Originally Posted by
ShadowSFriend
This is my first time posting, but I found reading this forum thread very helpful and as such wanted to include my timeline and the rather bizarre culmination to my Application for Trainee ATC here in the event it may help others who are considering this path or going down it.
Late March 2016 – Applied for Trainee ATC program
Mid April 2016 – Invited to complete Online Assessments within next 2 weeks
Late April 2016 – Online Assessments completed and advised would be invited to complete Occupational Personality Questionnaire (OPQ) and that this was expected to occur in approximately 2 weeks.
Mid – Late May 2016 – Invited to complete OPQ assessment; Completed OPQ Assessment; Invited to book telephone interview
Early June 2016 - booked and completed Telephone interview
Second half June 2016 – advised had been successful in progressing to Assessment Centre (AC) and would be placed on waiting list to attend next AC
Early September 2016 – was requested to book AC day in October 2016. I advised AirServices that I would be overseas during the period the ACs I had been invited to were being held and as such volunteered to travel at my expense to another region to attend AC if they were to be held when I was not overseas. Informed all ACs were to occur while I was overseas and advised I would be moved to “Assessment Centre Ready” and informed in the new year of the next AC day.
Mid October 2016 – Advised again I had progressed to AC and would be contacted in the New Year to confirm next available date for AC. Advised that if the dates I was offered did not align with personal circumstances there would be able to remain on waiting list until suitable AC date became available.
Late January 2017 – Was contacted and thanked for my patience, and advised of numbers current status of planned training and courses being filled, and advised that the next ACs were going to be planned for July or August 2017.
May 2017 – requested to provide (and provided) evidence of Citizenship or Permanent Residency. Receipt confirmed and advised would be contacted when they have further information.
12 July 2017 – After all of the above, a rather bizarre turn of events as I received email advising I had been unsuccessful in progressing to the next stage (i.e AC).
I have written to Air Services requesting information about why I was sent this most recent email given I had previously been invited to attend an AC, and furthermore if my application was not of the calibre required to progress to the next stage, why I had not been told this after the last step being my phone interview over a year ago. I will provide an update should I receive any meaningful response.
I am posting this information in the event it may be helpful for anyone who has been waiting or is considering applying for a similar role. From the recent posts in this thread it seems possible that there are issues and/or changes going on internally with Air Services. In addition, I had previously found people's timelines helpful while I was waiting - although I had not read of anyone being strung along quite like I seem to have been.
Hi ShadowSFriend,
I've had the exact same timeline as yourself. All your dates and correspondence with Airservices match my experience and unfortunately, I received the same email today. Very disappointing to say the least! How can one be booked into an Assessment Centre last October, then have it cancelled /postponed and after 9 more months of waiting, be told 'unfortunately you have been unsuccessful in progressing through the next phase of our recruitment process'. This is my second and last attempt having first applied in September 2014. Here's hoping this can be reassessed and we at least be put on hold or offered another chance for a final assessment throughout the next recruitment campaign. Best of luck!