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NATS interview process

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Old 16th Oct 2009, 15:08
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Anticipation Over!!!

Got my S1 results and its bad news again.. 3 and out for me which leaves me hugely dissapointed, but this time i decided to make sure i got feedback of HR by asking in polite manner.

Credit to HR, they gave me my test scores which kind of suprised me... 83% in the motivation... 84% in the diagramming... 50% in the cubes (i always did hate them cubes) and 50% in the SDT!!

Quite obvious were i went wrong but a few positives were i only answered 25 cubes and 14 SDT so in terms of accuracy, i was quite high... just wish i would have realised NATS did not mark negatively!!

Good luck to all current and future applicants... this forum has been really helpful, just wish i had found it 3 years ago!!!
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Old 16th Oct 2009, 16:27
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Sorry on the news Ian, it seems this week is a good week to hear back from stage 2 results but not for stage 1 results

Have you tried getting feedback before? did you email or ring them up, as I would very much like to get back what you achieved. Also I'm sure you know but if you're under 25 why not give Eurocontrol a try?

cheers
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Old 16th Oct 2009, 21:10
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Joining in with the good news for stage 2, I just found out I passed stage 2! woop woop! I had (again) convinced myself that I'd failed, but I can't believe I heard back so quickly. I only did it on Wednesday and for stage 1 I had to wait the full 15days which was driving me crazy. I did kick myself today because I got the e-mail about 3pm, and only just saw it... 7 hours later... after checking once an hour all yesterday and this morning.

Ok, I'm rambling now, but it's because I'm home alone and so have no one else to tell right now!!

Thank you everyone here for helping (and being here for me to ramble at!!)
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Old 16th Oct 2009, 23:15
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PS 82, Lizplt, Lemmingsjump

Congrats to you all!
So have any of you booked a stage 3 date yet?
Lizplt, what sort of info is in your Radio Nav book that is beneficial for stage 3?
PS 82, I to have been asked to do the online tests, although if i remember correctly it's nothing to worry about and has no bearing on whether you get through the selection process or not.
Have any of you emailed Clare yet or heard back from her?

To anyone else,

Is the stage 3 interview just based on the competencies listed, or do they throw in other things as well and is there any 'revision' that can be done, other than knowing what examples your gonna talk about?

How long is the interview and group exercise, and how long do you spend sitting around?

All help and advice greatly appreciated!
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Old 17th Oct 2009, 12:21
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What's all this talk about a personality test (100 questions) for stage 1? I had my stage 1 yesterday and nobody was given this test! I'm a bit concerned it could have a negative effect on us all if we were supposed to fill something in.
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Old 17th Oct 2009, 14:39
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Hey all, congrats to everyone who has recently had good news and commiserations to those who have not. Just booked my Medical for 27th Nov, so hopefully will have a bit of good news for xmas. Anyone who has had their medical I'd be interested to know how long it takes etc and what it incurs. Much appreciated! X x
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Old 17th Oct 2009, 15:50
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Hello - NATS medical consists of Eye Test, Hearing Test, ECG, Lung Output, Urine Test (For Drugs etc) reflexes, eye\ear exam, for us fellas the cup 'em and cough test, nice! Height and Weight also measured.

Think it takes less than an hour at CTC (I can't remember exactly)

Wear what you want as it'll take them less than 5 mins to get you out of your clothes and into a fetching robe! The ladies were very helpful and will put you at ease during the process.

Just a note on the Urine test, they'll ask what medication you have been taking for the last week, including paracetemols\Ibuprofen etc - So unless you have have a good memory, write it down during the week prior to your medica! Good luck
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Old 18th Oct 2009, 04:12
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Adam, the book I have is actually the ATPL book for Radio Navigation so I figured it would be useful for the kinds of things that ATCOs use on a regular basis. I think the interview involves asking you questions about things you know about ATC so I just want to make sure I'm showing that I'm motivated enough to look into these things.
Ive booked my S3 for 10th November. Short timing as I come back from Aus on the 23rd!! I cant wait though!
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Old 18th Oct 2009, 11:39
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i dont care if you moan and call me lazy or whatever you like..... but...... in Stage 3, can somebody give me an example of how they explained 'different behavioral traits'? also, how long can one be expected to sit through the interview?
This is my first interview and I can't search 'stage 3' in this thread, so any insight would be greatly appreciated.
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Old 18th Oct 2009, 13:12
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i dont care if you moan and call me lazy or whatever you like..... but...... in Stage 3, can somebody give me an example of how they explained 'different behavioral traits'? also, how long can one be expected to sit through the interview?
This is my first interview and I can't search 'stage 3' in this thread, so any insight would be greatly appreciated.
Generic interview preparation?
Read the previous, lets say, 20 pages??
Buy/borrow generic interview books?

how long can one be expected to sit through the interview?

