Hiring Bid Air Traffic Control Specialist - Trainee: FAA-ATO-17-ALLSRCE-53474

[AB19]

What would happen if more than 1,400 applicants for this bid scored above 80? Have any official numbers been released on how many TOL’s have been sent at this point? Assuming they haven’t already hit the 1,400 mark that is.

Then it's a random draw

 

[asitter]

In case anyone sees this and has not been following, when all is said and done, if you did not receive a TOL for this bid, you scored between a 70-79 on the AT-SA, you need to retake it.

Not necessarily. I took the ATSA in 2016, passed but didn’t get a TOL. Reapplied this year, had an emergency the day of my test and was unable to take, and due to a myriad of issues I was unable to schedule another test before the deadline. I assumed that meant I would be disqualified for this bid, and put it out of my mind.

Well I ended up getting a TOL. Talked to my HR rep and was informed that they used my previous test scores for this bid.

I’m sure I’m more of an exception than the rule, but it can be gone.

 

[AB19]

Not necessarily. I took the ATSA in 2016, passed but didn’t get a TOL. Reapplied this year, had an emergency the day of my test and was unable to take, and due to a myriad of issues I was unable to schedule another test before the deadline. I assumed that meant I would be disqualified for this bid, and put it out of my mind.

Well I ended up getting a TOL. Talked to my HR rep and was informed that they used my previous test scores for this bid.

I’m sure I’m more of an exception than the rule, but it can be gone.

Its also possible more people than needed scored higher than an 80 and you got the shit end of the stick last year

 

[breakaway2000]

Not necessarily. I took the ATSA in 2016, passed but didn’t get a TOL. Reapplied this year, had an emergency the day of my test and was unable to take, and due to a myriad of issues I was unable to schedule another test before the deadline. I assumed that meant I would be disqualified for this bid, and put it out of my mind.

Well I ended up getting a TOL. Talked to my HR rep and was informed that they used my previous test scores for this bid.

I’m sure I’m more of an exception than the rule, but it can be gone.

The moment Band 1 (80-100) is exhausted, the remaining slots are randomly selected from Band 2 (70-79). With Band 1 being exhausted during the 2016 bid, you were apart of what I would assume is an incredibly small portion of Band 2 applicants who received a TOL for this bid (we won't know the total number until selections are finalized). You were very lucky to make it through, make the most of this opportunity.

Its also possible more people than needed scored higher than an 80 and you got the shit end of the stick last year

Didn't happen, see above.

 

[derax]

The moment Band 1 (80-100) is exhausted, the remaining slots are randomly selected from Band 2 (70-79). With Band 1 being exhausted during the 2016 bid, you were apart of what I would assume is an incredibly small portion of Band 2 applicants who received a TOL for this bid (we won't know the total number until selections are finalized).

I'm not following this. Wouldn't the Band 1 also have to be exhausted during the 2017 bid for him/her to be selected?

Also, does this imply that people didn't do as well this year as was anticipated?

 

[breakaway2000]

I'm not following this. Wouldn't the Band 1 also have to be exhausted during the 2017 bid for him/her to be selected?

Also, does this imply that people didn't do as well this year as was anticipated?

Yes, his post confirms Band 1 was exhausted for this bid as well. My reference to numbers is referring to what the potential odds were of a Band 2 selection.

Ex. (and these are just hypothetical numbers to show a point) Lets say there were a total of 1,300 Band 1 applicants divided fairly evenly between both Pools. Band 1 applicants = 100% selection. Lets say there were 1,200 Band 2 applicants and they randomly selected 100 of them. Band 2 applicants=8.33% selection.

It's not so much that people didn't do as well this year as anticipated, there were simply far less applicants this year compared to years prior (~30,000 total applicants from 2014-2016, which dropped to ~11,000 in 2017). I'm willing to bet when the final percentages come out, the pass rates and Band distributed will be close to prior bids.

 

[Southern]

Yes, his post confirms Band 1 was exhausted for this bid as well. My reference to numbers is referring to what the potential odds were of a Band 2 selection.

Ex. (and these are just hypothetical numbers to show a point) Lets say there were a total of 1,300 Band 1 applicants divided fairly evenly between both Pools. Band 1 applicants = 100% selection. Lets say there were 1,200 Band 2 applicants and they randomly selected 100 of them. Band 2 applicants=8.33% selection.

It's not so much that people didn't do as well this year as anticipated, there were simply far less applicants this year compared to years prior (~30,000 total applicants from 2014-2016, which dropped to ~11,000 in 2017). I'm willing to bet when the final percentages come out, the pass rates and Band distributed will be close to prior bids.

Hypothetically speaking, say 2,000 people score in band 1, would they then exhaust band 1 still or hire their 1,400 needed for the bid and call it a day leaving 600 people who are still band 1 SOL for a TOL?

 

[breakaway2000]

Hypothetically speaking, say 2,000 people score in band 1, would they then exhaust band 1 still or hire their 1,400 needed for the bid and call it a day leaving 600 people who are still band 1 SOL for a TOL?

