# I need a career but don't know what I want to do.



## gooie (17 May 2011)

Hey there.  I am 20 years old from Victoria B.C.

I am in a job right now where I make very little money and I really don't want to make a career out of.  I finished high school in 2008 with good grades.  I never failed any classes or anything.  I didn't take courses like physics, biology, or calculus as they did not interest me.

I took 4 years of automotive mechanics in high school.  I also took computer networking and programming for a few years.  None of those interest me anymore which is why I have not pursued college.  I have flipped through a college course booklet a couple times but nothing really catches my eye.

2 older friends at work overheard me talking about a career in the armed forces and approached me.  Both in there 50s, one of them was in the army for 8 years and enjoyed it.  The other considered it when he was my age but turned it down and said if he could go back and do it he would.  They both told me that it is a fantastic career to learn good skills or a trade, meet people, and see places.  However both of them do not recommend the army over airforce/navy.

So basically I need to know if this is right for me.  Maybe someone can share a story or link me something.  I have my high school diploma, but like I said above I didn't take a lot of fancy courses.  Mainly because the type of stuff didn't interest me and I am not very good at those.  So I don't know if that will limit my job opportunities in the forces.

I really have no idea what I want to do.  I looked at forces.ca and there are only 4 Full Time job openings for army/navy/airforce for someone with a high school diploma.  Those are...

Cook
Intelligence Operator
Medical Technician
Resource Management Support Clerk

thanks


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## Sigger (17 May 2011)

Well, gooie, I was also in a similar situation.

I had a great job, however, I was getting bored, and I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life. 
I figured I would join the Canadian Forces, because if I did not AT LEAST learn who I really am during my Initial contract, I would have a solid career.

I joined up, loved it and learned a whole lot about myself. It takes time to get in, but the wait is worth it.

Good luck.


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## SevenSixTwo (17 May 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> Hey there.  I am 20 years old from Victoria B.C.
> 
> I am in a job right now where I make very little money and I really don't want to make a career out of.  I finished high school in 2008 with good grades.  I never failed any classes or anything.  I didn't take courses like physics, biology, or calculus as they did not interest me.
> 
> ...




You did the search wrong, select Grade 10, Grade 10 Math (If you have it) AND high school to get the proper results.


The above four jobs are saying you MUST have at the minimum a high school diploma to get into them.


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## clarkyo (17 May 2011)

Well it never hurts to go down to the nearest recruiting center to let them know you are interested.  You could speak to a recruiter who will be able to tell you which trades you qualify for as well as if they are hiring or not.  Just a heads up...the CF hiring very few applicants this year so be prepared to wait for a significant amount of time for a job offer.  Good luck!


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## gooie (18 May 2011)

hi and thanks for responding to me.  my plan on my next days off is to find a station and go to it.  I think there's one about an hour away.

I saw that I did search filters wrong this morning and it gave me more choices.  I will go down the list and check out the stuff as you suggested.

I have no preference though as army, navy, or airforce.  The guys only said they don't recommend the army because they wouldn't want their sons shipped off into a combat zone like Afghanistan.  

You say the forces are not hiring this year.  I did see a few in demand jobs with the little star icon on the website.  If I go down to a recruiting station would someone sit down with me and discuss a career path?  I thought also there might be just something like an infantry soldier position for a few years and then maybe they would set you on a path.

thanks


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## aesop081 (18 May 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> The guys only said they don't recommend the army because they wouldn't want their sons shipped off into a combat zone like Afghanistan.



Plenty of Air Force and Navy folks in Afghanistan.

The Air Force and Navy are also fighting another war in Libya, in case you had not heard. 

Not being "army" does not mean not ending up in combat zones.


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## gooie (18 May 2011)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> Plenty of Air Force and Navy folks in Afghanistan.
> 
> The Air Force and Navy are also fighting another war in Libya, in case you had not heard.
> 
> Not being "army" does not mean ending up in combat zones.


right of course I understand.  That was just their comment though and I respect their opinion.  Like I said I would be fine where ever I have to go.


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## aesop081 (18 May 2011)

Stacked said:
			
		

> My advice,
> 
> Don't walk into the recruiting center and have your conversation go like this:
> 
> ...



I'm sure that happens and, IMHO, that is fine.



> It leaves the recruiter with not a whole lot to work with..



Sure it does. It leaves a recruiter (again, my opinion only), with the most important piece : Someone that is interested in joining the CF.



> You need to have some sort of direction when you walk in there.



I would think that a half-decent recruiter would be able to ask "what sort of things interest you" and take it from there. A few questions can lead to something, if only more questions to ask.



> At least have an idea of which element interests you.



Some people just dont know enough to figure that out. A few simple questions from a recruiter can help with that.

While i would encourage doing some research, some situations will not allow that. As an example, i was going to school when i got off the subway at the wrong station......right in front of a CFRC !!! I just walked in because i was there, no prior contemplation.

Sometimes we need to be able to respond with more than "if you havent done your reaserch, i cant help you".


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## Neill McKay (18 May 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> I thought also there might be just something like an infantry soldier position for a few years and then maybe they would set you on a path.



