# Update. (Also another question inside and a long read)



## tanman89 (15 Apr 2011)

Hello everyone,

Its been a very busy week for me as i had my medical/interview, and it was awesome the medical portion was good i had to get some medical paperwork but because of this forum i knew this as a possibility so booked all my medical appointmentss a day after my interview... so when the recruiter asked when i could get this information back to them i said well tomorrow afternoon they were surprized and I think appreciated that I had taken the time to prepare appointments after the interview. And everything is now good medically.

As for the interview he came out and told me off the hop the interview would take roughly an hour and ahalf and that he had a recruit in training sitting in and asked me if that would be okay I said thats fine. Before the interview I apologized in advance to the recruiter as i was very excited and I may ramble and I've spent months preparing for this so I have alot of information locked up in my brain to answer. He laughed said that type of dedication/preperation is a very good thing.

So continuing on with my 1.5 hour scheduled interview that ended up taking 2 hours to 2 and a half hours because every question he asked i gave to the best of my knowledge even if he ran out of space to write he asked me to continue. So I took this as a good thing and continued on.

Anyways closer to the end he said to me John that is one of the most informative and fully thought out interviews ive had in a long time, so naturally I was happy my hard work and dedication was starting to pay off. So after the break where I assume they were evaluating the scores of the interview, he told me something that I was already prepared to hear. John I find you inneligable for this job because as you've disclosed to us previously you have an outstanding legal obligation. Now next monday (april 18th ) I have already arranged to have a letter stating that all my legal obligations have been cleared and good to go. Also stating that was the SOLE reason I am inneligable for the occupation.

Now my question is that once I give him the paperwork on monday afternoon, is he able to merit list me right there? or does all my stuff then go to ottawa or how does that work. He seemed to be very impressed with my preperation and I asked him if I didnt have this obligation would in his opinion I of been merit listed he said yes he doesnt see why not.


Anyways on another note just to give some tips to those out there going into the interview:
Be 100% honest I have been upfront with them about my criminal background from day 1 and they still proceeded to this point and it doesn't to seem to be a problem ( I assume they would've mentioned during the interview asking for fingerprints or something, this is also a question if anyone happens to know the answer)

Also I was upfront about drug use (Only marijuana) but i was able to provide the exact dates and amount of use and he was surprized I could provide exact dates and my attention to detail.

Also stay on top of them guys... these guys have people comming in everyday especially now they had max amount of CFAT tests allowed in the class by like 8:05 when I was there and they open at 8. So what im trying to say is they see alot of faces, so call them even if you know theres not been a change on you're file just call in so they get to know the name/voice or if you'r in the area stop in and just ask. Right now I know the med tech, 2 of the recruiters and the detachment commander and they all know me by voice and when I walk in. Im not saying that it's helped me in my interview process but I know it made it a little more comfortable and i was able to think and give better answers instead of being nervious as heck. 


Also watch what you say in the recruitment centre. I noticed well there was a person going for his CFAT he was cocky and telling the other 5 guys what was what and how easy it'll be, and trying to explain to them what was on the test etc and what surprized me is that he was boasting that in university/highschool he would pay people to do his homework. A) Your not allowed to talk to anyone about whats on the CFAT test with the outside world, as well paying people to do you're work doesnt exactly scream military values. Anyways as I sat awaiting my medicle  I noticed the recruiter take note of who he was. Then as i had completed my medicle I waited out in the waiting area for my interview he came storming out of office of the career councillor saying how BS it was he didnt qualifie for his pick etc etc. 

DO NOT TAKE THIS TEST LIGHTLY they do offer preparation stuff that are free i would suggest taking advantage of all of them. I'd rather go in over prepared and not need it then need it and not have it. (Also to answer another common question if you write yes you can rewrite 90 days after for a second time but say you score for example 27 on your first test and you score 18 on the second they take the second score. As explained to me by the recruiter that had been there many years they've never seen a waiver for a 3rd rewrite.

