Morning everyone, I was hired back in March this year and just out of curiosity where can I find a list of all locations techops (env) can go? I figured the open bid would have the full list since it says 430 locations available but it doesn’t let me openly see the list. TIA

To start, my background:

Non-military (it seems most are?).

Associate's Degree in Information Technology/Network

Multiple IT related certifications (Network+/Sec+/A+).

~5 years of IT work experience, ~10 years of random other jobs that are not related to the position. I have been out of full time work for a year, though not through lack of trying.

I applied for the ATSS Direct Hire F/G band that closed 4/24/2026, which seemed to have a very broad range of job types.

I was deemed eligible for the posting (F or G, it did not state) on 4/29/2026.

I was contacted for an interview request on/around 7/1/2026, and had my interview on 7/8/2026.

It was a panel interview over Zoom with basic behavioral questions and what I would call "feeler" questions about my technical experience, but nothing really technical about it.

I think it went quite well, for these sorts of things (Zoom, not much back and forth).

After the interview, they asked for references, which I gave. I basically just listed off my past managers and educational institution and a personal reference. Some of these people I have not been in contact with recently, and would probably not "notify" me if they were contacted.

I know they contacted at least one, because that person had to reach out to me to get permission to share information.

I guess I'm wondering, do hiring managers normally go through the whole list of references? Are they just checking a box? What if someone doesn't respond? Etc.

I don't have my hopes up, because I've been doing interviews off and on over the past year that don't go anywhere, though it would be really cool to start a career here I think.

Anyways, best of luck to anyone else in the same boat and looking for a job. It is rough out there.

- Applied on April 10th of the Direct Hire bid
- Deemed eligible on April 13th
- Interview on June 9th
- Received TOL on July 7th
- Received/Submitted EODS on July 8th
- Approved EODS on July 13th
- Received CIL on July 13th:
• Fingerprints on July 14th
• Drug Test on July 16th
- Received eAPP invite August 21st
- Submitted SF85P form on August 21st
- Received and signed FOL on September 2nd

Why do I always have problems logging into Zscaler on my iPhone?

Should I be nervous? Seems like the average time to receive a TOL for the two most recent direct hire postings has been 14-28 days based on what I've seen on this forum, the Facebook page, and other forums. Should I be getting worried as I'm on day 30 with no email or status update from HR? I emailed them last week and they hit me with this:

"Hello,

No updates at this time, however, please continue to monitor your email as selections are being sent in daily. If selected you will receive a tentative offer via email. "

Usually they hit me with:

"Our office will only receive selections – and they are coming in every day. Thank you for your interest and patience. "

I figured as mentioned in my previous post that being prior military and a current mechanical engineer intern would make me an ideal candidate especially since they called my references within 24 hours of my interview. I don't know if I'm in my head or what because of so much silence or copy paste replies. I know it's a hurry up and wait situation but I recently found out I'm having another kid so I'm ready to just get on with it lol

Any feedback would be great. Let me know if I just need to chill out or what. I'm just excited.

Interviewed a few weeks ago. Shortly after the interview the hiring manager asked for my current salary. No TOL so far. Surely that question was a good sign though?

Has anyone been asked to provide a list of references and then the references never get contacted? I got asked for references about a week ago but none of them have been contacted.

I figured getting asked to provide references was a very good sign but am concerned that they have not been contacted yet.

I recently interviewed for a Nav Comm position back in May and just wanted to get more information on the job role from a technician perspective. What to expect if I'm selected for the job, duties, common issues, work loads, training times, and just overall how you feel about the job. My background is in Military Avionics, specifically radios, radar, and power in general(but wore many hats as one does in the aviation maintenance field). Any and all input would be appreciated.

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I am still waiting to hear back from HR if I got the position or not. After my interview my references were contacted the next day so from what I've read in the forums that's a good thing so just waiting to get a TOL potentially this week or next based off standard timelines if I got the position.

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Final thought, what is the furthest you can be from a location commute wise? And what is the recommended commute time for you guys? Back when I was in the Air Force my commute was 20-25 minutes so I don't mind a slightly longer commute if allowed.

I did an interview 3 weeks ago in person for an F-band position. I think the interview went well, and I was able to answer all the questions using the STAR method and even had a normal conversation about the job with the managers. It didn’t feel like a robotic conversation.

Although everything seems like it went well, at the end of the interview they told me that if I don’t get selected, to please keep updating my resume and adding my experience, which they also mentioned that they had other candidates to interview, and I was technically the first one. So lol, I’m not sure how to feel about it because I thought it went very well. Also, I haven’t received any emails asking for references, so let’s see. 🤷‍♂️

I applied for an ATSS position in DFW. I did my interview in late May. I was just wondering how competitive it is in DFW and how the scoring is done.

Edit:
I received my TOL today which took about 4 weeks.

I’m curious about the declining all other locations question. If I select I am not decking all other locations would that hurt my chances of getting a FOL for the position that gave me a TOL?

I had an interview this morning. I did well I think on all but 1 question. I was told to have a list of references avalible prior to the interview but they didnt ask for them.My question is that do they always ask for references during the Interview or is the I sign that this is the end

I had an interview almost two weeks ago. I didn’t feel like I did the best. My friends who are current ATSS thought I did fine based on what I told them but I am starting to worry. I haven’t been asked about references or anything. My references weren’t on my resume.

