Unsure interview question

[Brett Davis]

Hi all.

Hoping you can help me with something - I have my final assesment interview for NATS coming up and I've come across a few things during my research and preperation that I need some clarification on.

1. One of the questions I've heard asked is: If you are training and the instructor tells you to do something that is different to what you were told previously, what would you do? Now using my own logic, I'd deduce that there must be some sort or different circumstances or rules in place that I'm not aware of so I would question the instructor as to the reason for the differences - would you folks consider that the wise approach or am I thinking about this all wrong?

2. Another question I've come across that I'm unsure of how to approach is: you're newly qualified, the person who trained you is on ground but keeps making mistakes. what do you do about it? Now this one I'm completely stumped on - would I give the person the professional courtesy of pulling them aside quietly and having a private discussion about what I have noticed; or should I keep safety formost in my mind and escalate the apparent issue immediately - I know nobody likes being a grass, but is this something that you can really take chances with?

Your help would be highly appreciated.

Brett.

[radar707]

1. Each unit has it's own differences from the college, you're at the unit to learn, we learn through questioning.

2. Depends how dangerous it is. If it's dangerous you need to say something there and then, if not, a quiet word in their ear may suffice, otherwise if there is a potential safety issue and they won't listen it needs to be taken up with the watch competency examiner (LCE)

[niknak]

Concur with Radar, if there is any doubt about safety, say so there and then.

If it's a case of having two or more solutions to solve one problem, say so there and then, you may be proved right or wrong.

If it's a case of the OJTI being completely out of order, hand the headset to them and take it up with the watch manager.

It's not a case of "being a grass", safety comes first every time.
Whilst we learn from our errors, a competent OJTI should be capable of realising when a trainee is digging a hole for themselves and should know when to give constructive advice or intervene in a professional manner

[2 sheds]

BD

You should realise that there is no set answer to the questions that you are anticipating. There are rules, there is the overriding question of safety, there is the fact that you still have to work alongside your colleagues with an easy atmosphere.

Any interviewer worth his salt would not expect an answer as he would from an experienced controller - and even those would vary.

Rather than try to have a set answer to an anticipated set question, use your own knowledge and appreciation, give a reasonably intelligent answer to a question such as this and be prepared to justify and explain it. And, as Niknak said, do not mention the expression "grass" in this context - you should be thinking on a slightly different plane, that would not endear you to the interviewer and, as you say yourself, there are more important considerations.

[Spitoon]

A few more things to consider.

On number 1 - the basic rules for how to control traffic are set in MATS Part 1 (and sometimes MATS Part 2), there are often a variety of ways to comply with the rules. Different controllers have different ways of doing things - all of which are legit. This is one of the most important things that you learn during unit training and it will equip you with knowledge of a range of solutions to different problems in the future. If what you are told to do doesn't appear to comply with the rules you need to speak with the trainer when time permits - after you are off the desk - to try to understand why he/she did what they did. It may be that you don't like the procedure and will choose not to use it when you are fully qualified - but, while training, you are working on the trainer's licence and what he/she says goes.

Number 2 is more difficult. The practical answer is that ythe first thing you'll want to do your job 100% correctly and cover your @rse and make sure that your colleague doesn't drag you into an incident! But you're not going to say that at the interview. As you can see from the replies here there is no 'right' answer. I would suggest that you stress that safety is the highest priority and that you would want to ensure that the situation was properly dealt with. How this can be achieved will depend on many things and you would have to recognise your junior status (you may have a licence but you don't have years of experience). You could suggest that if you had developed a good working relationship with an LCE or Training Officer during your time at the unit you might quietly discuss it with them and ask their advice on how to deal with it - and, in practice, any LCE or whatever worth his salt would look into the situation themselves regardless of the advice they may give to you. But the important thing is that you show that you understand that there are not always black and white answers.

Hope this helps - and good luck.

[av8boy]

WRT #1, agree completely with Spitoon. In your question you say, Now using my own logic, I'd deduce that there must be some sort or different circumstances or rules in place that I'm not aware of. Don't assume that. The circumstances may well be identical to those you'd seen before, and the rules may be exactly what you know them to be. In such a case what you are probably seeing is different controller technique, and that's good. There are a lot of different ways to skin a cat, and it's not always because of inherent differences among cats! Sometimes it's the difference among skinners that leads to differing techniques (probably a bad analogy though).

ATCOs cope with different situations in different ways, and you should always be keeping an eye out for ways that suit your temperament.

Dave