So after all of that I went into my interview and during the 15-25 minute break there was a guy sitting in the chair swearing cursing and carrying on and trying to talk to me like I was a buddy. So I gave in after about 5 minutes I said whats wrong, not good news? So he continued on he said no this is bull$!@# they wont give me what I want threw reserves at me. So I asked what trades he was applying for which mirriored the ones I was applying for. So I continued to ask what he did to prepare just sounded like he was really uninformed. He then proceeded to tell me that the combat arms you didnt really need to prepare for because they're simple. I WAS SHOCKED and a little frustrated that i have prepared easily 1-2 months in advance for this and here was this guy just expecting to have it handed to him. So I let him continue and as he went back in for the second portion of the interview the recruiter kindof snickered and said what do you think he'd be like when he got to basic and his boots wernt shiny enough? bed wasnt made right? would he still complain that he didnt get what he wanted? I agreed and asked if many applicants were like that, and she informed me a scarey amount of them are like that. (I would suggest not being one of these guys)

And almost forgot for everyone that asks OMG can I get in with a record? Well im not in yet but I went in fully expecting to jump threw extra hoops because of it... But as i mentioned they havnt mentioned it being a problem yet at all (This also isn't saying it wont be differnt for you everyones case is differnt im just giving my story and saying YES it is POSSIBLE)

Basically go in and make them tell you NO, and when they tell you no, ask them what we can do to get around this or work it out. DONT STOP AT THE FIRST NO they wanna weed out the people that don't want it. The way I saw it its a life changing commitment and I treated it as such and i believe the recruiters appreciated that.

Anyways to all the recruiters on this site thank you guys a bunch, I've realised first hand the types of individuals you guys have to work with on a daily basis and it takes a strong person to do it. So thanks =)

And that concludes my experiance I just wanted to give a more up to date process experiance and tips that helped me along the way, and as I mentioned this is just my experiance yours will more then likely be differnt as well.

Anyways thanks everyone for the advice and I genuinly appreciate the advice and answers to questions hopfully monday goes well and I will be merit listed. 

And good luck to everyone!

Thanks again,

John

Also if anyone knows the answers to my questions if you could just PM them to me would be appreciated.


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## tanman89 (15 Apr 2011)

Also i forgot to mention that i also have personel debt the amount wasn't much but as we all know because we all use the search feature in this forum before we post right?????  :nod: its not the amount of personel debt that is the problem but they want to make sure you are a person of "good character" and take care of your financial responsibilitys. And as the recruiter blunty put it ... the military doesnt want collecters harassing them for your financial faults. In which i cant agree more. The remedy for this is very simple even if you have a payment agreement with the collection agency get them to mail something to you outlining you're payment agreement and basically just show that you have taken measures to cure the problem.

 IM NOT SAYING THIS WILL CURE YOUR PROBLEM but its what i did and the recruiter said it was a good thing i braught it with me because he would've had to pretty much end up the interview there and request that piece of paper and resume the interview at another time... so preparation saved me alot of time. All you people that have a month before your interview or 2 months however long theres so many aspects you can be prepared for that you should have no problem spending a hour or 2 a night learning something new about your trades or further detail on them.


Thanks again hope these posts help some people


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## Pat in Halifax (15 Apr 2011)

It's Friday, I am on IR and I actually read all through your post. I don't know what else to say. You have all your 'ducks in a row' as 'they' say. Don't over-analyze things is all I can say. I wish you the best and I will say that if you were standing in front if me at the Recruiting table-your're in!

A long-in-the-tooth Navy Chief.


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## Ex-Dragoon (15 Apr 2011)

Thank you John for your post. If you have no issues I am going to sticky this as advice.

Milnet.Ca Staff


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## tanman89 (15 Apr 2011)

Ex-Dragoon said:
			
		

> Thank you John for your post. If you have no issues I am going to sticky this as advice.
> 
> Milnet.Ca Staff



I dont have a problem with this being stickyed at all I think I got everything that I found important in the process it's just i noticed the last kind of "tip to recruit post" was in 2005 and alot of policys have changed since then.

As well I figure even if my record does affect me and I cant get in for 3 years awaiting a pardon etc, At least I can help recruits go in more prepared and better informed and hopefully help them achieve their goals and dreams 

But yes I'm all for having this stickyed and as I think of anything I missed ill add it in later but i tryed to get it all in one go


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## tanman89 (15 Apr 2011)

Ill also try to keep this post as "fresh" as i can with updates of exactly what hurdles such as criminal background, debt etc and some of the other areas I have already touched on and what I've done to overcome these hurdles.

