Previous Employment

Norskman · Post by **Norskman** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 8:39 pm

Just wondering if any ATC and FSS people would mind telling me what they did for work before getting into NavCan. I would like to see if there are any similarities.

To start the comparison:
I am not yet working as ATC, but I have applied (aiming for VFR). I drive a 72 passenger school bus for the high school kiddies

(and you think you have stress? heheh) and also work as a "front desk/parts person" in another job.

Braun · Post by **Braun** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 9:10 pm

Well i'm not technically working there put I was accepted for IFR training.

I used to sell shoes.

grimey · Post by **grimey** » Wed Aug 30, 2006 11:42 pm

I was a software developer. FSS is considerably less stressfull most of the time, mostly because I don't live in constant fear of getting laid off.

wingandaprayer · Post by **wingandaprayer** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 4:53 am

I was a secretary in an industrial plastic recovery plant

Mac · Post by **Mac** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:09 am

I was a flight instructor until I burned all the fat reserves off my body and then was a front counter/parts person like yourself.

bigfssguy · Post by **bigfssguy** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:15 am

I was an Underground Miner and Mine Engineer Tech.

I doubt you will see an similarities really aside from a few pilots. I had a guy in my class who was a baker, another that was a beer tub girl at a bar another who was a butcher. Pretty diverse i have seen.

Norskman · Post by **Norskman** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 6:52 am

bigfssguy wrote: ...I doubt you will see an similarities really aside from a few pilots... Pretty diverse i have seen.

This is what I wish to find out. Even if it comes down to what type of work it was, I think there might be some common factors. I havn't seen anyone yet who was working at McD's as their last job!

Braun · Post by **Braun** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:41 am

Wouldn't see why not, I mean I sold shoes and it didn't really affect the selection process. It's all about personality.

Norskman · Post by **Norskman** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 11:22 am

Braun wrote:Wouldn't see why not, I mean I sold shoes and it didn't really affect the selection process. It's all about personality.

Right. I wasn't saying that someone working at McD's wouldn't be able to get this job. From talking to controllers and the replies on this forum, it seems like most people have had a few jobs with a couple of years experience, even a career, before getting into ATS. I think for a more accurate comparison of people I would need a lot more information. It would probably take a full study report to find the info I'm looking for.

So thanks for the info, and I'll stop buggin ya'll now

Pygmie · Post by **Pygmie** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 12:24 pm

Of the 10 students who were in my course:

2 University students
Waiter
Bartender
Elemetary School Teacher
Flight Instructor
Bush Pilot
Lumber Salesman
Computer Programmer

Can't remember what the last guy was doing. . .

ywg-atc · Post by **ywg-atc** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 1:06 pm

I didn't work in McDonald's but I did work in the restaurant industry as a server.

burly · Post by **burly** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 2:25 pm

2 of 16 checked out from my IFR course. Both were IFR pilots before ATC

Dman · Post by **Dman** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 4:55 pm

Hey guys,

I'm starting my VFR course on Oct. 10th. Up to know, I've been working as a Project Manager for a Web development shop. Before that, I used to run my family bike shop with my father!

Dman

Jerricho · Post by **Jerricho** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 10:11 pm

Before joining Nav Canada I was an Air Traffic Controller with NATS.

Before I was an Air Traffic Controller, I was an Air Traffic Control Assistant/ATOS

Before that I was a porn star..........

invertedattitude · Post by **invertedattitude** » Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:25 am

I was and still am part time Ramp Attendant, also commercial pilot that never really "took off" save a few sightseeing/charter trips in a 172.

Norskman · Post by **Norskman** » Sun Sep 03, 2006 9:55 pm

Thanks to everyone for the replies.

jonathan_tcu · Post by **jonathan_tcu** » Tue Sep 05, 2006 7:04 pm

I just finished a 2+ year inbound customer service position July 29th, glad to be out of there. Before that, outbound telemarketing for 4 years, pretty near damn killed me. Now I am back in school upgrading my math skills.

GilletteNorth · Post by **GilletteNorth** » Sat Aug 18, 2007 11:01 pm

I found out about (then) Transport Canada having seminars in Edmonton from the newspaper. They were holding them in 5 major cities in Alberta, 5 seminars per day Saturday and Sunday. I went to a Saturday seminar and it was packed. Standing in line I talked to alot of the people waiting. There were people applying from every profession you could think of including college professors. I watched the presentation and at the end of it the presenter stated that everyone should put their resume on the table at the front. Click, click, click as all those briefcases opened LOL. I was thinking to myself "no one told me to bring a resume." Anyway, I got called for the interview, was selected, trained, graduated with people from very diverse backgrounds. All I can say is it is a better job than most of the jobs I did before.

tofo · Post by **tofo** » Sun Aug 19, 2007 12:23 am

how is it possible that being a pilot previously didn't help them?

thatdaveguy · Post by **thatdaveguy** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 1:16 pm

tofo wrote:how is it possible that being a pilot previously didn't help them?

A lot of pilots have really encrusted habits about being on the other side of the radio. For example, one thing that seems to mess up IFR pilots is ATS uses a predetermined set of clearance abbreviations. You must use them the exact same every time, whereas many pilots used whatever they wanted in the past as long as they could remember it. This doesn't sound like a big deal, but you have one month to shake off all your old habits and if you don't, your CT'd.

Another similar example, as a pilot you can generally use any method of conveying a point that you want. In ATS, we have phraseology that we must say VERBATIM in many (most) situations... this can throw off a pilot used to saying his own thing. Again, you only have one month to drop these habits.

In my FSS class we had two pilots, one didn't make it.

Prior to FSS, I was in retail sales...

invertedattitude · Post by **invertedattitude** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 4:12 pm

I was/am a commercial pilot, only did a few little ad-hoc things tho.

I worked the ramp/Fuelling/operations/de-icing for airlines for 8 years before qualifying ATC.

I'm 25 now.

imarai · Post by **imarai** » Mon Aug 20, 2007 5:25 pm

I worked at an IGA for 18 months, where I did everything except cashier. I then worked for Woodward's Department Store for 30 months in the warehouse at the parcel delivery sorting section, and later at the heavy delivery section, where I unloaded trucks full of furniture, and large appliances. I knew a controller, now retired, who drove a bulldozer year-round. In the middle of a -39 degree winter's day he decided that an inside job would be much better, so he made a career out of ATC.

Seagull · Post by **Seagull** » Tue Aug 21, 2007 11:03 am

IFR Pilot (Small stuff...PA31's mostly)...IFR Controller now