Contacting Facilities

MeinNC Junior Member Coastal

My husband visited a local tower back in July (ironically, it was the same day that PUBNAT 8 opened). He had an awesome experience and had a really good conversation with the training manager at the facility. The training manager told him to keep in touch.

Now that my husband got his well qualified ATSAT score, he recontacted the manager today to update him on how everything was going and asked if there was anything he could do to improve his chances at getting specific facilities or getting picked up in general. They had a nice long conversation.....

Anyhow, one of the things he was told was that there was no need to "market" yourself to specific facilities because the facilities had no control over which candidates they were given. He said that all they could do was turn someone away but that they had no authority in selecting candidates for each facility. He said candidates are selected by the national panels but that each facility was simply given candidates. So, there went my husband's idea of making himself and his name known to the facilities in which he was interested.

Just wondering if anyone had heard anything supporting or contradicting this information?

mikeyschrader Rookie

I really think making the connections does help. So long as he is talking to those locations that he is going to put on his geo. pref.'s, from what I have encountered, that would be beneficial.

BigBend49 Newcomer

The only people that i have found that can help are the actual people that attend those panels. If you can find the name of the Senior HR Rep for the Enroute or Terminal Area that your husband is applying for. They are hard to find. but i would search the internet, call the Careers division and ask if they know who is the Senior HR person that controls the portion of the U.S. that you guys are going for. I'm a PUBNAT 7 applicant but because my wife was picked up already i was able to contact the Senior HR person and i was informed that come Janurary (when my panels meet) that they would try to pull me for the same facility as my wife. Good luck

Down623 Newcomer

Hmm. That's kind of a downer. I was hoping to call up a couple places, arrange a tour, etc. and kind of get my name out there, but if it's all for nothing I guess I shouldn't bother.

jalvis81 Senior Member

Not to be johnny raincloud, but calling the place you want to work at, touring the facility, "networking", etc... doesn't make a hill of beans difference in getting hired, at least from everything I've seen. Like previously stated, unless you know the mystery people at the panels doing the actual selecting, your efforts will most likely be in vain.

ControlPhreeqBassGeek Senior Member Duluth, MN

Jalvis is right. There is almost no way that this could make any difference. Think about it, the manager would have to happen to know the senior HR people, and then HAPPEN to have a chance conversation with them in between your visit and the panels, and then happen to talk about panels, and then REMEMBER your name, and then say, "Hey, I think you should pick this random person because....[insert compelling reason the FAA should hire you]"

It's a long shot.

Personally, I am going to tour as many places as I can for the reason of getting to know the job environment and what it's like at this or that level of tower or facility or tracon, etc. And to get to know the different places that I could possibly end up or have a chance to transfer to one day.

Sexzcycy01 Rookie

I think that it can not hurt your chances, so what do you have to loose? I mean even if you do not talk to the person who is going to panels, maybe the person you talk to will talk to the person that is going to panels and request them to pull your name. I have went to the tower and took a tour and met with the manager. I was told that he had did not go to the panels, but that he would make a couple of calls on my behalf. Either way I did not hurt my chances.

KJKAN Rookie

Actually, contacting facilities and speaking with managers can go very far. A lot of you are saying try to get in touch with a regional HR rep that will be at the panels...do you know how many people try to contact them? I'm sure hundreds of others like yourself end up finding them as well and try to call them. What makes you so different than the next person that got a hold of the regional rep? They don't know you from Adam...

Now...if you get in good with a manager, talk to them here and there...visit the facility...get on the managers good side....chances are....they probably know the person that goes to the panels or knows someone that knows them. Now...if that manager contacted the person from the panels and said, hey...if you can do me a favor and see if you can pick up John Doe for my facility, I would really appreciate it...he is a good kid and I would love to have him there. That goes a long way compared to your random phone call with this regional HR rep.

I was hired for PUBNAT 3. This is what I did...fortunately, I also took an online college course with the hiring manager that works in FAA HQ. She overseas the entire hiring process. She flies into OKC for the panels and meets with all the regional reps...she gives them direction on how to make selections on Monday and Tuesday of the week and then the regional reps make decisions for the next two days. Then on Friday, they email her the list of candidates for each facility. I got in good with both her and a manager at a facility I wanted to go and I put them both in touch with each other the week before the panels met and sure enough, I got the facility I wanted to go to.

Bottom line, it helps.

kcouey Rookie Ogden Utah

I don't find this true much like to many other responses you need to get in touch with Regional Hiring Manager. I toured the facility I want, met with the Regional Hiring Manager and she will be at the panels . She wanted my AT-SAT score. The exact spelling of my name and I gave her my resume. I called her two weeks ago and she wants me to call her when I pick my Geo Preferences and let her know the exact states I am picking. So I think the "standard manager" can't really do much unfortunately. I have been fortunate that the Regional Manager lives close to me and she does all of the hiring for the western US and more than likely the facility your wanting the regional manager probably does'nt even live in that state. So hopefully this gives you insight, you do need to dig for the names, I know they are hard to find. However, they are out there. If there is a will there is a way!! I hope this helps out!

RFDATM Trusted Member IL

HR does not make selections for ATC facilities. HR administers the hiring process but it is an ATO Terminal District Manager from the corresponding ATO Service Area (Central, Western or Eastern) that matches candidates to terminal facilities. District Managers report to the Service Area Director and manage multiple ATC facilites. ATMs report to District Managers and may not have any influence over who is hired.