I am due to complete my stage 1 tests on Monday at Fareham...never felt so nervous for anything in my whole life!

To make my post more interesting I am going to do it in the style of a TV show. The Important bit will be after the italics.

Previously on this Forum:


Dr_pie asked what to happens if an application is sent off to the medical department when submitted, only to have them say everything was a-ok. So dr_pie then asked what at stage 2 because of the contradicting information regarding an interview at that stage. Dr_pie then went to Stage 2 and cocked up the FEAST test (is that like PIN number or ATM machine) only to be told he HAD made it to Stage 3.

And now on this forum:


A lot of things are repeated on this forum alot. Mostly they are to do with Stage 1 as thats the stage everyone does. So a common question about Stage 3 is my reason behid this post:

What should I do to prepare for Stage 3?
Should I organsise a trip to A tower orr Swanwick? How? Will I be disadvantaged if i don't?
Should I buy a book on ATC? Should it be the one everyone is suggesting or is there a different one?
Should I be worried about my lack of previous employment?

CharlieBarlie: Which session are you booked in for on Monday? I'm headed to CTC that day too.

I'm booked in for the 11am session - I take it from your previous posts that you are further along in the selection process than myself?

Stage 3 Interview
 

Hi! I also have my stage 3 interview on the 6th July! I'm busy trying to prepare lots of examples. I'm hoping its not going to be too bad as its HR stuff isn't it? i.e. team working?

Does anybody have any feedback who has recently completed stage 3? I have been through the selection before but I'm quite curious what the interview will be like with just HR. If anything the exclusion of acto's from this process has made me even more nervous.

CharlieBarlie: Nope, I've got Stage 1 on Monday, at the 11:00 slot too. See you there!

After the medical?
 

I'm through stage 3 and going to gatwick on monday to get my official medical certificate.
Can anyone give me a rough idea of what happens after that?
Not time scales because they probably vary..
But I read on here something about contracts and stuff and being asked about area or aero..
What's the general order so I know what to be waiting for?

Helen

HP20- did you do Stage3 recently and can you give a feel for the day please- how many interviews, the style etc etc?

Helen/HP20,

I was asked my preference for Aero/Area when they called to say I'd passed Stage 3. At that time I asked about courses and was told which one they thought I'd be on and the estimated start date.

A while after that, I received my PIN for the 'Departure Lounge' - a part of the NATS careers website with forums, accommodation info, etc for TATCs-to-be - this also contains *some* of the distance learning material.

About 6 weeks before my college start date, I received my contract.

About 4 weeks before my college start date, I received the remainder of the Distance Learning material and some other stuff to help prepare for starting at Hurn.

Hope that helps - if you want timescales, just ask.

WoooooooooooooooooooHooooooooooooooooooo!
 

I just found out that I have passed Stage 3! I cant really beleive it still, its taken me an hour to calm down and about a dozen re-reads of the email to double check but it hasn't changed.

This is pretty life changing for me, at 30 it means leaving a very good (and well paid) career to do something that I am passionate about. I am dead chuffed, and heading to the pub for a beer!!!

Stage 3
 

Whitelighter - well done! I'll see you in October hopefully (just found out myself)......I passed too!!!

You have just asked to stop doing something, and then you just climb up on your moral high horse and do the same... :eek: :confused:

Of course, some of his point is valid, but it came across as him wanting to be told everything that he was going to be tested on. That's not the point of those tests...Unproffessional by HR - maybe - but everyone makes mistakes. Do you know how many people they assess every year? Would YOU get 20 000 emails perfect everytime?

You want us to give his posts the benefit of the doubt when he is blatantly said that it "would be HR's fault if he failed"...Come on!! What has 'ego' got to do with anything anyways? If it did have anything to do with our posts then you have just joined the club with yours!

OK - that's a bit unfair. Would you have rather I asked for his number, got his address and then spoken to him face to face? If he was sitting right next to me I would be happy to tell him the same thing I wrote.

That's a tiny bit patronising don't you think??? High-horse?

Now, I'm not saying you were referring to me, but would you like to quote someone who was being competitive? As for being up for helping people -If you want to you can happily read through posts I have made in the past and you will see exactly the same from myself, and I am sure others who responded to Wannabee!

