{"id":1877425,"date":"2026-04-11T15:42:21","date_gmt":"2026-04-11T12:42:21","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1877425"},"modified":"2026-04-11T15:42:21","modified_gmt":"2026-04-11T12:42:21","slug":"federal-aviation-administration-targets-gamers-in-this-bespoke-and-not-at-all-cringeworthy-recruitment-ad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1877425","title":{"rendered":"Federal Aviation Administration targets gamers in this bespoke and not at all cringeworthy recruitment ad"},"content":{"rendered":"<article class=\"article \" data-ads=\"true\" data-article-type=\"news\" data-article-group=\"news\" data-paywalled=\"false\" data-premium=\"false\" data-sponsored=\"false\" data-type=\"article\">\n<header class=\"article_header\" data-component=\"article-header\">\n<div class=\"breadcrumbs\">\n<nav class=\"nav_breadcrumbs\" data-component=\"nav-breadcrumbs\" aria-label=\"Breadcrumb\">\n<ul class=\"nav-links\">\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      Home<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<li>\n                <a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/news\" data-active=\"false\"><br \/>\n                      News<br \/>\n                <\/a>\n            <\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/nav><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_details\" id=\"main-content\">\n<h1 class=\"title\">Federal Aviation Administration targets gamers in this bespoke and not at all cringeworthy recruitment ad<\/h1>\n<p class=\"strapline\">&#8220;They&#8217;re coming in with a skill set. But it doesn&#8217;t replace aptitude, or discipline, or decision making under pressure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"headline_asset\">\n<figure class=\"headline_image_wrapper\">\n<p>        <img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"headline_image\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/Screenshot-2026-04-11-at-16.34.20.png?width=570&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;dpr=3&amp;auto=webp\" alt='An outline map of the US with the words \"SUPERCHARGED HIRING\"' loading=\"eager\" data-uri=\"Screenshot-2026-04-11-at-16.34.20.png\" data-lightbox width=\"570\" height=\"319\"><figcaption>\n          <span class=\"attribution\">Image credit: <cite>FAA \/ YouTube<\/cite><\/span><br \/>\n        <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"metadata\">\n<div class=\"avatar\">\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Vikki Blake avatar\" src=\"https:\/\/assetsio.gnwcdn.com\/1533038852.jpg?width=2048&amp;height=2048&amp;fit=bounds&amp;quality=85&amp;format=jpg&amp;auto=webp\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\"><\/p>\n<p>  <img alt=\"Vikki Blake avatar\" data-autosize=\"crop_lossy\" data-uri=\"1533038852.jpg\" loading=\"lazy\" style=\"aspect-ratio: 1\" width=\"180\" height=\"179\">\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"byline\">\n                  <span class=\"article_type\" data-slug=\"news\"><br \/>\n                    News<br \/>\n                  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"by\">by<\/span> <span class=\"author\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\/authors\/vikki-blake\">Vikki Blake<\/a><\/span>                    <span class=\"job_title\"><br \/>\n                      Contributor<br \/>\n                    <\/span>\n            <\/div>\n<div class=\"published_at\">\nPublished on <time datetime=\"2026-04-11T15:42:21+00:00\">April 11, 2026<\/time>              <\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>The US Federal Aviation Administration is turning to gamers to plug a gap in a national shortage of air traffic controllers.<\/p>\n<p>A teaser, which kicks off with the Xbox One logo for some reason, opens with a number of victorious esports gamer clips, and then invites anyone who wants to &#8220;keep millions of people safe everyday&#8221; while &#8220;mak[ing] a lot a money&#8221; to get in touch.<\/p>\n<p>You can see the full ad in its glory, complete with its tagline &#8220;It&#8217;s not a game, it&#8217;s a career&#8221; and obnoxious musical accompaniment, below:<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Air Traffic Control Hiring: It's Not a Game. It's a Career.\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9MczWfLpBcw?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/9MczWfLpBcw\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Air Traffic Control Hiring: It&#8217;s Not a Game. It&#8217;s a Career.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Air Traffic Control Hiring: It&#8217;s Not a Game. It&#8217;s a Career..<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9MczWfLpBcw\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;Are you up for the challenge?&#8221; the description says. &#8220;Start your career as an Air Traffic Controller and help keep millions of people safe every day.&#8221; Players are invited to &#8220;level up&#8221; on 17th April.