# My story...(long read)



## Zero501 (17 Jan 2014)

As the title to my post suggests this is just my story on my application process and where I currently stand. Nothing has went wrong with my application that I know of I'm just posting it here because I'm bored and sitting here with nothing to do.

It all started back in 2008 when I lost my job as a technical support representative at a call center. I was dumb and let a customer get to me and I was caught pretty much telling him off. As you may or may not know that is a no no when it comes to call centers. I was living on my own at the time and started looking around for jobs. My father was always on my case about joining the military. I think he really just wanted to live vicariously through me as he never joined the forces when he was younger, even though his father (my Grandfather) was a Major with the air force. I never even really considered it an option as I was never really physically fit or emotionally ready to take on the role of a soldier in the forces. I didn't want a job where your sole purpose was to shoot and kill people or be killed yourself. I was always afraid of it actually. I never wanted to go through basic either. In fact that was the biggest drawback for me when it came to joining the forces. Something about getting yelled at constantly just didn't sit well with me. I always thought that the officers that trained you were very nit-picky always scrutinizing everything you do. Having someone always looking over your shoulder and telling you you are doing something wrong. The fact that you lose your individuality got to me as well. "You are no longer a person, just a number" is a quote that didn't sit well with me. It made me think twice about joining the forces. Maybe it was just my immaturity, or the fact I didn't want to give up being a civilian. Giving up being able to do whatever you want, whenever you want was something that I personally didnt like at the time. 

Now back to 2008, early one morning, while I was bored and unable to sleep I decided to take a look at the forces because I was unable to get another job at the time. Most places weren't hiring or they weren't calling me back. I will admit when I started researching the potential jobs that the forces offered I was intrigued. I was intrigued by the fact that it isn't all yelling and screaming. I was stunned actually by the apparent lack of it. The videos on the websites all encouraged teamwork and working with your fellow man. I was stunned by the variety of jobs that they offered as well. It was appealing that most of the positions that I was looking at only required a grade 12 education, or a high school diploma. This is where I became a little more scared of applying however. 

When I graduated high school I never received my diploma. I was kicked out of my school when I got to my grade 12 year due to me sticking up for myself against a bully when I was in grade 11. Someone took my glasses right off my head and wouldn't give them back. I told the person multiple times to give them back and still they wouldn't give them back. I stood outside for over 30 minutes arguing with this person trying everything I could think of to get the glasses back. The person said they would break them if I got a teacher and even though I was outside for over 30 minutes and not in class no teacher came out to see what the problem was. I ended up getting into a fight with this person but in the end I got my glasses back. However even though this person took these glasses from me and instigated this fight I the school still punished ME for it and did NOTHING to the person that took the glasses. In fact I got suspend for 10 DAYS because of it, the other guy got NOTHING. Now to say this wasn't fair or ethical was correct from my standing. Despite my protest nothing was done and I still had to miss 10 days of classes because I stood up for myself instead of running to get a teacher, who wasn't available to begin with. During the summer break I recieved no phone call telling me that I wasn't allowed back and went to classes in september as I was supposed to do. When I got there they told me that I was no longer enrolled in the school. Needless to say I was mad. I was mad that I got no call about this. I was even more mad that the principal called me a liar, honest to god she called me a liar, when I told her that I never recieved a call or anything. She said that wasn't her problem and basically was very rude to me the whole time. I got very angry and stormed out of the school, saying some pretty nasty things. I was going to enroll at another public school but I was told that they didn't have the correct curriculum that I was in due to my previous school being a catholic school. I thought I was ,for lack of a better word, screwed over from getting my diploma. My father called the school and demanded that they take me back due to the situation I was in. It worked and I was enrolled into their STEP program which is basically an at home schooling program for kids with attendance problems. I got all my credits that I needed (I only needed 5) and graduated in April of that year. I was never told about the graduation ceremony or that I was even invited to it. I didn't get my diploma mailed to me or anything of the sort, but I knew I graduated.

So taking all that into account I wanted to join the forces after reading their website but this problem with my diploma plus my lack of physical fitness made me think twice. This was how I felt for many years up until last year around July. I was working at another call center and getting really bored of them. I have been working at call centers for the past 7 years with no break. I felt that call centers were not the correct career for me. I didn't want to sit on my butt anymore listening to people complain about how their iphone doesn't send emails, or how someones cable TV/internet doesn't work when there is a fricken forest fire 20 ft outside of their house. My supervisor noticed I was struggling to keep my motivation. I used up all my sick days in a matter of weeks. I was very lethargic and not wanting to go to work anymore. She pulled me aside and I explained everything to her. She gave me the suggestion of joining the military if call centers were not my thing anymore. I kinda laughed under my breath and said "yeah right". She told me her son had just finished basic and he was the happiest he has ever been. He gets out to see the world ,(which is what I wanted to do, seeing as I have never left this province let alone the country) has wonderful pay and even his family are covered by the benefits and of course the pension he gets after he retires.