Miscontstruing posts are we?

What like calling people ATCKnob?

The only reason I made my post after his was because of the cheek of it. NATS owes this guy nothing yet he quite happily showed 'disgust' and blame towards them when it's only HIM that can control the outcome of the process he is going through. Everyone in the past has been in the same boat as him but I have never come across a post like that - ever!

I just had my CAA class one medical at Gatwick (deffinately plan how your going to get there as its not exactly easy to find from the airport station).

I passed, have my certificate to hand and faxed it over to the NATS medical department today. They called through to say they will be letting HR know i have the all clear to start and that HR should be contacting me soon (i was also told to make sure i dont leave it to long as HR aren't the best at getting back to people...as i've learnt).

Can't wait to get a start date and get the details for the dep louge online so i can start looking at accomadation. I'm currently hoping to rent a flat.

I'm hoping to be on the October course, anyone have any idea if thats a possibility.

I'm not sure why HR have told people about starting dates etc before a medical, from my experiance that couldnt have happened to me as my offer was conditional on passing the medical...so why give me a start date and course info if i then went on to fail my medical. But then again HR are inconsistant and also things with HR have had an overhaul recently so who knows what the standard practice for finding out course dates etc is.

roar00,

Accommodation - the accommodation list that's currently being sent out is pretty out of date and most of the people on course 220 (July/August) who are planning on renting somewhere have just looked on rightmove.co.uk/spareroom.co.uk, etc to find places. If you're looking for a flatshare with other TATCs, the departure lounge will help you to make contact with other people looking to share, but facebook is just as good.

Start dates - I've always been under the impression that NATS expect most of their candidates to pass the medicals (I have no idea of stats though) which is why I think they try to give as much info as possible when asked about the next course that has available places, etc etc (on the assumption that you'll pass). I have a 6 month notice period, so if I'd waited until I'd had my medical before they told me anything about courses, I wouldn't have been able to start in July. Also, I got asked at Stage 3 if I knew of any reason why I might not pass a medical - maybe that's a factor too?

Finally, when you get your contract, you'll find that even at that stage, your offer for employment is still conditional - this time on security clearance etc - I know my referee still hasn't been approached so I'm obviously not yet cleared...

Thanks paperclip, how long before the start of your course did you get the call to say you were in? Because I wasn't asked, so I was thinking maybe my start date won't be too near.. Or I won't really have a choice which one I do..


Pugwash, yeah it was pretty recent.
When we arrived we were given security forms to fill out and left to chat for a bit. We were then almost immediately taken to a room to do the group interview. I don't actually remember how long it took, maybe an hour? They tell you at the start.. Then we were taken out of the room to our small waiting area. About 20 minutes later they take you off 2 at a time to have interviews. Mine only lasted just over an hour but other people on my day had a 2 hour one. It's 2 people interviewing you and they both take loooaaaads of notes and swap who asks the questions half way through. You also get lunch, and we got to look in the control rooms, even though most had done so already.. You stay til about 3 i think, depends if everyone turns up to the interview.
Also in the afternoon me and one other guy got taken off to do some of the stage 2 tests on these new laptops. It's apparently to check that people get the same results on the laptops as they do on the computer.. so they can switch to laptops. But i don't think everyone does that.
Hope that helps..? :)

Helen

ILS RWY27L & CharlieBarlie
 

Also on the 11am on Monday - see you guys there!! Starting to get very nervous!

HP20,

I passed Stage 3 in the middle of January, and was told they were allocating spaces at that time for Course 219 (April start) but I'd be on 220 due to my notice period. After my CAA medical (early March) I gave HR a quick call to check I was still on 220 and everything was ok - it was. In May we found out the course date had been changed a bit, but apart from that, I've been pencilled in for 220 Aerodrome since I passed really!

My best tip is to give Nikki a call at HR - she can tell you which course they're filling up places on now, and note down what you want and when you'd like to start.

Last week she still had places on both October's Aerodrome and November's Area courses.

