# Thanks for the Help



## Comprehensiveinsect (20 Mar 2018)

I initially made this account to be dumb and ask "Hurr Durr what are normal background check times?" but I followed the advice that's everywhere and went digging on my own. I ended up finding the wonderful "The CF doesn't owe you a job" post.

Thank you for making that post, it opened my eyes. I've realized I'm not only the bare minimum, A recent high school graduate with little work experience and the only thing going for him is volunteer firefighting experience, but I'm also the bare minimum with a bad CFAT mark. So thanks for helping me realize that I'm wasting my time trying to join.

I know this is a weird thank you, but you did honestly help me. I would rather realize that I don't have a chance at a job now than sit around on the merit list and never get called. 

Hope you all have a nice day! I got an application to cancel.


----------



## mariomike (20 Mar 2018)

Comprehensiveinsect said:
			
		

> So thanks for helping me realize that I'm wasting my time trying to join.





			
				Comprehensiveinsect said:
			
		

> I got an application to cancel.



I don't believe anyone here would ever tell an applicant to withdraw. I urge you to discuss this with a Recruiter.


----------



## Comprehensiveinsect (20 Mar 2018)

> I don't believe anyone here would ever tell an applicant to withdraw. I urge you to discuss this with a Recruiter.



I did discuss this with a recruiter a few days ago. I was told I do have a chance of getting into my chosen trade (ACISS) because it's "in Demand" but this is more of a personal reason. I originally wanted to join the navy. However after the failure of my CFAT I did some research into ACISS and decided that it looked like an interesting job, I asked to be reprocessed for it. However the more I think about, the more I think the army just isn't a good fit for me. 

I don't want the army to end up with a sub-par soldier who dislikes the job, and I don't want to be stuck in a position I don't like for however long my contract is for. No one wins. Besides, I don't believe I would be picked anyways. If you have twenty jobs and ten applicants, but one applicant is the bare minimum for the job, why take him? I doubt the CF is that desperate for bodies that it would just grab anyone it can. They want people who are going to complete their training well and perform the job well. With my Horrible CFAT mark, I'm not proving I can do that.


----------



## Loachman (20 Mar 2018)

Just to clarify, you did not attain the requisite score for your preferred occupation?


----------



## Comprehensiveinsect (20 Mar 2018)

> Just to clarify, you did not attain the requisite score for your preferred occupation?



Correct. I did not meet the required score for Sonar Operator, Weapons Engineering Technician or Naval Electronic Sensor Operator. ACISS is the trade i picked from the short list of trades i did qualify for.


----------



## sidemount (20 Mar 2018)

Then why dont you study and retake the test.
Concentrate on grade 10 math...there are tons of sites posted here to help.

Put some effort in and better prepare yourself for the test.


Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


----------



## mariomike (20 Mar 2018)

Comprehensiveinsect said:
			
		

> However the more I think about, the more I think the army just isn't a good fit for me.
> 
> I don't want the army to end up with a sub-par soldier who dislikes the job, and I don't want to be stuck in a position I don't like for however long my contract is for.



Good luck whatever you decide.

Glad you discussed this with a Recruiter.


----------



## Loachman (20 Mar 2018)

Comprehensiveinsect said:
			
		

> So thanks for helping me realize that I'm wasting my time trying to join.



It's only a waste of time if you give up.

Some things are worth the effort.

Take sidemount's advice. And self-improvement is never a waste of time.

Carving through the CFAT thread wouldn't hurt either.

If you're a "recent high school graduate", then you have plenty of time to work towards your goal.

"Little work experience" describes a lot of applicants.

"Volunteer firefighting experience" is not something commonly seen on application forms and resumes, methinks, and should not be discounted.

There is no reason why, at this point, you cannot make yourself sufficiently competitive.

You just need to want this badly enough to do whatever it (legally/morally/ethically) takes to succeed.


----------



## Comprehensiveinsect (20 Mar 2018)

I'm still in the recruitment process and waiting for my Medical/Interview. Am I even allowed to go back and do the CFAT again at this stage?


----------



## mariomike (20 Mar 2018)

Comprehensiveinsect said:
			
		

> Am I even allowed to go back and do the CFAT again at this stage?



Canadian Forces Aptitude Test (CFAT) [MERGED]
https://army.ca/forums/threads/13076.1950

As always, Recruiting is your most trusted source of official, up to date information.

"Unofficial site, not associated with DND or the Canadian Armed Forces."


----------



## AbdullahD (20 Mar 2018)

Comprehensiveinsect said:
			
		

> I'm still in the recruitment process and waiting for my Medical/Interview. Am I even allowed to go back and do the CFAT again at this stage?



You can rewrite cfat. Just study up, take courses, be proactive.

I'm not military, but if you have a desire to be something.. Don't give up because of one "no". Go make it happen.

Abdullah


----------



## sidemount (20 Mar 2018)

Comprehensiveinsect said:
			
		

> I'm still in the recruitment process and waiting for my Medical/Interview. Am I even allowed to go back and do the CFAT again at this stage?


Yes you can.

Call and talk to the recruiting center. There are numerous people who have rewrote the cfat to qualify for the jobs they wanted.

You just need to be willing to put in the study time.



Sent from my SM-G920W8 using Tapatalk


----------



## Cwes (22 Mar 2018)

Comprehensiveinsect said:
			
		

> I'm still in the recruitment process and waiting for my Medical/Interview. Am I even allowed to go back and do the CFAT again at this stage?



All the CFAT is, is a IQ test (of sorts).

IQ tests do not indicate overarching level of intelligence (especially because you have to study in breadth. Realistically it is a knowledge test). The same goes for the CFAT, access material that is available online for greater prep.

