Online Application Steps

[Nekton]

Hello and thank you in advance for your time to answer my questions. I am wondering about the initial steps of the application process and hoping someone who has recently gone through it can chime in.

My question is: once I begin the application process am I committed to choosing a stream and completing the test and essay when I start or can I log out and log back in when I'm ready to complete different steps?

I see that you have to begin by creating a profile, then upload a resume, then answer some screening questions, then ...? Can I start by creating a profile, upload my resume and then stop to think for a bit or am I committed to completing the process from the moment I start? I want to be prepared for the test (understand it is Wonderlic style and am doing some online prep) and also compose a good response to the essay question but I don't know what exactly will be asked so it's hard to prepare. Some HR software I've encountered allows you to start and stop the application process at any time whereas other software requires you to complete everything in one go.

Thanks again for any responses.

[Nekton]

Have just had a conversation with a very helpful person at NavCanada who answered my questions and wanted to share in case anyone finds it helpful:

The new application process is handled by myworkdayjobs.com.
Your first step is to create a profile by uploading a resume and filling out other personal info.
Once complete you are sent a separate email with the link to the test site.
You can follow that link and take the test right away or wait until you feel ready. There doesn't seem to be a timeline or expiry for the link.
The test is an 8 minute Wonderlic test. There are a few practice questions for you to do, so you can get used to the format, and then you start.
The results are available immediately and are a key factor in assessing your candidacy. Basically, the higher your score on the test the more likely it is you will be invited for an interview. The wait can be up to 18 months before you will be contacted.
I did not ask what a minimum pass is but if you do not pass you have to wait 18 months before you can take the test again.
There is no essay section any more.

So the message was not to agonize too much over your resume. You can attach a cover letter as well but no longer need to write an essay. The substance of your resume and cover letter are secondary to how you score on the test. If you score well then your profile information will be reviewed prior to being asked to interview but is not a key decider at this early stage, or at all as far as I can tell.

I will update this post as I go.

[Nekton]

Ok, another update...

The application process was fairly straight forward: create profile, upload resume, fill out personal info, answer basic eligibility questions. There was no essay question. I uploaded my resume and cover letter as a single .pdf document.

Once submitted I was sent an email inviting me to do the online assessment. It was indeed a 30 question version of the Wonderlic test. Easier than I expected but a couple of tricky questions too.

Since I had not heard of the Wonderlic before I did take some time to do practice tests I found online which helped familiarize me with the types of questions and format I would encounter. I don't think there was a question on the actual test that I recognized but there were no surprises as to the type and format. If you have never taken an aptitude test before I recommend doing some practice. The best advice I can give is to keep moving through the test, don't waste time on something you don't know or can't figure out right away, and answer every question even if you're not sure. If you finish with extra time there is the opportunity to use a 'previous' button to go back and work on a question you weren't sure of. I had less than a minute left at the end so I did go back and review one question.

I did not receive a mark at the end so I have no idea how well I did. I think I got at least 25/30, probably better. My Workday profile still says 'Assessment' which, according to other posters on the forum, means you have at least passed and are now in the queue.

Hopefully this is helpful to anyone just starting out. I'll continue to add here if/when I make it to the next steps.

[blackberry75]

Hi there, thanks for posting this information!
Did you get the email immediately after applying? I applied two days ago and never received an email, but the NavCanada website status says "Assessment" and I have no tasks to complete.

[Nekton]

The email invite to do the online test came immediately after I had finished the application and hit submit. I think it is an automatic thing because the online test is part of the application process. Perhaps you might want to contact the recruitment center to see if there is a hiccup somewhere with your application. It took me a few tries to get through on the phone but the person I spoke to in the end was very helpful and answered all my questions. Here's their contact info from the Take Charge website faq:


Communication
Who can I contact if I have questions about the selection process or my application?

You can reach our National Recruitment Centre by emailing atscareers@navcanada.ca or dialing 1-877-389-9934. The National Recruitment Centre is normally open Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.

[blackberry75]

Great, thanks so much! I'll give them a call.

[shadow17]

I am in a similar situation, waiting for the online assessment email.. what was your resolution?

Thanks in advance!

[outflying8]

I also am waiting for my link. Sent a follow up email.

[outflying8]

I also am waiting for my link. Sent a follow up email.