I decided to give it some thought and look up the careers the military offered. I found a few that did interest me. I started watching the "new" videos that were posted on the forces website and I got even more intrigued. I went to youtube to try and find more videos about these jobs and stumbled upon the Basic Up series. I was interested to see exactly what happens during basic just to see if my fears about it were valid or not. After watching every episode of both seasons non stop I realized that it wasn't so bad. I realized that all the yelling they do, all the nitpicking they do is nothing different then what I had experienced on a daily basis working at call centers. It gave me a new sense of desire to want to join the forces. All i had to do was get my diploma from my high school however there was a problem that delayed my getting that for a couple of months. Since it was july, the school was on its summer break. No one was available to talk to me as they were away on summer break as well. I had to wait till september to get it. Once I got my diploma and transcript from the school in late september I reapplied to the forces. I passed my aptitude test and my interview. I need to get my doctor to fill out a medical form and I have to mail them in but after that all I can do is wait and see.

Since then the processes has been a heck of alot faster then I had anticipated. I have read alot of posts on this website as well as others about how long it can take to get a call for enrollment and I was kind of discouraged at the fact it takes so long but that hasn't stopped me. I believe I will get an offer for enrollment and I'm very, very happy about it. The only problem I foresee may be the credit check that they conduct. I have never had the greatest credit. I do owe money for a couple of credit cards but of the 2 that I have I only owe 700-800 on one and 400-500 on the other. I don't believe/think I have any other debts that may affect my credit rating. Unfortunately I have been running behind on those payments since I currently have been juggling jobs since august. I had a temporary job at a job placement agency but as with most placement agencies they can lay you off with no reason whatsoever and exactly that happened to me. I am still actively looking for a job but currently don't have one and I hope this lack of job and lack of being able to pay the 2 credit cards doesn't affect my ability to become a member of the forces. My parents were helping me out with my bills but they are beginning to have problems with money as well as their own bills are starting to pile up to since I now live with them and I am not paying them for rent anymore. Once I get a job again all this will be taken care of but until then I'm kinda in limbo when it comes to my finances.

And that is my story. If you stuck through it and read it all then I thank you for taking the time to read it.


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## Brandonfw (18 Jan 2014)

Congrats on finishing through the first initial steps Zero501! 

About the credit check, it will be fine. As you, I as well have some debts... One or two has also gone through to collections... Nothing extremely major, but my credit check came back negative (Clean, no flags were raised). The only way it will come back flagged (told to me the other day from a Captain in the MCC) that is if you would have like a $1500 cell phone bill, etc... not being paid, or something ridiculous such as that. Do not sweat it, but at least make an attempt to try and make payments on those bills, such as setting up payment plans with the companies. It does go a long way.

If you are in or around the Halifax area, give me a PM, I can probably help you out with the job situation.

-Best of luck,

Brandonfw


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## Zero501 (12 Mar 2014)

UPDATE:

Well I have some good news to followup this post with. I got the call for BMQ on Monday the 12th. I guess the credit problem I have didn't affect the selection. I'm so happy that I got selected but I have SO much work to do and not much time to do it in.

Good luck to anyone else who also got the call they were waiting for and also good luck to the peeps still waiting.


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## DAA (12 Mar 2014)

Brandonfw said:
			
		

> Congrats on finishing through the first initial steps Zero501!
> 
> About the credit check, it will be fine. As you, I as well have some debts... One or two has also gone through to collections... Nothing extremely major, but my credit check came back negative (Clean, no flags were raised). The only way it will come back flagged (told to me the other day from a Captain in the MCC) that is if you would have like a $1500 cell phone bill, etc... not being paid, or something ridiculous such as that. Do not sweat it, but at least make an attempt to try and make payments on those bills, such as setting up payment plans with the companies. It does go a long way. Best of luck,





			
				Zero501 said:
			
		

> Well I have some good news to followup this post with. I got the call for BMQ on Monday the 12th. I guess the credit problem I have didn't affect the selection. I'm so happy that I got selected but I have SO much work to do and not much time to do it in.
> 
> Good luck to anyone else who also got the call they were waiting for and also good luck to the peeps still waiting.



Wow, what a contrast.  I think I saw somewhere of someone's application being held up over an "$86.00" parking fine that wasn't paid.

Things that make you go.....hhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm


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## Brandonfw (15 Mar 2014)

DAA said:
			
		

> Wow, what a contrast.  I think I saw somewhere of someone's application being held up over an "$86.00" parking fine that wasn't paid.
> 
> Things that make you go.....hhhhmmmmmmmmmmmmm



That is because a parking fine is a legal obligation.


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