Episode 208
Level Up Your Career: FAA Wants Gamers!
Gamers, listen up! The FAA is on the hunt for air traffic controllers, and guess what? If you’ve got mad gaming skills, you might just be the next sky commander! 🎮✈️ Seriously, they’re looking for folks who can multitask and stay cool under pressure—like you do when dodging bullets in Fortnite! But hold your horses; there’s a catch! You gotta be under 31 to play this high-flying game. Yep, once you hit that big three-one, your thumbs are officially “too old” for the cockpit! 🤷♂️ So, if you’ve got a budding gamer in your life, they might just be training for a job that pays six figures—unless they age out first! Let’s dive into this wild ride, shall we?
Takeaways:
- Gamers, rejoice! The FAA is scouting for air traffic controllers among video game enthusiasts. Who knew playing Fortnite could lead to a six-figure salary?
- If you’ve rocked some intense online matches, you might just have the skills to guide planes safely through the skies. Talk about leveling up!
- Here's a twist: you gotta be under 31 to apply! So, if you're 32, sorry buddy, your gaming skills are apparently outdated.
- Age discrimination in air traffic control? Yup, if you're over 30 your thumbs might be too old for the job!
- Gamers under 31, your future awaits! Just remember, mastering Call of Duty might actually land you a legit job!
- Experience doesn't matter if you hit the big 3-1; your gaming prowess might just kick you out of the cockpit!
Transcript
It's haystack.
Speaker A:And if you've got a youngster that loves video games or your youngster that loves video games, you hear, oh, it's not a career.
Speaker A:Quit wasting your time.
Speaker A:Well, the video game lover may need to be given an apology.
Speaker A:The Federal Aviation Administration, the faa, is actively recruiting video gamers to become air traffic controllers.
Speaker A:And it seems kind of cute at first, but it's also a little bit of a, we're desperate and this might actually work.
Speaker A:Controllers are seriously understaffed.
Speaker A:And this is of course a job.
Speaker A:You don't really want to be shorthanded.
Speaker A:And so the pitch is basically, if you can think fast, multitask, stay calm under pressure.
Speaker A:If you've ever survived a chaotic online match, if you've ever won two or three fortnights in a row, you may have the brain to be an air traffic controller and the payoff is real.
Speaker A:We're talking about a six figure salary within just a few years, really good benefits, all that stuff.
Speaker A:But here's where it gets a little weird.
Speaker A:One of the requirements to be an air traffic controller is you must be under the age of 31.
Speaker A:So it's, you know, you just figured your life out and then you're disqualified.
Speaker A:I don't understand how we have age discrimination, but for some reason the FAA is allowed to say no one over 31.
Speaker A:No one over 30 can be an air traffic controller or can be hired to be an air traffic controller.
Speaker A:So gamers have the skills, but only if they're young gamers.
Speaker A:I guess at 31, your thumbs retire, you forget how to focus.
Speaker A:I get that.
Speaker A:I don't know, I don't get it.
Speaker A:It's, it's messed up.
Speaker A:Experience doesn't help you get hired.
Speaker A:It ages you out of the game.
Speaker A:So, yeah, if you're a kid or if you have a kid who's big into gaming, well, that might be job training.
Speaker A:The FAA recruiting gamers like congrats on Call of duty.
Speaker A:Now land 12 airplanes.
Speaker A:Unless you're, unless you're 31 years old, in which case it's your reaction time is dad reflexes, you can't be hired now.
