Kim's Place OKC

Placement After Academy

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wcwood92

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I'm considering applying for the bid this week and I have a question.

I understand that you have to be willing to relocate based on agency needs, and that's totally fine with me. However, if I had the opportunity to move home and work around here I'd probably take it.
I'm looking for some insight into how this process usually pans out. How many facilities typically have openings? Is there any way to predict where the openings will be? Or is it tough to say until it happens?
The thought of a new city is definitely intriguing and it won't be a deal breaker, but I do like my family and friends.

(Boston is home)

Looking forward to what you all have to say! Thank you.
 
Every facility technically has openings, however, they are usually cycled through based on staffing needs, so airports/centers that have fewer trainees will usually have more slots for academy grads. There is no way to predict what your facility list will be, you can kinda sorta get an idea about two weeks before graduating if you know how many potential grads are before you an how many of those potential grads end up passing, but it's still a crapshoot. You should ask yourself if you really believe moving to a new city isn't a deal breaker because the odds of you getting ZBW (Boston Center) are slim, but not none; and you can expect to be away from home for several years before you would be able to transfer.
 
Yeah so essentially plan to be away from home for a few years. ZBW might come up on that list but if you went terminal track you won’t get BOS tower. There might be some small level 6s up in that region that are near home but still will require maybe 2-3 hour commute. Just keep in mind staffing when you pick…you want to go to the highest staffed facility. So let’s say BDL tower was on your list (I think 2.5 hrs away from BOS and has poor staffing) And EMT (El Monte, CA and has great staffing) on paper you might pick BDL right away because it’s closer. But if your long term career goal is to get to BOS tower, ZBW, or something different you might want to pick EMT instead that way your chance of being picked up for a higher tower is better because they’d be able to release sooner because of staffing.

Disclaimer: This is just an example…idk what the actual staffing situation is at BDL or EMT
 
Check the Enroute and Terminal Pass rate threads. The lists from previous classes are routinely posted in those threads.

At least talking about enroute, unless you're from New York City or the Bay Area, your chances of going to the facility you really want are slim. But as said above, not null. First, your desired facility has to make it onto your class' list. Then your class has to pass enough people for that facility stay on your list. Then you have to do better than other people in your class to choose that facility.
 
bomber996 said:
Check the Enroute and Terminal Pass rate threads. The lists from previous classes are routinely posted in those threads.

At least talking about enroute, unless you're from New York City or the Bay Area, your chances of going to the facility you really want are slim. But as said above, not null. First, your desired facility has to make it onto your class' list. Then your class has to pass enough people for that facility stay on your list. Then you have to do better than other people in your class to choose that facility.
Click to expand...
What he said. The students at academy list when they do finals (PVs) and how many passed as well as their facility options in those two threads. You can scroll through the last year or two to get an idea of what facilities pop up.
 
Basic rule of thumb when applying to this job: anticipate to end up as far away as possible from where you want to be, and know you may be stuck there unless you can find a way to hardship out. Or go the sup/TMU route of course. Basically though, the overwhelming majority of applicants don’t end up at their preferred facility right out of OKC.
 
I made plans for my new facility before I started the academy. These plans were general and nearly universal to all locations and mostly centered around the initial move and what type of housing I would try to find. I knew there was a very low chance I'd end up near a major city like NYC, LA, ATL, Chicago: I'll be trapped in New York for no less than ten years and my plan to have a garage/ space for activities is gone. My nose has started running though... Maybe I'm allergic to something here?

Just apply, the odds of getting selected are pretty low anyway.
 
There's no way of knowing what your options will be until about the last week of your academy time. Chances are high that your choices will be some where further away than driving distance when you just think that out of the almost 400 FAA facilities, you will get to choose out of 4-8 options for your entire class depending on where you finish vs your other classmates (finish first in class you get the whole list/finish with the lowest score you have essentially no choice and are just assigned whatever everyone else didn't pick).

Whether you go terminal or enroute, there will be a chance for the Boston area. Enroute is basically ZBW or maybe ZNY if living on long island doesn't bother you. Terminal there are several possibilies scattered around the area from BED, MHT to PWM. If you are talking about being within driving distance, then terminal would be the way to go as that opens up BGR, BDL, PVD, all of the upstate NY facilities, CDW/MMU in NJ and some eastern PA facilities. Terminal will get you probably 20 possible facilities that take academy grads within an 8 hour drive of Boston. Enroute will get you maybe 4.
 
ClearanceClarence said:
Basic rule of thumb when applying to this job: anticipate to end up as far away as possible from where you want to be, and know you may be stuck there unless you can find a way to hardship out. Or go the sup/TMU route of course. Basically though, the overwhelming majority of applicants don’t end up at their preferred facility right out of OKC.
Click to expand...
No way dude, I'm a millennial, the system works for me!
 
bomber996 said:
Check the Enroute and Terminal Pass rate threads. The lists from previous classes are routinely posted in those threads.

At least talking about enroute, unless you're from New York City or the Bay Area, your chances of going to the facility you really want are slim. But as said above, not null. First, your desired facility has to make it onto your class' list. Then your class has to pass enough people for that facility stay on your list. Then you have to do better than other people in your class to choose that facility.
Click to expand...
Idk half my class went back home. There’s people from all these cities you don’t want to move to
 
DowntownTG said:
There's no way of knowing what your options will be until about the last week of your academy time. Chances are high that your choices will be some where further away than driving distance when you just think that out of the almost 400 FAA facilities, you will get to choose out of 4-8 options for your entire class depending on where you finish vs your other classmates (finish first in class you get the whole list/finish with the lowest score you have essentially no choice and are just assigned whatever everyone else didn't pick).

Whether you go terminal or enroute, there will be a chance for the Boston area. Enroute is basically ZBW or maybe ZNY if living on long island doesn't bother you. Terminal there are several possibilies scattered around the area from BED, MHT to PWM. If you are talking about being within driving distance, then terminal would be the way to go as that opens up BGR, BDL, PVD, all of the upstate NY facilities, CDW/MMU in NJ and some eastern PA facilities. Terminal will get you probably 20 possible facilities that take academy grads within an 8 hour drive of Boston. Enroute will get you maybe 4.
Click to expand...
What he said. I’m 2000 miles from home lol. Worst part is a facility 25 minutes from home was on the list 3 months after I finished
 
wcwood92 said:
I'm considering applying for the bid this week and I have a question.

I understand that you have to be willing to relocate based on agency needs, and that's totally fine with me. However, if I had the opportunity to move home and work around here I'd probably take it.
I'm looking for some insight into how this process usually pans out. How many facilities typically have openings? Is there any way to predict where the openings will be? Or is it tough to say until it happens?
The thought of a new city is definitely intriguing and it won't be a deal breaker, but I do like my family and friends.

(Boston is home)

Looking forward to what you all have to say! Thank you.
Click to expand...
From what I’ve seen, a good number of folks at the academy wash because they get so worked up over placement before they even get to PA’s and they let their nerves get the best of them.

Focus on graduating first. Always.
 
There's a lot of luck that goes into everything. Even if you get a facility on the other side of the country. Trying to transfer back to the Boston area will take just as much luck as trying to get there from the academy. Just focus on what you can control; apply, pass the academy, certify wherever you eventually go, etc.
 

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