Just in the interests of helping you to keep your feet out of your mouth, infantry is a specialty of its own in the army.  It's possible to spend your whole career in that trade and progress just as you would in other trades.

It is possible to change trades after you've been in one for a while, but by no means is it guaranteed that any given member would be able to do this.  (The need for people in the various trades would govern over any individual's desire to switch.)  The usual advice to prospective recruits is to pick a trade that you'll enjoy at the outset, rather than picking something else with the intention of changing later.


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## astecki (18 May 2011)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> I'm sure that happens and, IMHO, that is fine.
> 
> Sure it does. It leaves a recruiter (again, my opinion only), with the most important piece : Someone that is interested in joining the CF.
> 
> ...



For what it's worth, having spent quite a bit of time at CFRC Toronto lately, I've heard roughly half a dozen "applicants" turned away as a result of them not knowing anything about the element/trade they're interested in, being told to do some more research and come back with some specific questions.  I'm not sure if it's just Toronto, or if it has something to do with the current recruiting climate, but it's happening, at any rate.


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## medicineman (18 May 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> hi and thanks for responding to me.  my plan on my next days off is to find a station and go to it.  I think there's one about an hour away.



You're in Victoria - the CFRC is on Fort St between Blanshard and Quadra...about half a block up Fort from the Starbuck's on the right.

MM


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## Nauticus (18 May 2011)

I think if you walk in with no idea whatsoever what you want to do, the CFRC really couldn't help you because that's ultimately a choice the individual has to make. However, with that said, if you walk in knowing your strengths and weaknesses, your work experience, etc. then I think the CFRC would be more than happy to assist you in narrowing down your search based on your skills. If you give the CFRC something to work with, they can be a great help.


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## Journeyman (18 May 2011)

You are more than welcome to walk into a recruiting centre as a completely blank sheet of paper. There are people employed within the centres as Military Career Counsellors, whose job it is to assist you in making an informed choice, based on your interests and aptitudes, as well as trade/classification availability.



.....or you can get advice here from people who, when they say "I think....," really mean "I'm guessing and don't really have a clue how it works"


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## Nauticus (18 May 2011)

Journeyman said:
			
		

> You are more than welcome to walk into a recruiting centre as a completely blank sheet of paper. There are people employed within the centres as Military Career Counsellors, whose job it is to assist you in making an informed choice, based on your interests and aptitudes, as well as trade/classification availability.
> 
> 
> 
> .....or you can get advice here from people who, when they say "I think....," really mean "I'm guessing and don't really have a clue how it works"


I don't agree with you at all. I, like others in this thread, had gone through the recruiting process, and I too have witnessed the recruiters turn people away to go do some of their own research. At that point, the recruiters would be more than happy to assist once the applicant has even the slightest idea of which direction they wish to go in.


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## SevenSixTwo (18 May 2011)

1) Watch the videos of all the trades and pick a top 3

2) Research those trades on this website using the *SEARCH* function (AKA: The recruitment videos are designed to take the best parts of the job and show them in a small five minute video. You may want to research your trades, this will also help for your interview)

3) Decide if you want a full time career (completely new lifestyle) or you want to go part time in the reserves (2 full days a month with some exercises while you do school/other employment).

4) Pick an element (if applicable): 
Generally:
Army= Camping
Navy= On a boat
Air Force= Fly a desk, Fly a plane, Fix the plane, Be on a plane.

5) Be prepared to accept your top 3 choices. If you don't want something in your top three don't put it there. I have seen plenty of people with one choice.

6) Apply and prepare for your CFAT (Brush up on your math)

7) Wait for everything else to come.


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## Journeyman (18 May 2011)

Nauticus said:
			
		

> I don't agree with you at all.


Let's see.......

I have worked in Recruiting; you have "gone through the recruiting process."   

I'm quite familiar with the Military Career Counsellor programme; you....well, you've "gone through the recruiting process."   

I currently supervise several personnel directly involved with recruiting; you....well, you see where I'm going with this (hopefully).

Let me try this again: You are more than welcome to walk into a recruiting centre not knowing what you'd like to do, beyond joining the CF. At this point, the MCCs will do their thing. You can also go in with your mind made up and start the process; should your choice not be available, or the CFAT determines you're not eligible, the MCCs will again do their thing. Either option is viable.


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## Scott (18 May 2011)

And usually it's the prospective recruits that has Journeyman loathing his return(s) to recruiting threads...

Nauticus, 

Enough. Thanks

Scott
Staff


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## Journeyman (18 May 2011)

Scott said:
			
		

> And usually it's the prospective recruits that has Journeyman loathing his return(s) to recruiting threads...


  :nod:  

Most days I simply avoid the recruiting threads altogether; those tend to be happier days


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## BearPusher (20 May 2011)

Look up the different branches here on the forums. The main recruiting website is out of date, so trades that are "in demand" might be full as they aren't updated as frequent as they should. As for what to pick there are plenty of options available with just grade 12, or less. Search around the forums a bit so you can get an idea of what things are like first.


