Nats- When should I apply?

[future_atc]

I intend on applying to join Nats. But when?

My idea is to join apply after my A-levels and if i don't get in then go to university and then apply after that. Any thoughts?

[ZOOKER]

future atc..... I had the same plan in the 1970s. I stayed on to get 'A' Levels with the objective of joining NATS straight from school. Sadly, the 1970s oil crisis resulted in a suspension of recruiting, so I ended up as an ATC assistant for 2 years. I left to do a science degree, and when NATS started cadetships again, (1978), I joined straight from university.
It's always nice to have something to fall back on, and the ATCO training course was much harder than being at university, but was more rewarding and well worth the wait.
Whatever you do, good luck and have fun......As one of our ATC supervisors pointed out:-
"Life is not a dress rehearsal"!

[rolaaand]

Sounds like a reasonable enough plan. The selection and the training are rigourous so a back up plan of a useful degree might be a good idea in case you don't make it.
I applied after my degree,despite still having no idea what I wanted to do in life. There was a NATS recruitment advert on the back of a magazine in the career adviser's waiting room! That was 15 years ago and I haven't looked back. It's a great job.

[zonoma]

No harm in applying now. I applied at 18, got to the final stages of interview and got the "thanks but no thanks" letter. I took a year out, went to Uni and then reapplied at 21, got straight through selection and have had a very happy career for 20 years now and still counting.

[EastofKoksy]

You might consider doing what I did. Apply to university to follow my second choice career and apply to NATS at the same time. Even if NATS are recruiting, it can take several months to be offered a confirmed place on a course.

Recruitment processes are a bit of a lottery so you might not be successful first time. Then, as some of the others have said, you could go to university and review your options in the final year.

In the mean time I suggest you start building up evidence of motivation such as arranging a visit to a control tower or ATC Centre. Do some research into NATS as an organisation. It is amazing how many job applicants know next to nothing about the organisation they want to work for. Reading up on selection test does and don'ts and interview technique could also be useful.

[future_atc]

Thanks for all the replies.

It's my dream job so I want to have the highest possible chance of success hence applying after A-levels and if failing then going to university where I can hopefully be 'more employable' and then applying again to Nats hopefully being more succesful, and my backup if I fail the second time- probably Eurocontrol...