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;To reach the next generation of air traffic controllers, we need to adapt,&#8221; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement, as reported by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/04\/10\/us\/politics\/air-traffic-controller-gamer.html\">NYT<\/a>, adding that the department hopes to &#8220;tap into a growing demographic of young adults who have many of the hard skills it takes to be a successful controller&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Aerospace consultant Michael O\u2019Donnell, who previously worked as a senior F.A.A. official, was less enthused, adding: &#8220;When you bring on someone who has gaming experience, particularly with air traffic control, they have an edge up. They&#8217;re coming in with a skill set. But it doesn&#8217;t replace aptitude, or discipline, or decision making under pressure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"preferred-source\" data-component=\"preferred-source\">\nLove Eurogamer.net? Make us a <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/preferences\/source?q=https:\/\/www.eurogamer.net\">Preferred Source on Google<\/a> and catch more of our coverage in your feeds.  <\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"article_body\" data-component=\"article-content\">\n<div class=\"article_body_content article-styling\">\n<p>The US Federal Aviation Administration is turning to gamers to plug a gap in a national shortage of air traffic controllers.<\/p>\n<p>A teaser, which kicks off with the Xbox One logo for some reason, opens with a number of victorious esports gamer clips, and then invites anyone who wants to &#8220;keep millions of people safe everyday&#8221; while &#8220;mak[ing] a lot a money&#8221; to get in touch.<\/p>\n<p>You can see the full ad in its glory, complete with its tagline &#8220;It&#8217;s not a game, it&#8217;s a career&#8221; and obnoxious musical accompaniment, below:<\/p>\n<figure>\n<div class=\"video_wrapper youtube\">\n<a aria-label=\"Air Traffic Control Hiring: It's Not a Game. It's a Career.\" class=\"video-facade full-size\" data-platform=\"youtube\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/9MczWfLpBcw?autoplay=1\" title=\"Click to play video from YouTube\"><br \/>\n<img decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cover image for YouTube video\" class=\"video-facade__image\" loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/i.ytimg.com\/vi\/9MczWfLpBcw\/hqdefault.jpg\"><span class=\"video-facade__title\">Air Traffic Control Hiring: It&#8217;s Not a Game. It&#8217;s a Career.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Air Traffic Control Hiring: It&#8217;s Not a Game. It&#8217;s a Career..<a class=\"video\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=9MczWfLpBcw\" rel=\"noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Watch on YouTube<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p>&#8220;Are you up for the challenge?&#8221; the description says. &#8220;Start your career as an Air Traffic Controller and help keep millions of people safe every day.&#8221; Players are invited to &#8220;level up&#8221; on 17th April.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;To reach the next generation of air traffic controllers, we need to adapt,&#8221; Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy said in a statement, as reported by the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nytimes.com\/2026\/04\/10\/us\/politics\/air-traffic-controller-gamer.html\">NYT<\/a>, adding that the department hopes to &#8220;tap into a growing demographic of young adults who have many of the hard skills it takes to be a successful controller&#8221;.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"injection_placeholder\" data-position=\"1\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Aerospace consultant Michael O\u2019Donnell, who previously worked as a senior F.A.A. official, was less enthused, adding: &#8220;When you bring on someone who has gaming experience, particularly with air traffic control, they have an edge up. They&#8217;re coming in with a skill set. But it doesn&#8217;t replace aptitude, or discipline, or decision making under pressure.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Home News Federal Aviation Administration targets gamers in this bespoke and not at all cringeworthy recruitment ad &#8220;They&#8217;re coming in with a skill set. But it doesn&#8217;t replace aptitude, or discipline, or decision making under pressure.&#8221; Image credit: FAA \/ YouTube News by Vikki Blake Contributor Published on April 11, 2026 The US Federal Aviation [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[226,253],"class_list":["post-1877425","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","tag-crawlmanager","tag-eurogamer-net"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1877425","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1877425"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1877425\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1877425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1877425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1877425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}