Be ATC: From Admin to Air Traffic Controller

A good mentor can point you in the right direction and a great mentor can change your life. When Bobbie Kahklen started working for the FAA, she never imagined she would end up working in a tower as an air traffic controller. Growing up as a member of the Native Alaskan Tlingit tribe, Bobbie persevered through many challenges. Aviation was not something that was talked about in her community and it certainly wasn’t on Bobbie’s radar as a career option. By chance, she stumbled across an administrative job opening at the FAA. With the encouragement of her FAA managers and coworkers, Bobbie applied for a developmental air traffic control position. That leap of faith completely shifted the trajectory of her career and got her out from behind an office desk and up in a tower where she excelled. Are you up for the challenge? Find out what it takes to be an air traffic controller, more about the application process, and what you can do to prepare before our next hiring window. Another route to consider is Air Traffic-Collegiate Training Initiative schools which teach basic courses in air traffic control and are designed to provide qualified candidates for developmental positions.Share this podcast episode with friends, family, and colleagues. You never know where it might lead them on their career journey. Meet Our Guest:   Bobbie Kahklen is a Support Specialist at Guam Center Radar Approach Control and an outreach representative for the FAA’s STEM education program with over 30 years of service with the FAA. She was a tower controller at Juneau International Airport, San Diego’s Gillespie Field, and San Francisco International Airport. Bobbie is a member of the Native American Alaska Native Coalition (NAAN) and the National Hispanic Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees. Learn more about how Bobbie uses her Alaskan Native heritage to help other indigenous people seek out learning and opportunities.   Disclaimer: Reference in this podcast to any specific commercial product, process, service, manufacturer, company, or trademark does not constitute endorsement or recommendation by the U.S. government, Department of Transportation, or Federal Aviation Administration. As an agency of the U.S. government, the FAA cannot endorse or appear to endorse any specific product or service.