Thank you for the replies everyone!
Judging from the encouragement and willingness to help in your responses, i'm inclined to say ATCs are a very friendly bunch! I was actually worried i'd get abuse for my ignorance :P
The job itself is almost perfect, it sounds like; (Almost) unanimous job satisfaction amongst you all! Moving to your given post (swanwick/prestwick usually?), shift work, etc are sacrifices that don't phase me particularly. BUT - the idea of missing important moments (xmas, birthdays, etc) is quite daunting to me.
how do you guys manage? Do you have problems maintaining friendships (attending social events, etc)? Does it cause rifts with family/other half/kids? Or is it a case of all your friends, etc are fellow ATCs?
To clarify, if you do start with NATS you do not pick your own post. Nor do you pick your speciality (ie Area/Approach/Aerodrome). The company will pick based on business needs at the time, and they will post you where you are needed. This is something you have to sign up to.
I personally didn't see it as a problem, but you should be aware that there is no garuantee at all of getting what you want. It's all down to what the company needs.
I don't have friends so don't have that problem
Jokes aside, it can be tricky. My other half is routinely a bit annoyed that I plan my holidays more than 6 months in advance (as she has no way of doing so), but that's just the way it works. So far it works out for us, how we feel about it in 20 years I don't know.
There are pros and cons to everything, I have worked 9-5 and now work shifts. I prefer the shifts because I'm less time at work and I can still plan my life quite nicely around it. Some people find it difficult but with a bit of planning I think it works out well.
Finally, for me, it boils down to this
sparkleandsweat
Look, it's STILL better than working !
I spend my days doing something that I find quite enjoyable, I have worked in the real world and I have no interest in going back. Yes there are downsides to ATC as well as anything else, but I still think it beats working for a living.