NATS interview process
Joined: May 2019
Posts: 30
Likes: 0
From: Coventry
SHL Test
What kind of personality would suit a NATS ATCO?
Are they looking for leaders or followers or a person good with numbers etc...
What kind of personality suits the role?
This is what they extract from their SHL test with 104 questions.
JH
Are they looking for leaders or followers or a person good with numbers etc...
What kind of personality suits the role?
This is what they extract from their SHL test with 104 questions.
JH
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: United Kingdom
That was my exact thought too! The email said words along the lines of you've passed and we will now assess your results and invitations for Stage 3 will be sent when we have capacity at the assessment centres. So I also wondered whether there is a further stage of filtering amongst those who passed Stages 1 & 2. I guess we will see!
Joined: Dec 2013
Posts: 27
Likes: 0
From: Scotland
TATC Course - 6th June 2023
I’ve started a fb group (NATS Trainee ATCO - 6th June 2023) for anyone that is starting the course at Whiteley on 6th June.
thought it would be good to meet and potentially discuss accommodation etc.
If anyone else is starting the same course, let me know or feel free to join the group 👍🏻
thought it would be good to meet and potentially discuss accommodation etc.
If anyone else is starting the same course, let me know or feel free to join the group 👍🏻
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
From: Durham
I wasn't refreshing email after I took them - or noting the time, so can't be exactly sure but I've just checked and my stage 1 and stage 2 pass emails were about 4 hours apart. So pretty quick. I took both onthe same day. Stage one in the morning and two in the afternoon. It was office hours on a weekday - so not sure if perhaps they are manually sent and weekend might make a difference?
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 353
Likes: 4
From: Around
It’s best not to try and second-guess the personality quiz though - it’s designed to find the same information out from different angles, so inconsistencies in your answers would be apparent.
And, honestly, if you don’t have the right kind of personality for the job then it’s best to find out before you start, before you potentially waste a lot of time and effort on something that doesn’t work out.
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 1
Likes: 0
From: Scotland
Did you hear back? I’m in the same situation. I was invited to stage 1 tests on the 12th and completed them on the 17th. My application is showing as under review.
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
From: Milton Keynes
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: United Kingdom
Same as you. From the moment I got my 3rd stage invite, no slots have been available. The email says check back periodically if you don't see any slots, so I guess that's all we can do!
Joined: Feb 2022
Posts: 3
Likes: 0
From: Melbourne
Also can't believe the comments regarding pay.
I can't even begin to guess what rust buckets problem is. And runway, by training at Global your experience during training, is likely to have been very different from the majority of other NATS trainees. In fact, you really need to count yourself lucky that you avoided CTC and the potential to hold for well over a year (even pre-covid). So to state that this guy should stick to Australia is downright ignorant at best. The huge majority of TATC's, SATC's and anyone considering the career will rightfully be concerned about the salary. Particularly with the rate that living costs are rising.
"Bear in mind there is a long list of people waiting to return to NATS who are happy and have been able to make their finances work in the short term for a suitable salary when qualified." - I'd bet that the returning trainees are definitely not "happy" with the salary. They will be happy to be returning but managing their finances definitely will not be a "short term" thing. The reality is that they will very likely hold, some for a considerable time. At this point they will not progress in salary past the SATC points (circa 25k p/a). Realistically it could be 2+ years before they reach that suitable salary. That's a long time to manage finances, particularly for those who have taken huge pay cuts, have kids, mortgages, credit card debts etc etc. Its a long list and everyone will have something that they need money for.
Dan Dare really hit the nail on the head. Trainees are hindered by the salary. It adds unnecessary stress to an already stressful period of time. The last thing you want to be thinking about the night before a sim summative is how you're going to pay this month's gas bill.
Let's break down some figures here.
Income whilst at CTC: Ł18k + Ł60 per week. Round this to Ł1300 per month salary and add Ł240 per month for the accommodation figure = Ł1560 per month.
Lets take some rough figures for expenses.
Accommodation in a house share = Ł600-800
Unless you are lucky, with so many trainees all looking for somewhere to stay, it's going to be difficult to get accommodation within walking distance to CTC so then you have transport costs.
Car insurance = Ł50-100
Fuel = Ł100-200
Food costs = Ł150-250
Phone bill = Ł20-100
Credit card/student loan/overdraft = Ł50-300
Realistically you could be looking at anywhere in the region of Ł970-1750 of outgoings a month. Now just imagine you have a mortgage back home in Belfast or Manchester or wherever else.. childcare costs.. car payments. And lets not go down the route of "oH bUT TheY cAN EAt LeSs Or WaLk EVeRyWhERe". These guys and girls are giving up years of their lives to train and validate. They put up with constant displays of complete and utter contempt from the upper echelons of management. Surely they deserve a salary that they can at least live on?
