ncessna72
Well-Known Member
This post is meant to help out others who accepted a TOL they didn't want.
I attended the July 11th PEPC in NY and received a TOL for El Paso (ELP). Feeling I was backed into a corner because of my age, I accepted. My heart sank. I was on such a high until that point. I returned home to TX and immediately started to call my HR POC. Her voicemail said she would be out of the office for the next month. Once again my heart sank. I wanted this changed immediately. My tentative start date was to close for comfort. I felt if I waited until OKC it would be to late. From what I have been told by HR any and all request has to be put in writing. So, I emailed her a very sad letter , that may or may not be true, I stated the reason why I wanted it changed to San Antonio (SAT).
Then something amazing happened. I received a call from my boss in the earlymorning hours of a Saturday asking if I could come to work because someone didn't show up. I was just about to say no because I had planned to be with my family at Sea World. However, yes came out my mouth. Thirty minutes later I was at work. Right at the end of my shift a customer enters my checkout line (something I never do because I am not a cashier) so I checked him out without much talk. Right before he was about to walk out the door he asked. How is the ATC thing going? Then I realized I have helped this customer on numerous occasions loading very heavy objects into his car. He was always very inquisitive. Previously he came to the store and asked what I did before this job. I told him I just got out of the military and just graduated from Embry-Riddle with a BS. Naturally his next question was. What did you do in the military? I told him I was an Air Traffic Controller and that I was waiting to hear from the FAA because I applied several months back. So, every time he would come to my work he would say "there is my Air Traffic Controller, could you give me a hand with something"? The day he came through my line was my 2nd to last day working days because I was switching to the graveyard shift. If it wasn't for me going in that day I would have never have had the opportunity to see this individual again.
Back to the previous thought. He asked how is the ATC thing going? I said, "oh (realizing now who he was) I received a tentative offer for ELP however, I have no intentions of ever going. He then asked where do you want to go? I told him San Antonio. He said well come and see me up at the tower". I do all the staffing for the San Antonio and El Paso plus, 24 other FAA facilities and I will see if I can get you changed to San Antonio. So I called him and restated my situation. He called back a few days later and offered me Austin TRACON (AUS). He said I have no slots for SAT but I can offer you Austin, which is only an hour drive away. I took it. He then said I should be hearing back from my HR POC when she returns to her office. A week later I received an email from my HR POC offering me AUS.
I think Austin will work out for the better anyways. El Paso is a level 8 facility, Austin is a 9 and San Antonio is a 10. A level 9 facility is a good starting point giving my limited ATC experience in the military. I have a feeling I could have received a approval to change facilities without the help of this individual I met at my work. Like I said, I wrote a pretty convincing (sad) letter, that may or may not be true.
I just wanted to share my experience with others. The old adage "it's who you know not what you know"might be true. However, I have heard of other individuals at the PEPC changing their facilites before attending the PEPC. Relocating my family or just me to El Paso would destine us for failure. El Paso might as well be in another state. I realize the FAA has recently changed the hiring process and now allow applicants to apply to specific states rather than the old process of applying to regions, which I am thankful for. However, even the current cookie cutter process adopted by the FAA for hiring new controllers does not work for all individuals or states.
I attended the July 11th PEPC in NY and received a TOL for El Paso (ELP). Feeling I was backed into a corner because of my age, I accepted. My heart sank. I was on such a high until that point. I returned home to TX and immediately started to call my HR POC. Her voicemail said she would be out of the office for the next month. Once again my heart sank. I wanted this changed immediately. My tentative start date was to close for comfort. I felt if I waited until OKC it would be to late. From what I have been told by HR any and all request has to be put in writing. So, I emailed her a very sad letter , that may or may not be true, I stated the reason why I wanted it changed to San Antonio (SAT).
Then something amazing happened. I received a call from my boss in the earlymorning hours of a Saturday asking if I could come to work because someone didn't show up. I was just about to say no because I had planned to be with my family at Sea World. However, yes came out my mouth. Thirty minutes later I was at work. Right at the end of my shift a customer enters my checkout line (something I never do because I am not a cashier) so I checked him out without much talk. Right before he was about to walk out the door he asked. How is the ATC thing going? Then I realized I have helped this customer on numerous occasions loading very heavy objects into his car. He was always very inquisitive. Previously he came to the store and asked what I did before this job. I told him I just got out of the military and just graduated from Embry-Riddle with a BS. Naturally his next question was. What did you do in the military? I told him I was an Air Traffic Controller and that I was waiting to hear from the FAA because I applied several months back. So, every time he would come to my work he would say "there is my Air Traffic Controller, could you give me a hand with something"? The day he came through my line was my 2nd to last day working days because I was switching to the graveyard shift. If it wasn't for me going in that day I would have never have had the opportunity to see this individual again.
Back to the previous thought. He asked how is the ATC thing going? I said, "oh (realizing now who he was) I received a tentative offer for ELP however, I have no intentions of ever going. He then asked where do you want to go? I told him San Antonio. He said well come and see me up at the tower". I do all the staffing for the San Antonio and El Paso plus, 24 other FAA facilities and I will see if I can get you changed to San Antonio. So I called him and restated my situation. He called back a few days later and offered me Austin TRACON (AUS). He said I have no slots for SAT but I can offer you Austin, which is only an hour drive away. I took it. He then said I should be hearing back from my HR POC when she returns to her office. A week later I received an email from my HR POC offering me AUS.
I think Austin will work out for the better anyways. El Paso is a level 8 facility, Austin is a 9 and San Antonio is a 10. A level 9 facility is a good starting point giving my limited ATC experience in the military. I have a feeling I could have received a approval to change facilities without the help of this individual I met at my work. Like I said, I wrote a pretty convincing (sad) letter, that may or may not be true.
I just wanted to share my experience with others. The old adage "it's who you know not what you know"might be true. However, I have heard of other individuals at the PEPC changing their facilites before attending the PEPC. Relocating my family or just me to El Paso would destine us for failure. El Paso might as well be in another state. I realize the FAA has recently changed the hiring process and now allow applicants to apply to specific states rather than the old process of applying to regions, which I am thankful for. However, even the current cookie cutter process adopted by the FAA for hiring new controllers does not work for all individuals or states.
This is my two cents DO NOT SETTLE FOR SOMETHING LESS THAN WHAT YOU WANT.
Thanks,
Daniel
Thanks,
Daniel