Soon to be Graduate, no idea what to do? Career Advice

[StuBob]

As per thread title, I will complete my LLB Law (Hons) degree next semester with an expected 2:1 minimum and I have currently little idea of what to do going forward so thought I would ask in here for advice and guidance or even just those with similar experience.

Bit of background

I am a mature student so will complete degree as a 31 year old former Project Manager, who mainly operated in the construction industry, where we undertook light steel fabrication projects although we mainly specialised in access and working at height safety systems. This included overseeing delivery of projects across the UK and even on occasion abroad.

I done this for about 6 years and really enjoyed it but I think I became a little bored and decided to go to university. I have no idea why I decided to do this other than I became bored in my role both in terms of the challenge and opportunities. I really should have gone to uni on leaving school but again, that never panned out perhaps for the same reasons and I left school at 16 so going and getting my degree was probably a challenge I personally wanted to undertake. For all intents and purposes it has been-ish as I have continued to work full time throughout my degree as a contractor with a major bank (simple desk role).

Now

However I am at the stage where I need to look and seek out graduate role opportunities that interest me and tbh I am struggling here. I know I do not want to continue down the route of legal practice but I would like to secure a career which offers good opportunities to develop new skills, progress opportunities or even travel all with a good work/life balance is the goal. On this point I am looking to engage a CV Writing Service as I am pushed for time and have always struggled with cv writing.


Opportunities Identified so far

There are two programs that I am looking to apply to and these include the Civil Service (Fast Stream) Graduate programme (although which area I'm not too sure) and I have always been interested in Air Traffic Control so will send off an application to NATS.


Any help, advice or anything that may be relevant or offer a different view is appreciated.

Cheers

Stuart

 

[StuBob]

Thanks for the direction guys.

@dowie & @Sudden Tbh I find it difficult to give an acceptable answer to most as to why I don't really want to take my degree further. I suppose the best I can come up with is that I really enjoy the subject and all that it involves but I'm not sure I would like to practice it everyday as a job. Best I can come up with is that I love working on cars, something I have learned DIY style but I don't think I would ever have liked to work in a garage everyday on other peoples cars. Moreover the limitations dictate I would basically be stuck in Scotland for rest of my career is off-putting in itself, as I would like to move into something that will give me more opportunities and ability to transfer to other places if the notion or work took me.

Regarding going back to Project or Contract management I would consider that a fall back if nothing else. Having done it I enjoyed the challenge but again I eventually got bored with it and there is little interest to go back to that, unless in perhaps a different industry or with other prospects for progress, or diversity and challenges. I don't fancy going back to the construction game really, the volatility and again I suppose the dead end restrictions of moving from one company doing the same thing to another is not for me. Everyone in that game, in those roles generally just bounce around from company to company for similar reasons, falling out, under-appreciated, poor recognition etc. a merry-go-round I would rather avoid.

That is why NATS and the Civil Service (Foreign Office etc. and with Brexit opportunities should be wide and varied) appeal, the chance to try something new, learn new skills and open up new paths with progression not just within the industries but over the world. I done a bit of work abroad, in the Middle East in my previous role, and really enjoyed it, so travel is not a problem in that sense. Even more so it is just me and the Mrs, who works for the NHS and would have little problem picking up somewhere else.

@Flaevius Thanks for that, I had never worried about my eyesight before. Never been tested since I was young but I haven't noticed any issues with my eyesight albeit looks like I may now have to get this checked. No issues with the other eligibility criteria that I could see.


Again thanks for the advice.

 

[StuBob]

Thanks for all the helpful insight guys!

In respect of proceeding down the legal practice route one significant barrier is the fact it would still be a further few years of work on top of the 4 (5 if you include night school) I have already done as I would need to undertake a further year of study for the Diploma and then a two year trainee-ship. It will remain an option to be honest but I don't know if it is perhaps down to fatigue or itchy feet that I am actively looking at alternatives.

 

[StuBob]

I can’t help with all of your concerns but I work for NATS and can help answer any questions you may have. My background is controller, instructor, examiner, supervisor and currently a manager but still operational. A few years ago I was involved in interviewing applicants for the trainee controller role so could help you out with anything you have questions about there.

The only thing I can say in general is that when it comes to controlling you will either have the ability or you won’t. Some of our best controllers range from multiple Ph.D holders to those with barely two O Levels to rub together. Your brain has to be wired in the right way and academic performance doesn’t always correlate.

If you have any specific questions let me know and I’ll be happy to answer.

Good luck

@Scuzi

Thanks for replying Scuzi and I would very much like to take you up on your offer as I think ATCO could very well be my type of career. Primarily due to the nature of the work, the skills it requires and the stakes. I enjoy being highly accurate and efficient in everything I do and indeed contracting with a major bank my accuracy and attention to detail has been embarrassingly recognised at operation level a number of times. I enjoy the challenge of always being on game notwithstanding the work involved, the higher the stakes the better and in finance the stakes are pretty high but ATCO will be that bit higher.

My only concern really is the application process and assessment methods employed by NATS. These have been extremely difficult to uncover information beyond their basic premise, so gleaning an idea of their difficulty has been hard to come by. Even more is the contrary advice NATS and others offer in that preparation is not necessary to the success of these tests. I have been looking at multiple examples of these numerical, verbal reasoning and error checking test which are self explanatory but it is the degree I find the diagrammatic and spatial awareness tests vary in difficulty that has me concerned. Can you shed any light on these or point me to where I may fill in any missing information?