As stated above, the salary does go up a bit at unit. You'll be looking at Ł31k at the top bands after shift pay is included. That's currently as good as it gets for the 1-3 years it takes to get on-the-job training started and validate.
Rant over.. to summarise.. wind your neck in
I can't even begin to guess what rust buckets problem is. And runway, by training at Global your experience during training, is likely to have been very different from the majority of other NATS trainees. In fact, you really need to count yourself lucky that you avoided CTC and the potential to hold for well over a year (even pre-covid). So to state that this guy should stick to Australia is downright ignorant at best. The huge majority of TATC's, SATC's and anyone considering the career will rightfully be concerned about the salary. Particularly with the rate that living costs are rising.
"Bear in mind there is a long list of people waiting to return to NATS who are happy and have been able to make their finances work in the short term for a suitable salary when qualified." - I'd bet that the returning trainees are definitely not "happy" with the salary. They will be happy to be returning but managing their finances definitely will not be a "short term" thing. The reality is that they will very likely hold, some for a considerable time. At this point they will not progress in salary past the SATC points (circa 25k p/a). Realistically it could be 2+ years before they reach that suitable salary. That's a long time to manage finances, particularly for those who have taken huge pay cuts, have kids, mortgages, credit card debts etc etc. Its a long list and everyone will have something that they need money for.
Dan Dare really hit the nail on the head. Trainees are hindered by the salary. It adds unnecessary stress to an already stressful period of time. The last thing you want to be thinking about the night before a sim summative is how you're going to pay this month's gas bill.
Let's break down some figures here.
Income whilst at CTC: Ł18k + Ł60 per week. Round this to Ł1300 per month salary and add Ł240 per month for the accommodation figure = Ł1560 per month.
Lets take some rough figures for expenses.
Accommodation in a house share = Ł600-800
Unless you are lucky, with so many trainees all looking for somewhere to stay, it's going to be difficult to get accommodation within walking distance to CTC so then you have transport costs.
Car insurance = Ł50-100
Fuel = Ł100-200
Food costs = Ł150-250
Phone bill = Ł20-100
Credit card/student loan/overdraft = Ł50-300
Realistically you could be looking at anywhere in the region of Ł970-1750 of outgoings a month. Now just imagine you have a mortgage back home in Belfast or Manchester or wherever else.. childcare costs.. car payments. And lets not go down the route of "oH bUT TheY cAN EAt LeSs Or WaLk EVeRyWhERe". These guys and girls are giving up years of their lives to train and validate. They put up with constant displays of complete and utter contempt from the upper echelons of management. Surely they deserve a salary that they can at least live on?
As stated above, the salary does go up a bit at unit. You'll be looking at Ł31k at the top bands after shift pay is included. That's currently as good as it gets for the 1-3 years it takes to get on-the-job training started and validate.
Rant over.. to summarise.. wind your neck in
Good luck everyone!
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: United Kingdom
Though that said, I wasn't ever able to book a Stage 3 assessment. Passed the tests, got an invite and a link to book Stage 3, but it permanently showed no slots available from the moment I got the invite and now has a new message that the event is now closed for registration, so I didn't even get a chance to book Stage 3 before it closed. Seems that getting a Stage 3 invite doesn't actually mean you'll ever get there
Curious how many others actually got to book it and if anyone else like me is left wondering if this is now the end of it. It's a bit strange that you can be invited but never actually have a chance to book
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 321
Likes: 3
From: United Kingdom
I was lucky and managed to open the email as soon as I received it. There were a few dates available in April and May and I booked onto one of them. I seems like they booked up very quickly.
I guess you just have to stay patient, they are sure to release new dates at some point.
Seems that getting a Stage 3 invite doesn't actually mean you'll ever get there
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 8
Likes: 0
From: United Kingdom
I was lucky and managed to open the email as soon as I received it. There were a few dates available in April and May and I booked onto one of them. I seems like they booked up very quickly.
I guess you just have to stay patient, they are sure to release new dates at some point.
I guess you just have to stay patient, they are sure to release new dates at some point.
Then after almost a week like that, the message text has now changed to say that they are no longer accepting new registrations for this event. I don't know what more I could have done but it seems to come down to luck. No idea what comes next or whether it means I fall out of the process, even though I passed.
Hope it goes well for you!
Joined: Oct 2011
Posts: 321
Likes: 3
From: United Kingdom
Then after almost a week like that, the message text has now changed to say that they are no longer accepting new registrations for this event. I don't know what more I could have done but it seems to come down to luck. No idea what comes next or whether it means I fall out of the process, even though I passed.
Joined: Apr 2023
Posts: 4
Likes: 1
From: Newcastle upon Tyne
Then after almost a week like that, the message text has now changed to say that they are no longer accepting new registrations for this event. I don't know what more I could have done but it seems to come down to luck. No idea what comes next or whether it means I fall out of the process, even though I passed.