1985
read FFDs post... properly.
He states "I
KNOW I would be good at it"... that was why I posed the question. There is nothing wrong with thinking you'd be good at something - for exactly the reasons you state. Similarly there is nothing wrong with a bit of self belief... in fact I think it's a very good quality.
Stating you 'know' you would be good at something is different altogether and rings alarm bells in my mind.
One of the reasons being 'what is this person going to be like to train if that's the way he thinks'?
The other reason I asked is because of his PPRuNe moniker - Flight Deck Dave. If he was a pilot, I would again ask what he based his statement
I know its something that I would be good at
on... if it was purely from being a pilot, I would again question his assertion and why he should think that way.
To throw it back at you,
1985, what's wrong with me asking why he would think that? It's a perfectly good question to ask and in fact it is a
very good interview question, especially in response to such a statement.
As for FFD - rather than taking offence at my question, he came back with a good response, if still a little woolly (would be questioned further by any
half decent interviewer for example 'what skills does he possess that he feels will make him a good ATCO')?
The response he gave and the implied tone (difficult to gauge when typed) would go some way to satisfying an interviewer that they were not dealing with an egotistical know it all (FFD - I am not implying that's what you are, just trying to get 1985 to understand mechanics of interviewing techniques).
FFD
Good luck in the selection process.... for me in answer to your initial question I think the reasons for becoming one vary greatly and until in the job, most people don't really know what it fully involves. If you mean why do you enjoy the job, then there are again a multitude of reasons, many mentioned here already but they include challenge, variety, shiftwork, colleagues, pay, time off, pension, the ability to leave work at work etc etc.