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## gooie (2 Jun 2011)

hey guys sorry I haven't responded sooner.  Been busy at work I still have to check through the forces.ca site some more.  I thought it was updated all the time so thanks for letting me know BearPusher.

My real interest I guess is computers, but I don't know if there is a lot of that in the forces.  I have used computers all my life and pick up anything on the computer fast.

I was looking at Signal Operator but I don't think that's really computer related.  It was an in demand job.

I haven't gone down yet to the station.  I was reading forces.ca and regardless if I decided to go to with the army, navy, or airforce it's gonna send me somewhere east coast or at least a province or two away.

I have a big trip I am going on in October for a month.  So I am not sure if I should go down right now or do it after.  I heard that test has a lot of math on it to which is something I am not good at.


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## aesop081 (2 Jun 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> I was reading forces.ca and regardless if I decided to go to with the army, navy, or airforce *it's gonna send me somewhere east coast or at least a province or two away.*



I'm not sure where you got the impression that you would only go East but are you ever in for a shock..........


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## gooie (2 Jun 2011)

that's not what I meant CDN Aviator.

In Esq we have the big naval base and I am sure you know that.

But it seems when you actually go somewhere for the school or basic training it's somewhere out east opposed to here.  I am not sure why that is for the navy.   I think there is an airforce base in BC too, on the mainland though.


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## aesop081 (2 Jun 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> I think there is an airforce base in BC too, on the mainland though.



It is not on the mainland.


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## gooie (2 Jun 2011)

no?  but there is one here?


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## Nostix (2 Jun 2011)

CFB Comox.

In Comox.


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## helpup (2 Jun 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> I have a big trip I am going on in October for a month.  So I am not sure if I should go down right now or do it after.  I heard that test has a lot of math on it to which is something I am not good at.



Start the process now or at least drop in for more information.  Dont let plans in October put you off as there is a very good chance that you will still be processed during that time.  And if you dont get your name in the que it could potentially make it longer when you do decide.  My 2 cents on that anyhow.


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## gooie (2 Jun 2011)

yes I am trying to think that through.  If I chose a job that was in demand though and I got called or something before October it could mess everything up.


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## gooie (2 Jun 2011)

cool well then I guess it can't hurt.

But I still need to decide on a job.

Can anyone recommend anything computer related so I check it out more on forces?


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## aesop081 (2 Jun 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> Can anyone recommend anything computer related so I check it out more on forces?



I recomend browsing through all of the trades, that way you are not limiting yourself. You never know, you may find something that realy catches your eye and has nothing to do with computers.


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## GnyHwy (2 Jun 2011)

Go Int Op.  You'll have plenty of use for your CPU experience and it could be a very rewarding job.


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## aesop081 (2 Jun 2011)

GnyHwy said:
			
		

> Go Int Op.



IIRC, the trade is not open to direct entry.


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## gooie (2 Jun 2011)

yeah I just read that.

I guess I will have to keep browsing.  I really don't know this is hard for me.


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## aesop081 (2 Jun 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> I really don't know this is hard for me.



Nobody here is going to make the choice for you so keep reading. Don't worry, you don't have to decide right away.......Good luck and make sure you think about real good like. Nothing worse than being stuck in the wrong trade.


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## gooie (2 Jun 2011)

nope definitely not.  I have a lot of friends in college right now who dropped all their classes because they decided they don't want to do ____.

can't put this off forever though I hate my job.


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## aesop081 (2 Jun 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> can't put this off forever though I hate my job.



Well then, the last thing you want to do is jump to another job and not like it. The CF is a great place to work and has delivered on everything i had hope. That being said, i rushed in headlong in a trade that wasn't what i wanted and it took me 10 years to get out of it.


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## gooie (3 Jun 2011)

how long have you been in Aviator?  What is your profession now?


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## aesop081 (3 Jun 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> how long have you been in Aviator?  What is your profession now?



I have been in the CF for almost 19 years and have been flying for a little over 6 years.


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## gooie (3 Jun 2011)

hehe I figured that with your name  but was your previous profession?


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## aesop081 (3 Jun 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> hehe I figured that with your name  but was your previous profession?



As my forum profile states, i was a field engineer/combat engineer before.


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## gooie (3 Jun 2011)

oh cool sorry I haven't really browsed this site as much as forces.  Maybe I should check it out some more.

I gotta sleep for work.  I'll post and talk to you guys later.

thanks for the responses.


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## helpup (3 Jun 2011)

CDN Aviator said:
			
		

> Nothing worse than being stuck in the wrong trade.



Unless your working with too many  people who are in the wrong trade.......... becomes less of an issue when you outrank them


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## helpup (3 Jun 2011)

gooie said:
			
		

> oh cool sorry I haven't really browsed this site as much as forces.  Maybe I should check it out some more.
> 
> I gotta sleep for work.  I'll post and talk to you guys later.
> 
> thanks for the responses.



Good luck and get your foot in the door, no one is going to demand you pick something on your first visit.  The longer you delay starting the process the longer it will take once you do ( if you do ) decide.


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