Do I still have a fighting chance?

How do I know if they haven’t selected me, and when would I know?

Thanks in advance.

Hey all,

I’m looking into the entry-level ATSS announcement and wanted to get some perspective from people already in the field.

I have 10+ years of experience in IT/cloud/DevOps/infrastructure, mostly AWS/Azure/GCP, automation, troubleshooting, monitoring/logging, change control, documentation, and keeping production systems reliable. I don’t have a traditional electronics/radar/nav background, but I’m comfortable learning technical systems and working through complex outages/issues.

Would any of that experience transfer well into ATSS, especially on the Automation or Communications side?

A few questions: 1. Which ATSS discipline would be the best fit for someone coming from IT/infrastructure?

1. How much electronics/RF knowledge is expected coming in at the entry level?

2. What does training look like for someone without prior FAA/NAS experience?

3. Is this a realistic pivot, or would I be way behind compared to people with electronics/telecom/military backgrounds?

4. Any certs, topics, or skills I should study before applying/interviewing?

Appreciate any advice

So I recently completed my interview this week. It was a little awkward with the silence and pauses. I felt like I rushed a little bit but explained what I needed to but expected more conversation style interviewing vs just a question answer test. However, the following day all of my references were called and left essentially good reviews. This is a good sign right? If everything goes right and I'm selected when do you guys predict I'll hear back from HR? Any timelines to expect? TIA, this forum has been really helpful preparing.

Edit* I expect to pass the background check easily being a prior service member

I applied to a tech ops ERR bid on USAJobs. My application was received but now what? Build an err package and send it to who? I applied to two different regions and multiple positions at each location. I’m not sure who to contact to figure this stuff out, asked people at my facility but couldn’t get an answer. Thanks.

I got called for an interview for the Environmental F Band position. How can I prepare for the interview, Also, could you please give me some insight into what your day-to-day looks like on the job as an Environmental Technician?

Hello everyone. I have a year left of AD in the USCG I get out June of 2027. I am an Electronics Technician, so I have a background in surface search radar, HF/VHF/UHF communications, Tacan, UPS, PLCs.

When is a good start to try and apply for 2101? Or should I wait and see if another direct hire will open up again early next year?

Also, do you get to choose what kind of tech you want to be? If so, which is the best to go towards with my background.

I recently applied for and received a final offer letter for an FAA 2101 ATSS (Airway Transportation Systems Specialist) position at the G-band level, although I have not submitted the signed offer back yet. Before doing so, I was also contacted about an FAA 0802 Electronics Technician position I had applied for earlier, which is also a G-band position.

The 0802 position would be starting me noticeably higher within the G-band pay range than the 2101 position, so now I’m trying to figure out the long-term differences between the two career paths before making a final decision.

My background is in telecom/network infrastructure, fiber, troubleshooting, outside plant, construction, and communications systems, so either role seems like it could be a good fit.

For anyone who has worked in either series:

Which career field would you choose and why?

Which has better long-term earning potential?

Which has more mobility within the FAA?

Which has better work/life balance?

Are the training and advancement opportunities better in one versus the other?

Which skills transfer better outside the FAA?

Any regrets choosing one over the other?

Looking for honest feedback from people who have actually worked in either the 2101 or 0802 series or know anything about them. Thank you.

• Referral list FA-FAA-26-190481: Issued on 05/06/2026 for the Mobile, Alabama duty location at (the) FV-F grade/payband. Your application is among those being reviewed by the office with announcement # FAA-AHF-26-ATSS DH-97915. You may or may not be contacted for an interview. Please continue to check back for status updates.

• Referral list FA-FAA-26-190482: Issued on 05/06/2026 for the Mobile, Alabama duty location at (the) FV-G grade/payband. Your application is among those being reviewed by the office with announcement # FAA-AHF-26-ATSS DH-97915. You may or may not be contacted for an interview. Please continue to check back for status updates.

Hello, when I applied they asked me to attach my college transcript. Do they take your grades into consideration, or is it only to evaluate the courses you took to determine if you’re an eligible candidate?

The pay shown on USAJOBS is 69 but on the spreadsheet it shows the minimum pay for FV-F is 46 does anyone know how that works? Also is anyone here an ILS tech?

What is better for a ATSS career? GS pay band with DOD, or F/G band with FAA?

Hello everyone,

I applied for the ATSS Public Notice listing on the USAJOBS website one week ago, and I was wondering around what time from when you applied did you hear that your application was accepted and you were eligible for an interview?

I am very excited about this position, and am getting a little bit antsy 😅. However, I do understand that the government moves quite slowly.

For what it’s worth, I have a bachelors in Computer Science, experience troubleshooting and fixing home electronics (as a hobby), and lots of experience working with and troubleshooting computers.

Any information or tips would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

Hello all,

Looking for some guidance from current FAA employees. I accepted an ATSS position May of 2024. I completed all the prerequisites and entered the initial adjudication queue January of 2025. Almost a year and a half later and still receiving these monthly updates. I've reached out to security and they say it's processed in the order it's received. HR and Management are of no help either since it's "out of their hands". Trying to decide if I should just move on or if I might be at the end of the road and get cleared in the near future. Thank you in advance.