As well if any of you new guys have a question but you're afraid of getting those 1 line answers saying use the search feature drop me a pm and ill answer you to the best of my capability. As long as you understand im not a recruiter and you should always take any question up with them as they're the ones with the file and can obviously see things pertaining to your file i cannot. All i can do is give you personal experiance and personal opinions. Just putting that out there.



Hope to hear from you guys and best of luck

John


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## Cloud (17 Apr 2011)

tanman89 said:
			
		

> I'd rather go in over prepared and not need it then need it and not have it.


 Same principle of a condom. Rather have it and not need it, then need it and not have it...


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## dustinf (25 Apr 2011)

hey thanks for the help. and thanks for responding back to my pm.


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## tanman89 (26 May 2011)

Yes im back to inform everyone that i do need to get my fingerprints done at a local MP shack or local opp detachment. So i figure im goin to run to the opp detachment this aft get them done and run them directly to  ottawa to maybe cut down on some of the mail time.... plus gives me a reason to go on a roadtour haha. Anyways according to the corperal i was talking to the turn around time is 9months-1 year so i guess im going  to take this time to get some extra courses.... maybe laser eye surgery to make myself  eligable for more trades.... and whatever els i can do. I forgot to ask him how this will affect my june 9th interview but he didnt say it was cancelled so who knows. In the rand scheme of things if it does take 9months to a year thats not that much to achieve  a lifetime goal


Thanks again for  all the helpful info and everything guys. Will keep you posted on how it goes.

John


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## pitdroid (26 May 2011)

Is that part of the security portion of the application process? Or was there another reason you have to get them done?


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## tanman89 (26 May 2011)

I believe it is because of my record its not a usual part of the process but it could take 5 weeks could take a year nobody has a definitive answer i dont really see why this is important as you have to get it done at basic anyways so if anyone coul shine some light on that itd be perfect.


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## Blackadder1916 (26 May 2011)

tanman89 said:
			
		

> I believe it is because of my record its not a usual part of the process but it could take 5 weeks could take a year nobody has a definitive answer i dont really see why this is important as you have to get it done at basic anyways so if anyone coul shine some light on that itd be perfect.



Obviously information provided by you indicated that fingerprints were needed to complete a criminal records check.  The results of that check could be a barrier to enrolment into the CF.  You have to be enrolled to get to basic where fingerprints would normally be taken - by then it would be a little late to find out if such a barrier existed and a waste of government time and money.


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## tanman89 (26 May 2011)

i was just curious thats all as the recruiter said that they just gotta make sure its me and he only way to do it is via finger prints. Also probably after all this i will be able to get in alot smoother next year so heres hoping for next year just gotta keep researching keep the fitness up and get over this hurdle ... if anyone has had any recent experiance wit this it would be apreciated on your insight would be appreciated as anything i search for is from 2004-2009 ... thanks again guys


p.s I have been very upfront about my criminal past (youth  and otherwise ) and they said at the rc that they couldnt see a problem with my record and that sometimes someone with the same  name birthdate etc may of done something and they have to verify that i am me. Ive actually had experiance with this before as my licence was suspended once without my knowing because someone with the samen ame and birthdate got a fine and never payed it. Maybe this is the same sorta deal they wanna make sure im the same john with minor offences and not murder theft and rape?

thanks all for the input


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## tanman89 (27 May 2011)

After alot of consideration and phone calls... Yesterday after i got the phone call saying that i need to get fingerprints in (which im doing today) and that the average turnaround right now is 9-12 months I got to thinking ... what can i do to better myself for an interview in 12 months, and heres what I've come up with.

1) Employment - Yesterday after the phone call I contacted an employer that wanted me to work for them for roughly 60-80 hours a week (hopfully itll make things go by a bit quicker) and that will add to a refrence i have for the military.

2) Debt - Well i already took care of that because I wanted to show progress from my first interview in april untill now.

3) Physical Fitness - Well this job is a pretty pysical one but i will continue to run/workout on weekends or when I have time aside from the job/social life etc.

