Brissyboy: I was on the interview board for ATCs about 2 years ago. I did a week's worth of interviews, around 30 people. We recommended 3 of those.

Take from that what you will.

You're not a shoe in. Re-read what people have posted about the interview. As Gemmy pointed out, things have changed. Listen closely to what they tell you at the beginning of the interview. Be specific in your answers.

Best of luck.

Cheers,

NFR.

Anyone else having trouble logging on to ASA website to check their application process? The login seems to have been changed?

Heads Up for Melbourne May '09 Interviewees
 

This means you - gemmy, Toboto and V11

Had the first of my referees contacted this morning with no prior notice.
Could be time to start holding our collective breath ?

Hey, yeah they are contacting our referees this month.

I expect that we are in the running for a course around March. Some Jan people have been informally offered a spot (ie, over the phone, but still no paperwork).

As for the AsA website, yes they are in the process of changing it, so you can't access your application etc at the moment. They expect it to be all transferred over from the old system by the end of this week.

Thanks guys, thats good news, march seems so long away but it would be great to know that we got through and onto a course, exciting times ahead! It so funny I get more info on this forum about my job application than from ASA hahahah!

ha ha, so true Toboto!

At least March would be better for us interstate applicants, as looking for a place to live over Xmas/New Years would not be fun!!

You should probably start looking over Christmas/New Years though.
In Feb/March you'll be competing against uni students looking for a place to live.
Check out Airport West, Pascoe Vale, Niddrie, Keilor East and Kealba.

Is this what you're trying to get to?

JobOffice

Thanks for the tip re: Uni students searching for places.

I know Melbs well... lived there for many years, however just been living overseas with work for 18mths. Can't wait to move back there.....

Hey guys
I'm currently 18 and still in year 12, am planning on applying for atc as soon as the applications open next year (would not let me apply this year because I needed my VCE results, which I couldn't provide as I am still in year 12). I'm just wondering if there are many people as young as me in training that you know of and if anybody knows when next years applications will open.

Thanks, Jim

Hi Guys,

Can anyone advise if you have to be an Australian citizen to apply to Airservices for ATC or are you able to apply from the UK???

Just interested to see if I wuold be able to apply as I am from the UK?

Thanks

Cheryl

The youngest trainee I have seen in the college was 21 but it is still worth giving it a go you never know your luck.

There is no need to be an Australian citizen to apply we currently have a couple of non-citizen trainees.

Thanks melbATC

Il maybe have a wee look into it then. I am currently studying to apply with NATS in the UK so i'l see how I get on with that first.

Do you know if the selection process is long?...or if im from the UK if say, I came over to Australia for a few weeks, whether I could do the tests within them few weeks or if Id have to come back and forth for each test??

Thanks again

Cheryl :)

if you look back through this thread you will see the application process can take quite some time, however there are only 2 parts of the process that you need to attend in person, these are a full day of testing and the panel interview these are usually a few months apart.

http://www.airservicesaustralia.com/...l_Training.pdf

unless it has all changed, or you are an experienced ATC you need to

"be an Australian or New Zealand Citizen or hold permanent residency status in Australia"

yes this is correct to begin training however they will accept applications from people who are not currently residents or citizens.

not sure what you mean - as long as the applicant is eligible for citizenship/residency or something else?

The day I went in for my panel interview, the panel had at least 3 phone interviews to complete so technically, you would only have to be present for the Psychometric testing.

Thank you so much guys for all the advice!

I emailed Airservices today just asking if you have to be an Australian Citizen to apply and if not, how I would go about applying. So with the time difference from UK to Oz I will hopefully hear back tomorrow morning.

Thanks again

Cheryl :)

With the time difference between HR and the rest of the world you will hopefully hear back within three months :}

Cheryl,
I am an experienced Uk controller who is living in Australia. When I first enquired this time last year I was laughed at and told to go away until I had my PR. ( I was lucky to get PR through my partner) Now they are recruiting from overseas but for Sydney only. The situation changes all the time depending on need so if they knock you back now, it's worth keeping an eye out or checking back.

If it helps anyone, the recruitment process has been just as onerous for me as the new recruits. I had to do the tests and the interview and wait and wait and wait.....

Cheryl,

You might not hear back for months. They are in the middle of an overseas hire right now. I'm not sure they are even taking applicants anymore. If you look on their website it says what they are hiring for and taking applications for. First trainging class starts tomorrow (with myself, a guy from the UK who is going to Sydney and purpleairspace)

My timeline was:

ASA emailed me in Feb asking if I wanted to apply for the Sydney job
Offer came at the end of July
Start Tomorrow

The process has been pretty time consuming. I am from the US and have moved over here and will be getting my residency, so no you do not have to be a Citizen of Australia.

Hi YankATC

Thanks for all of the info.

So u didnt have residency before applying with ASA?? And are you now eligible as you have been accepted by ASA??