I understand that common consensus does seem to suggest that the tests especially FEAST/DART are pretty much down to the individual and you either can or can't do them. I'm just trying to get a better picture as I don;t think I have ever passed these types of aptitude tests employed by recruiters, albeit it is more the situational judgement ones I have failed in a spectacularly frequent manner.

 

[StuBob]

Thanks @Scuzi

I have already started my application with NATS and have passed Stage 0 & 1 last month. I have been looking at dates for my Stage 2 at CTC for the last four weeks as I'm finding it difficult to tie down a suitable date at the moment with work and assignment deadlines currently. I actually watched 'Skies Over Britain' which provides an interesting insight into NATS including new recruits, which the last episode focuses on and was particularly eye-opening. Not just the hoops I know that have to be jumped through to get to that stage but the attitude and care that needs to be applied beyond it. It looked like only 1 of the 6 candidates who were offered a position actually made it through their initial basic training at college.

I have no immediate worries about the interview and would be pretty confident with that stage, it is just the unknown element of the FEAST and possibly DART which are worrying me somewhat.

 

[StuBob]

Sorry about the delay in replying, just spotted this.

Honestly, there is little you can do to prepare that will make a discernible difference IMO. Obviously an awareness of how to answer rather than trying to figure it out on the fly might save a few seconds but that’s about it. The tests are designed to test your innate capability on a level playing field.

If you pass those, what you can prepare for is the interview. When I was interviewing candidates, I was always surprised at the absolute absence of preparation in some cases. We had one guy pitch up in what I can only describe as a psychotic episode. Many of the younger candidates would turn up expecting to breeze through with no prep and would very quickly realise their mistake about 15 seconds into the interview. The successful candidates weee those who had done their homework. You’ll be expected to learn verbatim manuals that are inches thick in a period of a few months and demonstrating that capability at interview is important.

Give it a go!

So thought I would provide a update since things have since moved on. I had booked in to sit my Stage 2 earlier this week, my hand somewhat forced as I had already been booked onto ANS assessment week at Gatwick later this month and they appear to be pretty fast moving should things go well with them so I booked onto NATS as soon as was possible. Anyway, there were 11 of us on the day and having sat FEAST in the morning, we were informed as a group it was bad news almost immediately, with all but one person having failed FEAST with instruction to leave the premises. Thankfully I was the lucky one who was asked to stay for the afternoon DART session and was delighted to find out on completion that I had passed that stage too on the day and to expect email to book onto Stage 3. It still hasn't really sunk in yet tbh as I thought some elements of the FEAST I screwed up specifically the numbers however the cubes I found relatively easy and completed with time to spare. DART was great though and found it far less intense than FEAST although there were a few moments with that too however only 2 potential conflicts and a few resets and that was my day over. Got the bus outside CTC straight to the airport and bought ticket for first flight home, I was absolutely knackered.

Having now undertaken FEAST & DART I can totally appreciate why the consensus suggests you cannot prepare for the tests and I would have to agree 100%. It may seem as though people are being deliberately coy but I now know that it really is an accurate reflection of the tests. I'll be delighted if I never have to do something like that again anytime soon. It was probably the most tense experience I have undertaken, perhaps attributable to the potential for failure and being unable to pursue the role for another 12months. There was a good variety of candidates on the day of all ages and a number of nationalities, 2 of which having flown in from Poland and the Middle East to undertake their Stage 2.

I have already booked onto my Stage 3 interview for next month in Prestwick and was informed this will be a competency based interview taken by a current ATC and a psychiatrist which will also involve some other elements to it involving pictures confused but was advised to go over the ATC booklet again, and prepare as expected for a competency interview. The NATS assessor on the Stage 2 advised similar to yourself, highlighting that there are many candidates who get to that stage and put no work into preparing for the interview by treating it as a formality. Is there anything specific or any advice you could offer in respect to this stage of the recruitment @Scuzi?

 

[StuBob]

Just to update the thread and thank @Scuzi for taking the time to post his advice on the subject.

I have just taken a phone call from NATS today following my Stage 3 interview last week and have been informed that I have passed and will be starting my basic training late October in Jerez, Spain for 6 months.

Absolutely delighted and although it is quite a wait with it being pretty much a full 12 months since my initial application, I am glad tonnage gone through the process. There is of course hard work to come in passing training and eventually validating but the recruitment process has been one of the most difficult experiences I have gone through. Considering have undertaken it through my final year of my degree it has been a challenge to balance my current work, studies and application but now I have what will hopefully be my future career sorted I can get on with finishing this dissertation for next week!

Cheers for the help and advice on the possiblenroutes and options that I could have explored guys, it has been very helpful and much appreciated.

Stu

 

[StuBob]

Welcome aboard! You have a tough few years ahead of you but they will be unforgettable for all the right reasons. All the best to you.

Thanks very much @Scuzi

I honestly can't wait to get started now that I have been offered a start date which in itself seems ages away! I have a have a few queries regarding the medical that I need to gather additional information to aid the sign off of the necessary Class 3 medical. Seems in the interests of diclosure on the medical form, detailing even insignificant previous issues, may require further investigation.

I'm very much looking forward to getting through the medical as that appears to be the last hurdle to me getting my foot through the door.

Congratulations. Sorting out a career can be a huge relief, especially if it's an interesting one.

Thanks @TJM , that's what I hoped to have done going through the process with NATS which has been an arduous task in itself. I just have to get myself through the medical and security vetting and all going well it will be the last job interview process I've had to endure!