Stage 2 3rd July
 

Hey, I'm a newbie to this colossal forum so be nice :)

Does anybody else on here have their Stage 2 on Friday 3rd July? Also was anyone on here at the 8th June 11am Stage 1? Did you guys pass and make it through to Stage 2?

Getting slightly nervous now, although quietly confident (probably not a good thing though!)

WannabeATCO,

Have you emailed NATS HR to let them know that their emails are out of date and incorrect? Maybe by doing that you can help those after you as I don't think these posts you're making are helping anyone...

paperclip - when does the 220 course start then?
i found the different groups on facebook, obviously cant join one as waiting for HRs phone call to let me know what course i should be on. But i just wondered if 220 was octobers aero start?

application
 

Hi All

Does anybody know at what stage they contact the referees you provide in the application form ? Also do they refer to the application form at any stage of the process ?

Thanks

Pheeew WannabeATCO, I am nobody to give advice but I am at the college now and you would not last long here with that kind of behaviour.

You had your rant and ATCNoob just told you what he thought of it.... I do not see the point of having a go at people just because they do not agree with you.

In fact, going back to your initial complaint, the math questions in stage 1 are not more difficult than the maths you have to do when you go to the supermarket and check your change, go to the bar to get a round of pints or share a bill in a restaurant... do you expect to be warned beforehand about the need for maths in those situations?

Fair enough that you did not expect so many DST questions but there was no need for that kind of reaction.

As WannabeATCO can't resist stooping to acting like a 14 year old schoolby having a tantrum and name calling, he has been given a week's leave to reflect. Not sure if he will be 're-coursed' after that ;)

Taxi
 

Is there anyone arriving at either Swanwick or Fareham stations tomorrow [29.06.] at around 10:00 who fancies sharing a taxi to CTC? :)

roar00: NATS 220 is the July/August start - 20th July for Aero and 5th August for Area. As far as I can tell, NATS 221 is the October-ish start.

pchs: I'm starting on the 20th July (see above) and my referee hasn't been contacted yet (I said it was fine to contact him whatever time NATS wanted to). Application form - it's for Stage 3; Stage 2 is quite impersonal (computer tests), but you'll get asked (and you can tell the interviewers) about things on the application form when you get to the interview at Stage 3.

Has anyone got hold of HR recently (ie last week)? have tried a number of times as there are few things I need to discuss prior to stage 3, but they aren't picking up or returning calls at the moment!

As part of the great desk shuffle at CTC (to make space for staff moving up from Hurn), HR were moving offices at the weekend, so they may have been a bit busy with the gentle art of crate stuffing and labelling for a few days. If the IT system works OK, they should be sorted out early this week and available on the same phone numbers.

Stage 3
 

Anyone have stage 3 on July 22nd? Anyone on here have their stage 2 on the 17th June?

Only Stage 3 dates available are late August and in Swanwick... What's that all about?

VERY CONFUSED!

Got through to stage 3 (for ATCO). Yay. But there were no free slots.

Then i got an email saying

"Further to your application for the Engineering Technician Scheme, we would like to invite you to attend an interview, week commencing the 25th May 2009.

You are being selection for interview for a position at our Pailton Radio Station and will be required to attend an interview at this location."

Two problems with this. I didn't apply for that, and it is now July (nearly).


So I go to my NATS link thingy and it is giving me dates for ATCO.

??

czechplastik,

As far as I know, all Stage 3 interviews are now held at Swanwick. As for availability, I imagine the summer holidays will be having an effect plus lots of people getting through Stage 2?

Hey, just to let you know I passed the OPQ and now have been invited to Stage 2!

I'd suggest booking an appropriate test date and also phoning/messaging HR to explain the situation. Even if it isn't a problem I'm sure it's something they need to look into.

1mag1n3: same here, only three working days since stage 1 -- good job from HR. Oh how I look forward to the next stage! :)

Hi, this has probably been asked quite a few times over this thread but.....

I just wanted to confirm that there were not any interviews during stage 2 anymore.

I have mine on thursday and im starting to get jittery.

There is nothing you can do................

There is no interview

What, there is no interview at stage 2? Not even a structured one?

In an email sent to me it says;

Polite notice:
Please read previous pages in the thread!

:ugh:
:rolleyes:
:hmm: