hello to everyone who was at Glasgow !!
 

Well ..........

Completed my stage 1 in Glasgow yesterday

As stressful as yesterday was I really enjoyed the experience I felt lucky and privileged to be there (Happy, chatty and was looking forward to having a good ol' chin wag with wannabees)...................

However as I looked around the room I was met by a sea of miserable faces (not everyone but 80%) who looked like they had been poked with a cattle prod and forced to be there ( you honestly would of thought the majority were filled with resentment or were p*****ed off that they had to take a day out of there leave!!! )

I know that people are nervous but geeezzz folks a bit of enthusiasm ......

Also I thought that some people didn't read the 'smart / casual' dress code !!!!!

Tinker x
:hmm:

I was also at the Glasgow one yesterday and I know what you mean :)

I was in the morning slot and even the girl that sat down next to me didn't give me as much as a hello.

Hope it wasn't you :p

Im glad to see that I was not the only one who thought that! For my stage 1, you could have been mistaken for thinking that you were at a funeral!!! You could have heard a pin drop in the silence, until I broke the silence by mentioning the mysterious disappearing green/red apples...;)

Don't forget guys, you want to be there, so show a bit of enthusiasm! As with most selection processes, you are being assessed all the time, not just when you are in the interview.

Littlemisstinker, my stage two was MUCH better, I had two other great guys with me (Simon and Scott, hope you made it to stage 3!) and it was a lot more laid back. Good luck for stage two!:ok:

Woozle

Tower Visit required?
 

Hello all

I have my NATS 3rd stage in just under 2 weeks, I just signed up to PPRuNe and have been reading this forum with great interest! Wish Id discovered it earlier, theres some great advice on here :)

I wondered if it is essential to have visited a tower/area control centre before the last stage? I tried at length to set something up through a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend but it fell through :uhoh:, now it feels like Im running out of time before my stage 3... Ive visited about 3 towers back home in NZ in the course of my piloting days there but I would still love to visit a tower or area control centre in the UK before my interview if possible.

Can anyone give me some advice on this, who I could contact, where/when/how I could tee up a visit??

Thanks in advance :)

Phew ..........

I thought I was the only 1 who picked up the 'atmosphere' I was in the afternoon session blue stripy shirt.

Trouble is I went there super positive and cheerful and the bad atmosphere made me even more nervous and tense .....

Did everyone else think that they did pants on the test's ?? I made the BIG mistake of looking around the room and seeing some 'intelligent' looking sorts !! scribbling eagerly away EK !!:{

But .... as someone mention quality is better than speed ...........

HHHmmm

tinker

I was also at the Stage 1 in Glasgow yesterday morning, to be honest I was a bit more than nervous and still think I completely messed up the spatial reasoning, the basic checking I found easy ( I'm sure most did as it didn't seem too hard) and diagramming was not too bad as long as I thought about each of them logically and didn't get caught up in the occasion.

I was a bit dissapointed with the amount of time we had with the serving ATCO but I suppose they have to keep to the schedule.

Then was the the motivation and learning styles stuff which I found easy as has been mentioned before as logn as you have read the document they send you you will be fine.

I have to agree with you littlemisstinker, some people obviously didn't read the smart/casual bit on the invitation... or the start time for that matter a few people were turning up 10 and 15 mins late in the morning.

Can I ask what you guys mean by this?

Well when I read smart casual I think like a shirt and jeans maybe, I personally went for the shirt and tie option and as far as I could see there was only me and one other of the 20 people there that opted for that. there were a few that that ahd gone for the shirt and jeans but there were a few who where in a t-shirt, jacket and jeans or similar (I'm sure I see one guy come in wearing a lacoste tracktop)

I suppose as stage 1 is more informal than the other stages as it is more a way to cut down on numbers etc. it does not particuarly matter but I would have imagined people showing up trying to impress with a smarter look.

I only had a shirt/jumper and jeans on, atlhough nice to make an effort I don't see what you are wearing being relevant at all at that stage.

I dont class trainers / stone wash jeans as 'smart casual' after all alot of companies work wear policy is exactly that these days .......... BUT your still not allowed to wear / jeans / tracksuits !!!

I just think its nice to make the effort, it looks like you've thought every little aspect through and are prepared to be there ......

does this make sense ??? :bored:

Do the assessors notice this ???

tinker :confused:

Yes they notice, but there's so many of you at stage 1, they can't remember all the names and who was wearing what that day.

Stage 1 is all about psychometric/motivation paper. Nothing about how you dress. Stage 2 and 3 is where it matters as there are so few of you, they'll remember this time.

As much as I like to put in the effort :) The smarter I dress the smarter I feel. Geddit?! hahahaha

I'll stop now.

Stage 1 is all about passing tests - wear whatever makes you feel comfortable. If you're going to worry that slightly shabby dress might affect your chances (it won't AT THIS STAGE) then dress smart. If you feel uncomfortable and can't relax as well in a suit then dress casual.
There is nobody from NATS 'assessing' you at stage 1.
As for the interview stages - I think only a fool would turn up in anything less than shirt and tie.
Good luck all

Afternoon everyone. I have my stage 2 next week and I think I am prepared for it. Does anyone know of any example DST questions that I can get online?

Hi pal,

There aren't many SDT questions in stage 2, maybe 3 or 4 out of the 50 question paper. I was given a tricky one whereby I was asked to calculate the ascent rate of an aircraft. Most of it is drawn from the motivation material from stage 1 and the stuff you will have been given for stage 2.

Last 1!!!
 

Hey all. Found out I passed my stage two the other day...cant BELIEVE it...for everyone who is unsure how they went...trust me...you are convinced you failed until they tell you otherwise!!! I even stopped checking my email after a week sure that I was doomed!!
Have my stage 3 on 26th june....any1 else?? am really nervous and some advice would be invaluable. I dont mean that I want any tips because as a lot of you have said I think you kinda lull yourself into a false sense of security believing that you may be able to cheat the system....
Some hints of the structure of the day and what to expect so I dont feel so overwhelmed would be much appreciated...
Cheers.

Hey Latitudehopper,

How come back in March you announced on here that you had failed stage one, now all of a sudden you're at stage three?! Did they get your stage one results wrong?

Congrats by the way, best of lucking making it all the way.

Vic

Hey Vic,

I think you'll find it was a year since he failed his first stage to him posting again this year where he passed! I could be wrong but thats the impression I got from his post dates.

FDD

Just had stage one yesterday down in london so fingers crossed was planning on going to get a look round swanick so If anyone was interested in going with me i was gonna drive down I live in norwich btw. Just thort it would be good going with someone else my email is [email protected] if anyones interested before stage 2. Also would it be possible for me to get into the july intake of students say I got through all stages. im just not sure how long it takes from stage 1 to stage 3 and the medical? cheers

July numbers are pretty much all sorted I think - I would have thought you would be more likely on the October course if you pass the Stage 3 soon.

"Hey Vic,

I think you'll find it was a year since he failed his first stage to him posting again this year where he passed! I could be wrong but thats the impression I got from his post dates.

FDD"


Thats right, the post about failing stage one was a year ago! how time flies! and in my more recent post i say that I have stage 2, havent passed it yet, that is a post to look forward to writing in a weeks time! fingers crossed.