Question for the CTI grads, students, prospects

[w0x0f]

You hit the nail on the head Digger.  In a speech at the FAA academy last May, Rick Day, VP of EnRoute and Oceanic Services, stated that the FAA is seeking candidates who have intrinsic motivations for the carreer.   Meaning they're looking for people who want the job because they love ATC.  He said extrinsic motivations like pay, benefits, and scheduling don't bring the kind of people they want.

 

[digger]

I thought I'd bump this thread to the top again. At the time it was active, the FAA hadn't yet started hiring "off the street".

Any new opinions?

[RV1]

CTI's, I would consider all options before I signed on to the FAA. On the website FAAFOLLIES.com, there are some posts about academy students on govt. subsidies in order to feed their families. The FAA, 5 years, ago required a degree from a CTI school before they'd even look at you. Now they're advertising on Craigslist, myspace, youtube, etc. Yet if you read their mantra, they are fully prepared for the mass exodus of controllers. How do you continue to handle the traffic, that continues to increase, if you are short staffed? Overtime! Mandatory.
For interesting reading, go to FAAMA.org. This is the website for FAA Managers. Even some of their own managers are totally fed up with the way the FAA is being run(down).

I realize that you may want to have this career because of the job itself, and I don't blame you! It is a great job. However, it would be hard to sit and wait for the 'phone call of an offer', especially after a few years. Two examples I know of: 30 year old mother of two, single parent, school loans of $100K, three years SINCE graduating, still waiting for THE CALL, three months before her 31st birthday... 'You must be hired prior to your 31st birthday'

Ex. #2 Early to mid nineties, trained a fired Patco controller, asked him what he'd been doing for the last 12-14 years, his response was odd jobs: driving instructor, insurance salesman... waiting for the FAA to call him back. WAITING.

Welcome to the FAA, where it takes five years to hire you, and five minutes to fire you.   On the FAAMA website, you'll see where they would like the probationary period to be made longer. Does that mean that even though they are short staffed, and getting shorter, they want the ability to easily fire you for a longer period of time than a year? They will invest training time and money into you, but if they don't like your attitude, you're history.

It's been awhile since I've recommended this job to anyone. It will be at least a year before I change my tune. Remember, it's called one of the most stressful jobs in the world and for a reason. Now, you have to watch your back as well (this is where the FLMs are sitting).

[Johnksan]

I'm currently in OKC doing my training.  I have to say that the new pay system is ridiculous. Especially for those of us that are going to expensive cities like SAN, SFO, JFK, LAX, ORD....i.e. locality pay for some where in Indiana is around 12% and for SAN is around 20% but the actual cost of living in a big city is a heck of a lot more than the locality.  So for those of us that are going to big cities, we're screwed.  Yet, most people get into this career for the love of the game rather than money so I don't think this will deter many.  And, most old timers will tell you that the pay will likely go up in a few years.  So, we can just hope.  Eitherway, this is a tough profession and I feel that we should be paid just as much as a surgeon if not more.  You have to retain and put to use sooooooo much information and knowledge every day.  There is also a 50% washout rate espesially if you're going to a level 10 or higher facility.  Lastly, if you want to be a controller for the money, don't bother, it's definately not worth it.  Do it for the love of the profession!