A Darlington mum-of-two has looked back on her decades-long career working a high-stakes job, and has urged others considering the role to take the same plunge.

After spells working as a hairdresser, Post Office worker, and fast food employee, Amanda Usher took the decision to completely change her life and take off with a new career working for Teesside Airport.

More than 30 years on, Ms Usher has reflected on her experiences and what it takes to excel in her role as an Air Traffic controller, and is now urging others to consider jobs in this exciting field.

Balancing the excitement and responsibility, she warns the job is not for those who cannot adapt and warns one error could result in her, and those in positions like hers, facing serious legal trouble.

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Despite this, Ms Usher, who spent five years as an air traffic assistant before progressing, describes the role as an experience "like nothing else."

She said: “It’s not like filing your papers in drawer or looking at a timetable to help a passenger – it’s like nothing you’ve experienced in your life.

“You can be going hell for leather – so it’s being able to flick that switch within two minutes to cope with all sorts while keeping everything orderly. You must be organised to sort your priorities.  

“Air Traffic also has a completely different way of speaking.

“It’s a different language, but everyone who flies has to speak it – otherwise, there’d be carnage.”

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Adding to this, she said remaining calm is essential when juggling the many different challenges the role throws at you.

She said this was one of the important parts of the job, and many of her classmates who possessed multiple degrees struggled to wrap their heads around learning the necessary practical skills.

“If you’re spinning all these plates, you’ve got to keep calm" she added.

“You’ve got to prioritise and get those priorities right. And you’ve got to have common sense.

"You’ve got to have your head screwed on, and a reasonable grounding in education is what you need. I left school at 15 – I did hairdressing, worked at the Post Office, and worked at McDonald’s.

Meanwhile, Ms Usher said the role is crucial to the safety and security of passengers and crew, and this leaves no room for individuals making bungling errors.

She said: "Ultimately, if I don’t know what I’m supposed to do, and I make an error, then I’m in court.

“It’s taking the correct actions and keeping your head. That’s why we train for it.” 

When speaking about one of her favourite perks of the job, she said it is the interactions she gets to have with visitors.

“People come and go, and we get lots of visitors who say they like coming here because we’re very friendly – and we’re northerners aren’t we? We’re going to be!

“There is a good team spirit here.

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“I enjoy the challenge. If you have a good day, you feel so proud of yourself. “You think: ‘That plane I saw in safely – I did that’, and you feel proud.”

For those seeking a challenge and enjoy multi-tasking, she recommended they apply even if they do not have many qualifications.

To find out more about these roles, visit here.