So let me get this straight...

1000awhp Newcomer

Once I have graduated, I apply with 2 states in mind (not location), and hope the FAA hires me...and at least 1 of the 2 states I wanted has to be hiring at that time? And if not, I just repeat the process until I happen to find a state thats hiring? Not to mention I dont get to pick the city I want to be in, or whether I'd like to be tower or enroute? So its like applying for a job that might call you after all that schooling and will only put you in the general location you would like to go? Am I making it seem worse than it is? I mean, whats the percentage of people that get picked up thier first round?

brettjeep18 Newcomer Pittsburgh PA

Yeah thats how it works... You also have to figure that they remove your application from the process when they send an offer out to you and if you decline it they then have to place it back in. And that can take longer and give them another chance to mess up your paperwork... The best bet now is to not be picky and take anything you can get. To make sure that you get an offer for the type of facility that you want (enroute,terminal) only pick states that have only the type of facility you want in them.

Battani22 Trusted Contributor Minnesota

yes, you pick 2 states and wait...I graduated in Aug 09 and have not been picked up yet. THere are many more poeple that have graduated and waited much longer then my example. I think the percentage of people getting selected their first time around is pretty rare. After waiting a while to get selected you probably will care less where you get picked up. you just want to get in the system and transfer out down the line.

TimShady Trusted Contributor Chicago, IL

If you are willing to work at any type of facility, in any state, and wait any amount of time to get it, this may be the job for you!

duranme Trusted Contributor San Diego (SCT)

well just like every other college degree, you go and spend money in hopes of getting a job in the field that you went to college for. just because i you go to school for atc doesnt mean your going to get hired.

hell my wife went to school for psychology... now shes a weather forecaster...

mjh55404 Senior Analyst OKC

I remember way back in 1999 when I was interviewing for NW and UA what my aunt (retired from NW) and uncle (retired from SEA Tracon) told me...

“In the aviation industry your middle name is flexibility"

So if I got called today for ZSU, ZUA, KWA..... FAI .... any old tower in Timbuktu I'd take it.

Meanwhile..... I'll sit patiently with my TOL for ZOA.

So yeah CTI sucks but if you don’t already have a TOL cough up the money and go to the cheapest or fastest program you can and wait. A few years ago CTI and Military was the only way to get this job.... and in the near future it will be that way again I assume.

The airlines have always treated people this way... and somehow they still get people for the jobs.

Skywest his hiring flight attendants for 17.50 per flight hour (say 80 hours a month) with the following requirement:

YOU MUST BE WILLING TO RELOCATE to any of our domiciles; Salt Lake City, UT, Colorado Springs, CO, Denver,CO, Portland,OR, Tucson, AZ, Chicago, IL, Atlanta, GA and the California cities of Los Angeles, Fresno, Palm Springs, San Luis Obispo, and Santa Barbara.

They don’t even tell where you are moving until you complete the training!

This has all been standard for pilots and flight crew for decades.... The FAA probably figures for 100k they can expect the same from us.

I'm still up for it... and I'm sitting here staring out the window making 60k at King County. I would rather sacrifice to go work as an air traffic contoller then go back to college for a new career or sit around and wait for my boring job to go away.

I will say back in 2006 with the IWR's, Unpaid Academy and NO Geographical Preferences my answer then was NO.... and that’s why I left my CTI program after 9 credit hours and finished a regular associate degree.

Think of this like its a once in a lifetime shot.... it most likely is!

Michael

arg3b Senior Member Murfreesboro, TN

The guy graduated in Aug 2009. There was a panel for CTIs in October 2009.

In the past year, it has not been rare to be passed over the first time around.

Rosstafari Daaaang. /X

I stand corrected. Switched it up with the OP.

I didn't say it was. Just that it wasn't "rare" to actually get selected the first time. In my book, that'd imply that it'd be something in the order of only 1 out of 10 CTI's getting picked up in their first panel, which isn't the case.

arg3b Senior Member Murfreesboro, TN

I agree. Since Decembe 2008 I have seen 4 classes graduate from MTSU. One person I know of from the Dec. 2008 class was selected during the April panels. About 5 of 30 students from the May and August 2009 classes have reported being selected Oct. 2009 panels. The December 2009 graduates havent had a panel yet.

I cant speak for the other CTI schools, but based on this information, in these times I would say that being passed over the first time is common. This will changed once this "freeze" is over and things get sorted out. Its all cyclical.

robin0c5 Newcomer

It's really hard to find a job right now for most degrees and for a lot of jobs you'll be lucky if you don't have to move to get that job. I had a friend who spent three years working on her Graphic design degree until she found out she'd have to move to another state if she even hoped for a beginners spot for her degree.