Hypothetically speaking, it would be a random draw from Band 1 candidates
Ex. Assuming 1,400 hires and 2,000 Band 1 applicants
Band 1 % = 70%
Band 2 % = 0%

Practically speaking, they'll look for natural cut offs. For instance, they went into the 2016 with the same expectation (hiring 1,400). They went above two fiscal years of hiring (2,800) and selected just over 3,000 due to the overwhelming amount of Band 1 candidates.

In this agency though, past performance does not equal future performance. Each bid will be unique. The only reoccurring theme in terms of sheer likeliness to be hired is retaking the AT-SA if you scored in the Band 2 range.

 

[derax]

Any theories explaining why there were fewer applicants this year compared to past years?

 

[AB19]

Any theories explaining why there were fewer applicants this year compared to past years?

They planned to hire two years worth the previous hire

 

[JNev]

No Pandora ads or local radio ads screaming no experience and 6 figure salary catering to the lowest common denominator maybe?

 

[derax]

They planned to hire two years worth the previous hire

Doesn't really have any relevance to the number of applicants.

 

[SporadicVectors]

Is it alright to leave the office address portion of the common information blank on the EODS?

 

[AB19]

Doesn't really have any relevance to the number of applicants.

People that applied the year before probably didn't think they'd hire, it's not the easiest job to find out about

 

[breakaway2000]

Any theories explaining why there were fewer applicants this year compared to past years?

No Pandora ads or local radio ads screaming no experience and 6 figure salary catering to the lowest common denominator maybe?

You joke, but there's a lot of truth to this. This past bid was relatively quiet. I can't tell you how many articles I've seen in the past from Forbes, CNN, Huffington Post, etc. claiming SIX FIGURES - NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED - APPLY TODAY which sent droves to usajobs.gov. Unless you count a tweet from NATCA, this past panel largely came and went without any real advertisement.

I'm curious, are there any OTS candidates here who applied for the first time in 2017 without hearing about the job from word of mouth, stuckmic, here, or reddit? If so, how did you hear about it?

 

[Ianto Muir]

You joke, but there's a lot of truth to this. This past bid was relatively quiet. I can't tell you how many articles I've seen in the past from Forbes, CNN, Huffington Post, etc. claiming SIX FIGURES - NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED - APPLY TODAY which sent droves to usajobs.gov. Unless you count a tweet from NATCA, this past panel largely came and went without any real advertisement.

I'm curious, are there any OTS candidates here who applied for the first time in 2017 without hearing about the job from word of mouth, stuckmic, here, or reddit? If so, how did you hear about it?

First time applying OTS currently work at a contractor Ramp Tower, had a coworker leave for the 2016 bid. Kept checking USA Jobs for months for the 7/7 bid.

 

[Southern]

You joke, but there's a lot of truth to this. This past bid was relatively quiet. I can't tell you how many articles I've seen in the past from Forbes, CNN, Huffington Post, etc. claiming SIX FIGURES - NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED - APPLY TODAY which sent droves to usajobs.gov. Unless you count a tweet from NATCA, this past panel largely came and went without any real advertisement.

I'm curious, are there any OTS candidates here who applied for the first time in 2017 without hearing about the job from word of mouth, stuckmic, here, or reddit? If so, how did you hear about it?

First time applicant, OTS, got a TOL. Funny story about why I applied, the company I work for at the current moment was doing massive rounds of layoffs. People I know really well, who sat next to me, people with 20+ years of experience, gone. Meanwhile this 24 year old high school grad with a job he doesn’t deserve to have watched hundreds being escorted out, quite a scary moment.

That was on 7/7/2017, that afternoon as I’m driving home scared beyond belief that I’m next I remember a friend of mine who got a job as an ATC. I thought to myself I’m going to just see, for the heck of it, if there is a bid going on for ATC. Sure enough, there was. Updated my resume that afternoon and applied that evening.

TL;DR: Layoffs at current company drove me to look for this job, applied 7/7/2017 on a whim, had 0 idea a bid was going on. Didn’t even know what to look for!

 

[WilliJ]

You joke, but there's a lot of truth to this. This past bid was relatively quiet. I can't tell you how many articles I've seen in the past from Forbes, CNN, Huffington Post, etc. claiming SIX FIGURES - NO EXPERIENCE NEEDED - APPLY TODAY which sent droves to usajobs.gov. Unless you count a tweet from NATCA, this past panel largely came and went without any real advertisement.

I'm curious, are there any OTS candidates here who applied for the first time in 2017 without hearing about the job from word of mouth, stuckmic, here, or reddit? If so, how did you hear about it?

First time applicant, OTS. A family member is a controller and told me about it. Every time there is an open bid he posts it to his facebook.

 

[Avatar]

Is it alright to leave the office address portion of the common information blank on the EODS?

I left mine blank... it didn’t say (required) so it’s not necessary.

Just gathering my references... i know they cannot be my relatives but does anyone know if there’s any rules to them being related to each other ? Like if I use two of my friends who are siblings?

 

[AB19]

I left mine blank... it didn’t say (required) so it’s not necessary.

Just gathering my references... i know they cannot be my relatives but does anyone know if there’s any rules to them being related to each other ? Like if I use two of my friends who are siblings?

I thought it mentioned somewhere that they shouldn't know each other, might just be me