Interesting read that Debbie posted....
Here are some thoughts I have after doing the job in a busy Terminal Control Unit for the last 19 years (CYVR)..... (yes, I have a day job
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I actually really like my job. Here in Canada, the pay is good and the pension is good. Unlike Mike (Ted), I won't be retiring at 50, but at 58 I will leave with a full 70% pension. It has its moments like every job does. I get a kick when people I have just met learn that I am an ATC. They all tell me how stressful it is, yet they do not do the job. Every job has its stressful moments. I don’t care if you dig ditches or do brain surgery, every job can be stressful. I enjoy the rare chance to also hold a position which exposes me directly to customers (airlines) and to the nuances of airspace design, procedure development and operation manual writing. I am what is called a Unit Procedures Specialist, so I am lucky enough to hold an office job and still control airplanes (50/50). The downside to this position I hold is that I am also one of very few controllers who can take work home. Sure, we can relive moments from work at home or at the bar. But you can’t control aircraft from you house. The one thing that really opened my eyes when I got my part time “desk job” was that as an ATC the work does not pile up. If you take a break, someone else does the work. Enjoy a few days off or some holiday, someone else does the work. Aircraft don’t go into you inbox or wait for you to return to duty, someone else serves them. With the part time desk job I have no one else does the work, I do it when I can. Not a complaint at all, just trying to point out that most jobs in the world don’t get done by someone else when you are not there, but in ATC that is the case. Delta, United, AirCanada etc, don’t fly around waiting for me to return from my dinner break, they get service from whoever gave me a break.
The job does come with an immense consequence of error. But, you can let that stress you as you see fit. If you are comfortable with your own skill set you can learn ways to deal with stress. Stay fit and rested, the job will not have an impact. Yes, we are open 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. I have had two Christmas days off in 19 years. I have a family. Shift work has its pros and cons. We aren't the only shifworkers in the world.
Over the years I have worked with a very large number of Air Traffic Controllers, I have been lucky enough to travel for business and meet many brothers in the FAA and around the world. Now, some may be stressed, and some may be calm, some may love their job and some may claim to hate it. That said, I am yet to meet one who is not trying to do a good job....
Page two of the letter posted is exactly correct, and I have been there. A lot of what is written is very true. But, you can choose what you do for a living. If any job is that bad, look for a new one.
In my opinion (FWIW) a good ATC candidate is someone who can make a decision. Then continue to make better decisions right away. The aircraft are always moving, so if you look at a radar screen or out the window in a tower, the "picture" continually tells you if you are making the correct ones. The secret is to assess the feedback provided instantly and continue to update the "plan" with better decision making.
Embraer (mike?). Are you recent to the ATC field? Your comments are very similar to those that I work with that used to be professional pilots.
After all that, I always tell anyone interested that if you have to work for a living (which I do) I consider myself lucky to have this job. If I didn't need the money, I would leave, but as far as work goes, you can do a lot worse.
on a side note..... ever watch the movie "Pushing Tin"? Not the best movie out there ever (cough cough) but when it was released I remember seeing about 35-40 controllers in the theatre on openning night. The only thing that stuck with me was that we could put a name to every single character in that movie......