Even Steven
Trusted Contributor
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- 262
Merry Christmas, fam. ??
Hiring Bid FAA-ATO-21-ALLSRCE-73599
- Thread starter Phanatical
- Start date
The_real_rico_suave508
Member
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- 47
Merry Christmas ya filthy animals ???
Best thing to do is just forget about it, and let it surprise you.
With that said, I have prepared myself mentally to wait until the end of January 2022 to even consider hearing an update from the government. I don’t expect a certain result, just any result they give me so i have some closure.
GulfBravoPapa
⭐SuperStar
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If you don't get a TOL your status in USAJobs likely won't change to "not hired" until about a week before the next off the street bid opens... so like July.
For me, I got BQ, so I probably won’t be retaking the test. This would most likely be one of the last times I apply if I don’t pick up this time.
I’ll be turning 29 in July 2022, so it could be my second to last time applying. Fingers crossed I get a TOL. However, nothing is granted with the FAA nor any government agency.
Even Steven
Trusted Contributor
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- 262
If we don’t get a TOL despite getting BQs, then at least we did everything we possibly could on our end. It’s out of our hands at this point.
And if we don’t get a TOL, potentially waiting until July for closure is rather cruel. That’s quite the wait.
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Egomortalis
Member
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- 4
Dang- when they said “don’t study just get a good nights sleep” I took it seriously.
Went to a CTI school, took the classes, did NOT take the capstone class that would have gotten me the “minor” on my degree- COVID started in full swing when I graduated in 2020. So pool 2 for me.
ATC IS my plan B. Right now I’m on plan G or H. Getting paid half as much as I was negotiating for before COVID shut down the program I was entering for Lufthansa.
You’re right though, that’s a sobering truth I needed to hear- for a while I was looking to ATC to be my ticket out of the job I’m at now. Better pay. More accountability. Either way- I’m glad there was a little nugget I could take with me in the sea of “I didn’t do well in school so eff your credentials” replies I’ve gotten. Which I take with a grain of salt- considering if they’re only hiring a relative handful, I’m sure they’re looking to more than an aptitude test to pad their washout rates. My credentials are more than grades- it’s proof that I don’t give up when things are hard. I’m not the smartest, the strongest, the fastest, the coolest etc- but I’ll beat every single one of those guys because they will 100% give up before I do.
Either way, I’m 3 years to the age-out. Going to continue negotiating a flight slot with the AF Reserves. That’s something I feel like it’s worth being the best at. If an ATC TOL comes through- I’ll just go be the best at that. Ezpz.
Thank you for your earnest reply- wish you the best. Can I ask- what’s your plan B that’s been going so well?
ClearanceClarence
Legendary Member
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Nobody said eff your “credentials” - at most, people are saying you have a serious entitlement attitude. You seem to think you deserve preferential treatment over someone who got “D’s in school” even if they performed better on the ATSA than you. My response must have been one of the ones you ignored so I’ll say it again: the agency does not give a fuck about any of your “credentials.” It all boils down to whether you can separate traffic or not. For the record, I would have similar “credentials” as you if I were to list them all out. I haven’t mentioned them once to my co-workers though because it does not mean a damn thing. There are people who struggled to get through high school that are some of the best controllers out there. Nobody cares what you have accomplished or what’s on your resume in this career field. If anything, an attitude of entitlement or putting on a “I’m better than others” persona is one of the top ways to get eaten alive on a control room floor. Might end up working better for you if you don’t make it.
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I’d just say don’t worry about what others think, just do what you feel will get you to your goal. A job is a job, I personally don’t dream about a job that requires me to labor. The ideal job is just to be rich and not have one at all.
My plan B is to stay employed with the federal government if I don’t make it. I already have a 6 figure salary working overseas for the government and I can travel for cheap. I currently been maxing out my TSP for 3 years now. Taking ATC position would be a massive pay cut for me in the short term. When I’m overseas, I don’t pay state tax and limited federal tax. The only reason why I keep trying is because I wanted to surprise myself. Like you, I went to CTI school and graduated in 2015 with a minor in dispatching. I didn’t see myself doing that job. So I left civilian life and went active duty for 4 years; traveled the world, met amazing people and had a blast doing it. I’m 28 and my body now feels like it’s 45. 8 years total in the Army and my body feels like it’s had better days. Because I am a disabled Army vet, I get first pick at a lot of jobs that non vets can’t touch.
Now with that said, these guys have a point that education is only a factor when trying to get atc position. CTI students used to have hiring preference, but it’s not that way anymore. If this is your first time taking the test, don’t give up. I been trying to get in for the past 6 years without much luck. This is the first time I got a BQ test score. Find other things to get interested in to distract you until the next bid. Some have eluded to the next one in July 2022… but nobody knows for sure yet.
DrPepperclips
Member
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- 25
Those guys already beat you. They got BQ/WQ and you didn’t, because they understood the difference between confidence and arrogance, as well as the difference between preparation and cramming. They can’t help but laugh at you now, trying your best to look down your nose at them as you bend over backwards.
Egomortalis
Member
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- 4
Thanks for your service, man.
That’s a hell of a route to go- lots of my friends served, a few are lifers. Most have a pretty good attitude. Some just learned how to drink. It hits everyone different.
My best friend just came back from an army gig in the Netherlands- he had plenty of stories of his travels, being worldly gives a great perspective.
And yeah, I don’t put stock much stock in what other people think of me unless they’re signing my paycheck/inspection. Especially people who don’t know me- let alone themselves. Like- if me listing my background to give a backdrop for a question chaps asses that much- it’s more of a statement on the ass being chapped. I understand this is a competitive field, but it’s no need to get emotional.
Either way- I went through a dispatch licensing course too! Because of some red tape that would require a name change (had to drop the “jr” because my PPL and SS didn’t have it, but my Birth certificate and drivers license did), my instructor refused to sign off so I could take my Checkride.
At any rate- I’ll keep plugging along. It’s what I do. If I got a Q without prepware, I can’t imagine what grade I’ll get NEXT round ?
ClearanceClarence
Legendary Member
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- 1,560
^this guy should really consider changing his username to “EgoManiac.”
ClearanceClarence
Legendary Member
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Exactly. There’s a reason having a degree is not a basic requirement for applying. What it boils down to is separating traffic is an inherent skill that someone either has, or they don’t. Your education level/academic success has no effect on this. You could have someone with 2 PhDs, an MD and a JD who would have a deal with 2 aircraft. Meanwhile you might have someone who dropped out of high school and stocked shelves for a few years who becomes the best controller in their facility. Your background really does not matter, and anyone who thinks they deserve preferential treatment because of their previous accomplishments is ignorant to how this job works. ATC is really one of the most exclusive careers in the world. Nobody really knows if they can do it until they’ve done it.
WaywardSon
Active Member
- Messages
- 142
Same here. I'm from 2020 bid and got TOL in Oct 2020. I'm going Tier 2 though so it's taking even longer.