4) Criminal Record - As some of you who have been following my posts know this was a big one for me and ultimatly the reason why i need the finger prints done. After some file searching and digging threw some old paperwork and realized that i am eligable for a pardon, a process that itself takes 6-12 months so i figured today I may as well do that to. So that way when i go in next year i can just say i have no record and hopfully that will help with a faster process next time with less hassle.(with proof of he pardon obviously  

On that note I'm not sorry about this delay as I look at where i was almost a year ago now and realize how many positive things i have done to achieve my military goal, for example when I started out 2011 i only had 5 credits but now i have a grade 12 (My actual diploma not GED ). I found happyness in helping people as i knew i would be doing that in the mililitary i started to try and help anywhere anyhow i could such as we had a really big windstorm here and i went around and helped removed trees from yards as well as assist in roofing repairs among anything i could do when i saw somebody needed help.


Long story short the military has already made me into a better person and it will continue to probably do so ... in the grand scheme of things 9months - a year is a short time to wait for a dream.

I would like to also thank everyone on this forum for the invaluable information and insight into the forces and making me probably one of the more educated applicants going in, in terms of the process. Being a member on this forum really gave me an edge in the interview and all other aspects of the application process.

Also if everyone has any ideas of what i can do to better myself in this timeframe it would be greatly appreciated. I know alot of you will say community activtys/sports but unfortunatly with this job i wont have much time for it. And as for education if i do get laid off in the winter i will more then likely try to snag a course at algonquin threw EI or something like that.

Anyways thanks everyone and take care,

John


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## Good2Golf (27 May 2011)

John, all, 

A number of related posts merged in with this thread, so all related posts by John (tanman89) and others can be consolidated here, vice throughout numerous additional threads.

Miltnet.ca Staff


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## pitdroid (27 May 2011)

Good2Golf said:
			
		

> John, all,
> 
> A number of related posts merged in with this thread, so all related posts by John (tanman89) and others can be consolidated here, vice throughout numerous additional threads.
> 
> Miltnet.ca Staff



Yeah, I wondered why there was posts that weren't here before.


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## gQeline (10 Aug 2011)

Thank you for your post! I just passed my CFAT yesterday and couldnèt believe all my preparation and hard work payed off! You are right about that. Now I am preparing for my interview and medical on the 24th and was wondering if you had to bring anything to the medical. Also what do they ask you on the interview, I mean I know they ask you about your trade.. but would they ask you about EVERYTHING you know about the forces, details about BMQ and all that stuff. Sorry for all the questions, I am just a bit nervous.


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## Ayrsayle (11 Aug 2011)

gQeline said:
			
		

> Thank you for your post! I just passed my CFAT yesterday and couldnèt believe all my preparation and hard work payed off! You are right about that. Now I am preparing for my interview and medical on the 24th and was wondering if you had to bring anything to the medical. Also what do they ask you on the interview, I mean I know they ask you about your trade.. but would they ask you about EVERYTHING you know about the forces, details about BMQ and all that stuff. Sorry for all the questions, I am just a bit nervous.



As noted above by a different poster - better to know more then you need and not have it come up, then to know less then you are being asked.
The interview is fairly exhaustive - take a look on forces.ca for their pre-interview questionnaire (it's a good place to start). While fairly formulaic in terms of questions, it is your answers that matter. Know your trade, know about the military and the roles it performs, etc. Don't be afraid to ask for clarification if you did not understand the question (rather then assume and bungle it, etc).

They are not your direct link into the military (though their writeup about you counts for a lot), and as such seem to be more flexible in letting you answer questions to the best of your knowledge (as opposed to similar hiring processes in the civilian world). Relax, get to reading about the trade, and go prepared!

Good luck!


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## nmullis (17 Dec 2011)

great post, thank you for sharing! this helps me prepare myself as well.


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## STJ_Kierstead (3 Sep 2013)

great read! good job and goodluck

one part of your post made my day better. I fell short of officer score on my CFAT, and was discouraged with myself as i was one point short.  I considered joining as NCM but realized that I had gone to university and proven to myself that I can do good as anyone. Through hard work and studying, writing massive essays and succeeding exam after exam.  The recruiter informed me I can do a re-write in 3months and see if I am able to score a bit higher, which I do think I can! Knowing the areas I was weak, and where I can study harder.  3months to study, prepare, and prove to myself I can receive the test score I need to enter as an officer is nothing, better than settling for less than I feel I deserve.

In the scheme of things you are correct - in my situation, as yours - 3months wait is going to be well worth it.

Heres to a speedy process and goodluck John!

/ramble - rewriting my CFAT in 3months knowing I can do better !


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