Generic interview preparation/common sense = as long as it takes? Have you seen the NATS pdf for stage 3 competencies? Maybe as long as it takes for you to answer?

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Old 18th Oct 2009, 14:30
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oh gee thanks! maybe my motivational speech will be how i trawled through 20 pages for info on this lark. or am i even that bothered?
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Old 18th Oct 2009, 18:56
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If your not that bothered then withdraw your application. You can't expect the job to be handed to you on a plate, you have to be willing to put yourself out a bit. And if you aren't willing to do that for one interview, then you're not going to last 5 minutes when you get to the college.
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Old 18th Oct 2009, 19:20
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oh gee thanks! maybe my motivational speech will be how i trawled through 20 pages for info on this lark. or am i even that bothered?
20 pages? I know applicants (myself included) that've read the whole thread. But thats because they want to be an ATCO.

This lark? If thats how you perceive the selection process, why are you participating in it? As Leanne says above, why not withdraw your application?

You sound particularly aggreived that you have to participate in your stage 3 interview, you're not obliged to attend, are you even at stage 3? I would've thought the OPQ would prevent unattractive traits and characters like yourself from progressing to the interview.

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Old 18th Oct 2009, 20:01
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Lizplt: Congratulations!

Adam28: Check out 'Air Traffic Control' by Graham Duke, I picked up the 10th edition for about a tenner on amazon. It's a really useful book to have a read through!

Think i'm booking mine for the 18th, gives me time to prepare and get a tower visit in.
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Old 18th Oct 2009, 20:49
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I know what ye mean. You are right, I'm not disagreeing with you one single bit, I still don't even know if i really want it, it's not ideal, but i'll do the stage 3 and if i get it, i get it and will do a good job, trust me, and if i dont, then, grand.
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Old 18th Oct 2009, 20:59
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Lotis88,

If you're not sure if you really want it, have you been to visit a tower and/or one of the area centres? That might help...
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Old 18th Oct 2009, 22:03
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thanks, i just need to get over myself.
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Old 18th Oct 2009, 23:25
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the initial online test

with the initial online test, how long does it take usually to get a result back ? I have been booked in for the stage 1 day already but it said to do the test before attending.. if someone does bad enough in the online test do they get told not to come to their booked stage 1 ?
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Old 19th Oct 2009, 04:28
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I wouldn't worry too much about the online tests before Stage 1. The first year I applied it said we "could" do them if we wanted to for practise but although this year they tell you to do it NATS don't actually get the results, it's just so SHL can test one of their tests that they'll eventually sell. Probably so NATS can get some money off their SHL tests. You can put any name or any email address on them so don't worry hugely about it.

Is anyone else doing S3 on the 10th? It's really early but it was either then or two weeks later (i only get a day off in the week every 2 weeks) and I didn't really want to wait that long. Quite excited about the whole thing!

Also, has anyone else got that personality test thing? SHL haven't sent it to me. I just emailed NATS to let them know but I just spent loads of money getting this booth in an internet cafe in Australia so I could sit down and do it and realised it's not there. V annoying. Anyone heard back from Clare the ATCO?

Liz x
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Old 19th Oct 2009, 10:44
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xinebessa,

Just to echo what lizplt says, I don't think that the online tests have a major bearing (if any at all) on your results at stage 1. Although NATS don't usually offer feedback various posters on this forum have managed to obtain a small amount of detail regarding where they failed, but I've never read anything by anyone who has been told that they failed due to the online tests.

Lizplt,

I am also still waiting for SHL to email me with the personality test. I got an email on the 13th telling me that I would have to take it and to await a further email from SHL, but nothing since. It seems a bit odd because the email also said, "Once we have received the completed questionnaire a further e-mail will be sent to you regarding the next stage of the process." But I then got an email inviting me to stage 3 almost immediately.

Apparently NATS had some problems with their email system the other week so maybe this is a result of that. I've not got my stage 3 until November 4th so I figure I'll wait until a bit closer to then and if I still haven't had anything a week or so before then I'll contact HR.
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