NATS interview process
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: On the ground, looking skyward
Age: 39
Posts: 66
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Rokkala, I would call HR if I was in your position. They are really friendly people and will be in a much better position to answer you than a rumours forum. Only they KNOW the facts.
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Home
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
ad5x5
Apparently its not officially a requirement to visit a NATS facility prior to stage 3, however I would say it is still definitely advisable. At interview they will be looking for you to demonstrate motivation for the job, this will be hard to show if you don't have quite a thorough understanding of what the day to day job entails (how can you show that you are motivated to do a job if you don't fully understand what that job entails?) and the best way to understand this is to go and see a real facility at work and talk to the ATCOs there.
I visited Southampton tower after my stage 1 and found this really helpful. To arrange this I contacted the airport help desk and got the number for the tower's admin office. Once I'd explained why I wanted to visit everyone I spoke to was really happy to help and it was a very informative and eye opening day.
I'm also visiting Heathrow tower (tomorrow!!), I arranged this in an alternative manner (on advice from the people I met at Southampton) - by getting contact details for the relevant personnel at Heathrow from NATS HR. (note: don't try asking HR to arrange a visit for you, apparently they aren't very receptive to this.... but if you exlpain that you want to arrange a visit and just ask who you should contact about it they seem more than happy to help).
I visited Southampton tower after my stage 1 and found this really helpful. To arrange this I contacted the airport help desk and got the number for the tower's admin office. Once I'd explained why I wanted to visit everyone I spoke to was really happy to help and it was a very informative and eye opening day.
I'm also visiting Heathrow tower (tomorrow!!), I arranged this in an alternative manner (on advice from the people I met at Southampton) - by getting contact details for the relevant personnel at Heathrow from NATS HR. (note: don't try asking HR to arrange a visit for you, apparently they aren't very receptive to this.... but if you exlpain that you want to arrange a visit and just ask who you should contact about it they seem more than happy to help).
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Dundee
Age: 44
Posts: 4
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Yes, me!
I'm a bit concerned though- I got to stage 3 last year but I think I may have cocked up my online calculation test big time. With this being my third attempt I think I may have ruined my chances. Does anyone know what sort of weighting is placed on these online tests?
I'm a bit concerned though- I got to stage 3 last year but I think I may have cocked up my online calculation test big time. With this being my third attempt I think I may have ruined my chances. Does anyone know what sort of weighting is placed on these online tests?
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: hillingdon
Age: 32
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
hi everyone
anyone doing there stage one at heathrow tomorrow? quite nervous because i've never done anything like this before, feeling a bit like i dont have enough life experience with things like this. I know i am capable of getting through but do you think being 18 i might be doing it to soon?
Join Date: Apr 2009
Location: kirkcaldy
Age: 32
Posts: 39
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Nickilook
Don't worry, i'm also 18 and have passed stage 1 and 2 and waiting to go for stage 3 (d-day 20th November!). As tim said life experience doesn't really have anything to do with it in stage 1 and 2, it's all about how good your brain is! age doesn't really matter. Obviously i can't speak for stage 3 because i haven't sat it yet, but i'm not too worried about my age, i'm sure i'll find examples to talk about for each of the competencies and will let you(and the rest of the forum) know how i get on. good luck to you!
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Home
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Stage 3
Don't know if it's of interest to anyone but I've just been having a look at the the document about stage 3 on the atcocareers website in prep for my interview tomorrow and noticed that NATS have modified it since I last looked at it. If anyone else is preparing for stage 3 it might be worth having a quick look.
The good news is that they only seem to have taken things out of it rather than adding anything new. They've removed the three really awkward competencies (numerical awareness, spatial awareness & information processing capacity), but otherwise it is unchanged as far as I can tell.
The good news is that they only seem to have taken things out of it rather than adding anything new. They've removed the three really awkward competencies (numerical awareness, spatial awareness & information processing capacity), but otherwise it is unchanged as far as I can tell.
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: UK
Age: 35
Posts: 2
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Hi Sam,
I'm in the same situation. Did my stage 1 last week, and had the personality questionnaire in my inbox before I got home! But also have not heard anything else. The lady conducting the tests last week said there had been some trouble recently with the online system so probably give it time.
I have been told though that receiving the questionnaire is a pretty sure response that stage one has gone well... how true this is still remains to be seen!
Don't worry about it, give it the full 15 working days as they ask and then if there is still nothing heard drop them a phone call.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
I'm in the same situation. Did my stage 1 last week, and had the personality questionnaire in my inbox before I got home! But also have not heard anything else. The lady conducting the tests last week said there had been some trouble recently with the online system so probably give it time.
I have been told though that receiving the questionnaire is a pretty sure response that stage one has gone well... how true this is still remains to be seen!
Don't worry about it, give it the full 15 working days as they ask and then if there is still nothing heard drop them a phone call.
Hope this helps, and good luck!
Join Date: Oct 2009
Location: Middlesex
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SimonSoton
I did my stage 1 last monday too, and also got the email about doing the online personality test. I did it last Thursday, and am still waiting to hear anything back...
Join Date: Aug 2008
Location: scotland
Posts: 21
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
online test
eh??? I sat my stage 1 on 22nd oct and have had nothing about online test afterwards!! had one to do before form shl but it wasnt a personality one, can someone shed some light as i am now suitably confused!! 
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Home
Posts: 177
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Response times after each stage of selection can be highly variable. I think they process the results in batches so if you're lucky you'll be one of the last in your batch and it'll get marked pretty quickly, but if you are unlucky you could be the first in your batch and have to wait the full 15 days. It took just over a week to hear back from both stages 1 & 2 for me, but judging by many other peoples' experiences this was pretty fast (a fair few people have been waiting 10-15 working days).
I wouldn't worry about it too much, I know its annoying and you are probably checking your emails every 15mins all day, but they'll get back to you when they can and the length of wait you have to put up with has absolutely no bearing on whether or not you've passed. The whole thing is a pretty long term process so you'll have to get used to waiting for a bit.
I wouldn't worry about it too much, I know its annoying and you are probably checking your emails every 15mins all day, but they'll get back to you when they can and the length of wait you have to put up with has absolutely no bearing on whether or not you've passed. The whole thing is a pretty long term process so you'll have to get used to waiting for a bit.
Join Date: Sep 2009
Location: Glasgow
Age: 39
Posts: 20
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Online Test
Hi Guys
Can anyone tell me if the online test that you need to sit before stage 1 selectino tests is at SHL?? As I went on last night to sit mine, and the link that hr sent me took me to that site, and you set up your username and password etc, then do 2 different tests, checking and calculation. Is this correct as I cant remember if it was the same site last year. I would have thought that the online tests would be direct through NATS so that they would recieve your results direct???? I just want to make sure, as my stage 1 is on Firday
Thanks very much
Cheryl
Can anyone tell me if the online test that you need to sit before stage 1 selectino tests is at SHL?? As I went on last night to sit mine, and the link that hr sent me took me to that site, and you set up your username and password etc, then do 2 different tests, checking and calculation. Is this correct as I cant remember if it was the same site last year. I would have thought that the online tests would be direct through NATS so that they would recieve your results direct???? I just want to make sure, as my stage 1 is on Firday
Thanks very much
Cheryl
