23 Key Attributes Air Traffic Controllers Need To Succeed In Their Career

by Jacob Brown

Thursday, August 20, 2015

Air traffic controllers control air traffic on and within vicinity of airport and movement of air traffic between altitude sectors and control centers according to established procedures and policies. Authorize, regulate, and control commercial airline flights according to government or company regulations to expedite and ensure flight safety. In order to successfully forge ahead with their careers, analysts in a survey carried out by U.S. Department of Labor (via O*NET) have marked out the following as important attributes that air traffic controllers would need. These attributes have been selected from characteristics and requirements strongly associated with the occupation. They are

Abilities: Enduring attributes of the individual that influence performance
Interests: Preferences for work environments. Occupational Interest Profiles (OIPs) are compatible with Holland's (1985, 1997) model of personality types and work environments. Six interest categories are used to describe the work environment of occupations: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. An OIP consists of six numerical scores indicating how descriptive and characteristic each work environment (or interest area) is for an occupation
Knowledge: Organized sets of principles and facts applying in general domains
Skills: These include basic skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate learning or the more rapid acquisition of knowledge. Plus cross-functional skills, which are developed capacities that facilitate performance of activities that occur across jobs
Style: Personal characteristics that can affect how well someone performs a job

We have listed out attributes which were scored 80% or more in terms of importance by the analysts.

The ability to listen to and understand information and ideas presented through spoken words and sentences.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 92.6%

The ability to communicate information and ideas in speaking so others will understand.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 92.6%

The ability to tell when something is wrong or is likely to go wrong. It does not involve solving the problem, only recognizing there is a problem.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 92.6%

Having a strong preference for enterprising work environments. Enterprising occupations frequently involve starting up and carrying out projects. These occupations can involve leading people and making many decisions. Sometimes they require risk taking and often deal with business.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 90.43%

Knowledge of principles and methods for moving people or goods by air, rail, sea, or road, including the relative costs and benefits.
Attribute Type: Knowledge Score: 90.2%

Giving full attention to what other people are saying, taking time to understand the points being made, asking questions as appropriate, and not interrupting at inappropriate times.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 90%

The ability to identify or detect a known pattern (a figure, object, word, or sound) that is hidden in other distracting material.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 90%

The ability to concentrate on a task over a period of time without being distracted.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 87.6%

The ability to apply general rules to specific problems to produce answers that make sense.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 87.6%

The ability to see details at close range (within a few feet of the observer).
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 87.6%

Considering the relative costs and benefits of potential actions to choose the most appropriate one.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 87.6%

Having a strong preference for conventional work environments. Conventional occupations frequently involve following set procedures and routines. These occupations can include working with data and details more than with ideas. Usually there is a clear line of authority to follow.
Attribute Type: Interests Score: 85.71%

Talking to others to convey information effectively.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 85%

The ability to combine pieces of information to form general rules or conclusions (includes finding a relationship among seemingly unrelated events).
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 85%

The ability to speak clearly so others can understand you.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 85%

Monitoring/Assessing performance of yourself, other individuals, or organizations to make improvements or take corrective action.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 85%

Identifying complex problems and reviewing related information to develop and evaluate options and implement solutions.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 85%

The ability to quickly make sense of, combine, and organize information into meaningful patterns.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 82.6%

The ability to shift back and forth between two or more activities or sources of information (such as speech, sounds, touch, or other sources).
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 82.6%

Using logic and reasoning to identify the strengths and weaknesses of alternative solutions, conclusions or approaches to problems.
Attribute Type: Skills Score: 82.4%

The ability to see details at a distance.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 80%

The ability to identify and understand the speech of another person.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 80%

The ability to quickly and accurately compare similarities and differences among sets of letters, numbers, objects, pictures, or patterns. The things to be compared may be presented at the same time or one after the other. This ability also includes comparing a presented object with a remembered object.
Attribute Type: Abilities Score: 80%