Joanne emailed me the link again and I have completed... still shows assessment so i guess I made the cutoff, now we wait to see if I am good enough for in person.

[shadow17]

I also emailed Joanne and she sent it again. Status is still "Assessment" so now to play the waiting game. I'm trying to not even think about it til January so I don't drive myself crazy.

[Nekton]

Good to hear that you were able to complete the application and congrats for passing the first step. Looks like we are all in the same boat, or plane, now sitting at Assessment. The important dates section on the careers page was recently updated to read:

'We are hiring Air Traffic Controllers and Flight Service Specialists in Winnipeg. Our next courses begin in Fall 2020. Apply by January 31, 2020 to begin testing in February 2020.'

So I'm being optimistic and looking forward to an invite in Feb or March for the next round of testing which I assume will be FEAST as that's what others have been saying they did in Winnipeg recently. Fall 2020 isn't that far away really. If/when I receive notice I'll post here again.

[moosetracks]

Just to chime in for you guys and give you some recent info. I initially applied in May 2019 and did the online wonderlic test (I can't remember but I think it was an almost immediate invite). I then got invited in mid August to be a part of the FEAST evaluation process which took place in early September, heard a few weeks later that I passes that and did the in person two day bootcamp interview in mid October. We are still waiting for the results of that for presumably an IFR course around April or May. The details of these processes are few and far between as we all sign NDAs, but for all of them you don't need any specialized training or practice and they discourage it so that they can get an accurate read on you as a person and your general aptitude to do the training and job.

They function on a 6 month cycle so a lot of the initial waiting is purely when you apply. It seems like the steps after that have a pass/fail level and then people that pass are ranked first to last. They then accept however many they can to the next stage and either fill in extra spots with holdovers from the previous 6-18 months or leave extra people for the next class. Exactly how this happens is a total black box so it is unclear if they give preference to the "new" applicants or if they simply rank everyone with a passing mark every six months and take the top people each time. If I had to guess I'd say it's the latter but with so many applicants there could be a lot of people who score high enough to pass a stage but keep getting outscored by new applicants.

I think the general pass rates are in the range of 30-40% for most of these steps and an IFR class is normally around 8-12 so that works out to needing somewhere around 300 applicants to fill those spots. Needless to say it is a long process and not many people make it all the way through, and even those that get a training seat only about 40% qualify as a controller, but for those who do make it all the way through it sounds like a very good career. My best advice is to just enjoy the process when you are doing each part, be patient, relax and be yourself, and keep things in perspective as it's not totally clear what you are marked on or what exactly they are looking for so don't try and be what you think they want you to be. It's totally frustrating not knowing how well you score or how you are doing but that's all part of it.

[Nekton]

Thanks for the detailed info Moosetracks. I saw your other posts re similar topics and the effort is appreciated.

I have indicated VFR and FSS as my preferences and hear your advice to accept FSS if it is offered and work up from there. It certainly makes sense and I suspect FSS can be challenging and fulfilling if you go into it with the right attitude.

Good luck and I hope you get your offer for IFR training.

[moosetracks]

No problem, happy to answer with my limited knowledge wherever it might be useful. Of course there are things we can't really discuss which is frustrating all around but that's just the way it is.

I'm not really sure how they decide who goes the FSS stream and who goes the ATC route, it may simply just be random timing of application. During our ATC interviews they were looking for mostly IFR controllers and only a few VFR and when it comes down to it they ask your preference but I'm not sure how much that plays into their offer unless you are a particularly strong and/or well rounded candidate (i.e. they may identify someone as being better at one vs. the other and then preferences go out the window). I would give them an order for all four options and only exclude something if you absolutely do not want to do it. It would be dumb to not list IFR when that is mainly what they are looking for. I would only exclude an option if you know 100% that you would say no if they made you an offer, for example if you and say family could not move to a remote or northern city for some legitimate reason like a spouses job.

As far as FSS is concerned remember that there are two streams; FIC and AAS. FIC work in one of seven center locations while the AAS work in low volume towers all over the place. Their website breaks this down fairly well but do look into your specific FIR to see the location for the FIC and FSS areas, just google NAV CANADA FIR and a PDF map will show up.

[Nekton]

Want to give props to Moosetracks for starting a new thread with an excellent write up of the application and testing process as it currently exists Nov 2019. Here is a link to the thread:

viewtopic.php?f=150&t=135556&p=1096038#p1096038