# Require Advice choosing my 3 Officer Jobs on Application?



## Cas (7 Jul 2008)

Hello.  I ask these questions because the Recruitment Centre has no answers and I don't know anyone in the CF.  My intention is not to waste readers’ time.  So thank you for your valued input.

I am looking at these 3 Jobs:
A.  Air Navigation Officer
B.  Military Police (Officer)
C.  Intelligence Officer

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1.  I am looking for “Pros & Cons”.
2.  Which job/jobs are in highest demand right now?
3.  How much room do I have to negotiate the job I accept?


Thank you again.

Craig


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## Shamrock (7 Jul 2008)

Cas said:
			
		

> 3.  How much room do I have to negotiate the job I accept?



Between little and none.

Selection boards occur roughly at the same time, and they decide who they want to send offers to.  These offers go out at roughly the same time, so an individual who declines an offer in favour of another could potentially face a long wait.  There are a few stories of people making a second-round selection, but why risk it?

Pick three trades you would equally, gladly take.  They're not first/second/third choices -- they're all first choice.  If you don't want to take any of the jobs, don't waste anyone's time (including your own) by putting it down.


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## Cas (7 Jul 2008)

Thank you for your input.  

Do you have any idea if one or more of these jobs are in high need of applicants?

Rgds,

C.


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## dimsum (7 Jul 2008)

MPO doesn't take a lot of people, usually.  Air Nav is middle-of-the-road.  As for Int O, there's a (recruiting numbers) difference between Reg Force and Reserve Int Os....from what I recall, Reg Force is pretty low while Reserve (Naval) Int Os generally have a pretty good stream of people getting accepted.


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## medaid (7 Jul 2008)

Not really on the NavRes Int O numbers. They are position dependent on the manning and org charts of the Ship in question. They don't have that many spaces, there are more MARS spaces then Int. Once they're filled, they are filled until members leave, or the Ships's reuirement for the Int Cell increases. Either way, number are extremely limited.


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## Loachman (7 Jul 2008)

"Pros and cons" is a matter of individual taste - you're essentially asking us to pick for you depending upon what we would like. For me, out of your three, it would be C, B, and lastly A, with big gaps between them and a huge gap between the leading contender and what I am now.

On top of that, things vary from posting to posting - different locations, different operational environments, different positions.

Tying your choice to available vacancies is largely meaningless too as you cannot predict or know the number of applicants for each.

You state three choices on the form. See what they come back with


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## Cas (7 Jul 2008)

All good points.  Guess I'll just submit the application, wait for an offer and not put any more thought into it.  Cheers.


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## Dariusz (7 Jul 2008)

Aren't most Int O selected from the Officer Occupational Transfer Program (OT), University Training Plan Non-Commissioned Members (UTPNCM), Special Commissioning Plan (SCP), and Commissioning from the Ranks (CFR). ???


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## Lumber (7 Jul 2008)

You could always try what I did: find out what trade you know you want, and put _only_ that.


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## medaid (8 Jul 2008)

Dariusz said:
			
		

> Aren't most Int O selected from the Officer Occupational Transfer Program (OT), University Training Plan Non-Commissioned Members (UTPNCM), Special Commissioning Plan (SCP), and Commissioning from the Ranks (CFR). ???



No.


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## Pelorus (8 Jul 2008)

Lumber said:
			
		

> You could always try what I did: find out what trade you know you want, and put _only_ that.



They probably don't see a whole lot of MARS only applications like yours too often.


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## Lumber (8 Jul 2008)

boot12 said:
			
		

> They probably don't see a whole lot of MARS only applications like yours too often.



What?! You're kidding! Aren't most applications for MARS only? And then the people who aren't up to caliber get offered Infantry, Pilot, Combat Eng, etc? I was sure this was the way the world worked...


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## Loachman (8 Jul 2008)

Not up to calibre?

That would be this Aviator, most assuredly.

Out of the three parts of the MARS selection I only passed one and refused to participate in the other two.

The rum was fine, but sodomy and the lash were not for me.


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## GAP (8 Jul 2008)

Loachman said:
			
		

> Not up to calibre?
> 
> That would be this Aviator, most assuredly.
> 
> ...



You say that now, but you may change......  ;D


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## Loachman (8 Jul 2008)

You could not get me drunk enough, so don't get yer hopes up too high.


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## Cas (8 Jul 2008)

Any idea if they will actually process an application w/ only 2 job preferences?


