with the impression that despite all the qualifications they had gained, it was very much who you know that will get you an ATCO position. That may, of course, have changed post-pandemic.
Departing from thread again....the job is different now, with far more external factors impacting on your day to day task, many of which you would never have even considered when you first joined. Part of being an ATCO is flexibility and adaptation, and the ability to absorb new and evolving requirements. But at the end of the day, it is just work.