Any ATC working for Skyguide-Switzerland??

[nadiuska]

Hi,

I'm a girl who would like to be an ATC in CH.
After getting in contact with Skyguide through email, they could solve most of my questions, but there are some questions which I believe will be best answered by any ATC in CH.

The thing is that neither German nor French are my native languages. But well, I'm fluent in French, so I was planning to apply in this language. But, being this way it seems like it would be impossible for me to work in Zurich, since it seems like English is not enough you must be fluent in German too; or is there any chance to change in the future as my German skills get better?

Another thing that really blowed my mind....is that. Is that you can only apply once!!!:eek:!!!Has it been always this way? How can they only let you apply once? What are they looking for...superman????

Can any of you, tell me you're experience while applying for Skyguide?
How long did you prepared for the proccess? Did you go to any academy?

Any information regarding the process will be appreciated.

Thank you very much.

[!turnleftrightnow!]

Hi there,
why don´t you apply for a position in Geneva? As far as I know you don´t necessarily need to speak German there. They have a center and towers.
Over here, in Germany, you just can apply once, too. And you don´t need to be superman: get prepared properly and with a little bit of luck... you´ll make it!

[nadiuska]

Hi there,

Yeap, Geneva is the problem. I'm living now close to Zurich and I love my life here, the mentality of the people. I've never been living in Geneva, but I lived in France, and I also know some Swiss French people, and I don't feel as comfortable with them as with Swiss German people.; I don't really think that I could be happy living in the French Speaking part of Switzerland.

The worse thing is that my German skills are................... So I guess it will take me at least 18 months to speak German Fluently, studying really hard from now. And then prepapre for the process, that I can only apply once.
I don't know what to do.......

[The Euronator]

Nadiuska,

Or you could apply to Eurocontrol. Their Abinitio (student) vacancies are open on a regular basis & we have just had a few people from Skyguide join us.

EUROCONTROL - European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation (http://www.eurocontrol.int)

I believe the terms & conditions are more favourable than Skyguide & you wont have any issues with language if your English is anything to go by.

[nadiuska]

Thank you Euronatol, for the advice, but my life is in Switzerland; besides I'm older than 25.
Anyhow, Skyguide HR. have been very very helpfull, and now I know what to do, improve my German skills and apply.

[RustyNail]

Hi Nadiuska,

The most important language pre-requisite for Skyguide is English, Level 1 Oxford or Cambridge written and spoken. You will also have to pass a Eurocontrol proficiency in English language test as well which is administered in all EU states.

Yes, you will coordinate with other sectors in German, but that will surprisingly come easily once you immerse yourself in it, and it is a more technical and job specific language.

On the plus side and from personal experience, Skyguide offers the best ATC training programme that I have experienced working in 6 countries, if anybody can make you into a sucessful controller then the Skyguide instructors can :ok:

Good luck with your application

[nadiuska]

Hi Rustynail,

About German.....I'm not worried about the technical side, is more about having the good level to pass the application process. Being able to pass the interview and the group excesices, successfully.

I read in an old post that only 25-30% of the students become ATC. Is the training that hard.????

Do you know how many students apply yearly?

[RustyNail]

Grutzi Nadiuska,

Not sure what is happening now-days but from my personal experience with Skyguide I can believe the failure rate might have been 25-30% (not making final check-out).

The success rate was very high compared to other ANS training programmes around the world.

Ciao

[nadiuska]

Hi Rustynail,

It seems like I got the information the other way around. But my gosh, from my point of view 25% is still very,very high.

Can you tell me if during the training can you fail one of the exams, for instance I know in some contries, you have to attempts to pass the exams, then if you fail, you're out, regardless the stage of the training you are in.

[RustyNail]

Hi nadiuska,

I'm not sure of their present rules, but in the past if you failed a written exam you had one chance to pass a re-sit. If you failed that re-sit then it was game-over.

In the practical exercises if you failed an evaluation you could be placed on a "conditional" continuation into the next phase of training if you show potential, with the same proviso, you would have to show improvement and pass the next exam, or it was time to leave.

Hope it helps.

RN

[nadiuska]

Your post is off-topic, you should open a new thread for your query.

[foxyankee]

Hallo Nadiuska!

Schau doch mal bei flightforum.ch (http://www.flightforum.ch) vorbei, dort in der ATC-Ecke findest du Skyguide-Lotsen die Dir alle Fragen beantworten!


Viel Erfolg!

===============
Look at flightforum.ch (http://www.flightforum.ch), in the ATC-corner there are skuyguide-controllers and they are answering all the questions for shure!

Good luck!

[MenWithHandTools]

thanks all. Yes a newbie to the site. I will create a thred instead.