And did you have any previous ATC qualifications or were you just applying to ASA as a trainee ATC??

Sorry for all the questions!

Cheryl

P.s thanks purpleairspace too for info...u guys have given me a small glimmer of hope!!

Goodluck EnemyMiG. My referees haven't been contacted yet, but it is great to have the heads up just in case they are. It has been so long since I asked one of my referees to speak for me that they would be wondering if I am still alive, let alone this far along the selection process.

I'll let you know if mine are contacted, but I think you just might be special, maybe January course material, V11

Thanks V11

Mum always said I was special
(or was it that I needed to see a specialist? - I can't remember) :}

Keep us posted

I have had referees checked last week. Hopefully hear from ASA soon.

Goodluck mont
Here's hoping.....

Re age and ATC

The only requirement is that you must be 21 to hold an ATC licence (ICAO).

Also re residency - you need to be able to prove that you are eligible for residency/citizenship, ASA will not be your sponsor - might make things too easy and ATCs too transferrable!!

applying for AsA from overseas
 

cheryl (glasgow uk).......im from ireland and sat my tests last year and am currently on the order of merit. there is a rediculously long wait to get on AsA so in the meantime i would do NATS as it is much quicker (like 3 months from start to finish) and if you pass you dont have this nightmarish wait around and twiddle your thumbs period. you can start your australian testing online but you will eventually have to sit tests in australia at one of the centres. i had to come home for a wedding and they were very considerate to me in letting me complete my interviews over the phone!

.........with regards to residency i was granted my residency last year (through accounting) and AsA specifically informed me that i would not be allowed to sit the tests and thus waste their time and resources without proof of residency first which did and does make sense as the wait for residency is almost as long as the wait to get on an AsA college course!!

The age of 21 has been removed I believe.


I had my 21st birthday on a night shift.:suspect:

enemyMiG here's hoping we get to see a specialist. Though the class 3 medical may not be exactly what your Mum was referring to. My referees were checked this week.

Nice one V11

Looks like the ASA plane has finally taken off again
Let's hope it's the red-eye and not a scenic flight.....

Cheers
 

Thanks a lot for the info NFR Cheers

Does anyone else have second thoughts when they read articles like the one below?

Airservices, staff on collision course | The Australian

I'm stoked to have made it to the training stage, but I can't help but have these niggling doubts after reading stuff like this.

Any current ATCOs out there who can tell me about the silver lining?

Said it before and I will say it again if you are a young person about to begin ATC training with AsA to become En-Route (Area) Controller you are not doing yourself any favours. Without leaving Australia your career will more than likely be limited and not very rewarding.

I say this from personal experience and the current situation that close friends and colleagues still in endure in AsA. 'Poisonous' was the most common description of the work enviroment at the major centres.
If you are desparate to do ATC join the RAAF get Tower & Approach and then join AsA.

Become a tradie, just paid $250 to have 1 outside power point installed to my house in BrisVegas took less than 20mins and most of that was him asking me what I do for a crust :}

Good luck either way you go

hey guys (and girls)
Can't believe I didn't find this forum page earlier as I have looked a few times.
After ready a lot of the posts in this thread I seem to be in exactly the same situation as gemmy, toboto, v11 and enemymig. Except my references haven't been contacted yet.

I'm actually relieved to hear that you have all been playing the waiting game too. Looks like my best chances are for starting the course in March next year. Hope I hear something soon.

Have you guys been emailing ASA for updates. Since the last email asked for patience I have been reluctant to annoy them, but it seems that some others have received more information than me i.e that the courses for 2009 had all been filled (I just assumed that)

Just thought I join the forum and try and keep up with the news/ rumours.
Hope we all get jobs soon.

Hey don't feel to bad, i still haven't had my referees contacted yet and i emailed ASA two weeks ago for an update and i haven't heard anything back yet, like you said some are getting more info than others, this forum is the best place to get info from, i know more from these guys than ASA!

One step closer... My referees were contacted last week. My guess is another 2 months until I hear anything now!

So this question is mainly to jrbridge. Im staying optimistic and thinking what i can do in the waiting time since my current job is a bit dull.

Just wondering if you had any suggestions for books or reading material to cover before the course. You said in a previous post that they have exams almost straight away so its better to be as prepared as i can be.

Im sure there are text they give you there or something like that. But is there anything you wish you had have memorized (ie a list of acronyms) that would have made that first week a little easier.

Oh and does anyone know what they asked their references? I think i should give mine another call saying they still might hear from asa anytime. The last time I told them they could be hearing from asa was months ago they prob thought i didnt get the job.

Hi fivel

ASA will ask questions like:

Are you a team player?
Do you follow rules and regs?
What kind of conflict situations have you been in, and their outcomes?
Would they employ you again?

They will ask your refs to rate you out of 5 on these and other questions.
Phone call goes for around 15-20 mins.

Goodluck