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## Pelorus (8 Jul 2008)

Cas said:
			
		

> Any idea if they will actually process an application w/ only 2 job preferences?



Yes, they will.  I only had two on mine and I managed to get through.  The worst thing you can do is put down a trade that you won't be happy doing every day for a long time.  If only two trades satisfy you, then go with that.


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## Cas (8 Jul 2008)

As an Army INT Officer, would you in Afghanistan for most of your career?


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## Loachman (8 Jul 2008)

Cas said:
			
		

> Any idea if they will actually process an application w/ only 2 job preferences?



I put the same thing in each blank when I filled out the form in December of last year: "Pilot", "Pilot", and "Pilot" and that worked just fine.


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## Loachman (8 Jul 2008)

Cas said:
			
		

> As an Army INT Officer, would you in Afghanistan for most of your career?



Unless one's career is cut tragically short, no.


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## Pelorus (8 Jul 2008)

Lumber said:
			
		

> What?! You're kidding! Aren't most applications for MARS only? And then the people who aren't up to caliber get offered Infantry, Pilot, Combat Eng, etc? I was sure this was the way the world worked...



When I submitted my application, the armour captain that reviewed my file seemed rather taken aback that someone would actually _want_ to join the navy.  ;D


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## Loachman (8 Jul 2008)

Further to my last, I already was a Pilot, and was just CTing back into the Reg F after almost a decade as a Happy Reservist. I switch from one to the other every few years for variety.

Most Int officers, regardless of uniform, are in HQ positions, ie Brigade/Wing/Naval equivalent or higher. We do not have enough Int O positions in Afghanistan to provide steady employment for them all, and their tour lengths would be the same as others in their organizations.


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## Cas (8 Jul 2008)

Thank you for the information.


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## Loachman (8 Jul 2008)

It's hard to give meaningful advice or attempt to give describe what something is like via a forum like this.

There are, however, loads of threads where there has at least been some related discussion, and it might help you to read through as many of them as possible. At least you may then be able to ask more specific questions.

What is it about your three choices, which seem to me to be all unrelated, that appeals to you?


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## Cas (8 Jul 2008)

Good point.  Reading “about” a job is a very small part of information gathering.  So I called my local Base and now have appointments to meet w/ three Officers who are actually working in these trades at my local base.  Cheers!


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## GAP (8 Jul 2008)

Cas said:
			
		

> Good point.  Reading “about” a job is a very small part of information gathering.  So I called my local Base and now have appointments to meet w/ three Officers who are actually working in these trades at my local base.  Cheers!



Smart thinking...


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## Loachman (8 Jul 2008)

Yes, good idea.

Not having any idea where New Minas is, I did not suggest that.


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## aesop081 (8 Jul 2008)

Loachman said:
			
		

> Not having any idea where New Minas is, I did not suggest that.



New Minas is located 30 minutes east of 14 wing Greenwood. Its the self-proclaimed "shopping center of the valley".............


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## Loachman (8 Jul 2008)

That still doesn't help.

I've only ever been to Greenwood once, and I never got off of the Argus.


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## Loachman (8 Jul 2008)

But thanks anyway.


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## dimsum (8 Jul 2008)

Cas said:
			
		

> Good point.  Reading “about” a job is a very small part of information gathering.  So I called my local Base and now have appointments to meet w/ three Officers who are actually working in these trades at my local base.  Cheers!



Definitely ask them how the training system/job description varies from what's said in the recruiting site.  At the Air Nav school, we quietly (sometimes not-so-quietly) snicker about how our 12-16 month course is "10 months long."


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## Chortle (8 Jul 2008)

Cas said:
			
		

> Hello.  I ask these questions because the Recruitment Centre has no answers and I don't know anyone in the CF.  My intention is not to waste readers’ time.  So thank you for your valued input.
> 
> I am looking at these 3 Jobs:
> A.  Air Navigation Officer
> ...



Are you going DEO? I wrote my CFAT today, Intelligence Officer was not on my list but I asked about it and was told they don't take DEO into Intelligence.


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## Cas (9 Jul 2008)

Yes; I'm going DEO.  I have found out pretty much all INT Officers are recruited from those presently serving in the Canadian Forces.  But the selection board will process the application.  There has been one DEO INT Officer position open since May and hasn’t been filled yet.  I was told that the INT Officer trade has very little turn-over and the number of soldiers doing the job is very small as well.  I actually spoke w/ an Army Officer who has been trying to re-muster into this particular trade for a year now but there have been no openings.  It's like playing dice.  Just roll and see what happens.


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