I have served in the army, I can tell you that there are a lot of "sub-par" workers. More than good workers often. At the end of the day, even they pick it up and crack on.

Don't doubt your aptitude, do what you can and don't quit. Of course, unless you have considered other occupations which you would prefer.


----------



## Comprehensiveinsect (28 Mar 2018)

> Don't doubt your aptitude, do what you can and don't quit.



I don't really doubt my attitude, just my test taking skills. 

But I did send an email asking how I can withdraw my application. I don't have my own vehicle right now making travel to the nearest CFRC annoying and I don't see I point in wasting the military's time with a noncompetitive application. I'll try again in a few years. maybe I'll be competitive after some time spent working and getting life experience.


----------



## Pusser (29 Mar 2018)

Comprehensiveinsect,  I think you're selling yourself short.  You're already giving up on a process you haven't really begun.  All of the occupations you've mentioned are fairly technical in nature and many are math heavy.  Just because the CFAT doesn't indicate success in a technical occupation, does not mean you can't excel at another one.  There are many more occupations in the CAF than the ones you've mentioned.  For that matter, there are many more occupations within the Navy than the ones you've mentioned.  If you're heart-set on going to sea, take a look at Boatswain.  What about Naval Communications?  Steward is a "hard-sea" occupation.  Then there are the support occupations where you can serve in all environments (but folks often tend to concentrate their careers on one).  These would include, cook, supply and clerical jobs.

There are many opportunities in the CAF.  Don't give up because one door seems to be closed to you.


----------



## Mike5 (29 Mar 2018)

1. Don't get hung up on a bad CFAT.  The CFAT is a standarized IQ test and is somewhat similar to the standarized tests put out by the Princeton Testing Service (GMAT, LSAT, GRE, ...) .  It's impossible to point a test at somebody's head and come out with an Intelligence Quotient.  These tests measure your ability to solve a narrow range of problems within a fixed time.  They do not measure emotional intelligence, leadership ability, etc.  I highly recommend a CFAT prep books, a lot of prep and some thought put into strategies (i.e. one minute per question, first ten seconds scan the question and decide if you can solve it, if no: move on to the next question and come back if you have time at the end of the test, if yes: give yourself 50 seconds to solve it, next question repeat the process...).

2. Don't sell ACISS short -- it is a great trade, great skills and excellent job opportunities both within the CAF and post-Army.  But you have to want it because it will not get easier.  I just saw 50 troops drag themselves out of their tents with a couple hours sleep to set up a network in sub-zero temperatures.  And they did an amazing job.  They want it. 

3. If you want Navy, go Navy.  I looked at Navy and Sigs (ACISS) but chose Sigs for personal reasons.  But believe me, you never stop hearing the call of the sea.  

Next post from you I want to hear about how your application is going and what you are doing to improve your CFAT.  We got work to do.


----------



## Comprehensiveinsect (2 Apr 2018)

> I want to hear about how your application is going and what you are doing to improve your CFAT.



The application would be going just fine for a normal applicant. For me, though it's going a little slow. I got my further process for the interview and medical email and sent an email requesting who I contact to withdraw my application. Due to the holidays, I haven't got any word back, gonna call Tuesday and talk to a recruiter about it.

What am I doing to improve my CFAT? Personal studying and I've roped an old teacher into helping me. It's nothing heavy or serious right now. I'm still deciding if I'm gonna re-write. It's gonna be a long road so if I do re-write I'm probably gonna take until 2019-2020 to reapply. Assuming I don't frig off to try and do firefighting instead. 



> take a look at Boatswain.  What about Naval Communications?


Didn't qualify for either of them... I only qualified for cook, steward, and ACISS. Being a cook or a military waiter doesn't appeal to me and my mark isn't high enough to be competitive for ACISS (I assume). I usually would entirely agree with everything your saying. But it's not just an aptitude test. It's a competitive test and having a shitty mark means I won't get a job.


----------



## Pusser (3 Apr 2018)

Comprehensiveinsect said:
			
		

> Being a cook or a military waiter doesn't appeal to me



I'll cut you some slack, because you obviously don't know, but stewards are NOT simply military waiters.  That's a very small part of what they do.  Furthermore, everybody in a ship is a sailor first and when the bullets start flying, no one is slinging cocktails.  The stewards are actually primarily make up the casualty clearing teams.  As for cooks, they are some of the hardest working and most popular folks in the armed forces and crucial to operational effectiveness.


----------



## mariomike (3 Apr 2018)

Comprehensiveinsect said:
			
		

> Assuming I don't frig off to try and do firefighting instead.





			
				Pusser said:
			
		

> Furthermore, everybody in a ship is a sailor first and when the bullets start flying, no one is slinging cocktails.



Something I have read on here is that all sailors are firefighters.


----------



## Pusser (4 Apr 2018)

mariomike said:
			
		

> Something I have read on here is that all sailors are firefighters.



That is also true.


----------



## Comprehensiveinsect (4 Apr 2018)

> but stewards are NOT simply military waiters


They need to update their recruitment video then because it made me think they were just waiters. Still doesn't interest me too much though. The sailing and possible firefighting interests me, but the job itself doesn't. 

In other news, I think my application was nuked as soon as they received my email about who I contact to withdraw. Can't blame them, I have what is most likely the worst CFAT score in human history. Letting me in would be an insult to the nation.


----------



## Xylric (7 Apr 2018)

Pusser said:
			
		

> I'll cut you some slack, because you obviously don't know, but stewards are NOT simply military waiters.  That's a very small part of what they do.  Furthermore, everybody in a ship is a sailor first and when the bullets start flying, no one is slinging cocktails.  The stewards are actually primarily make up the casualty clearing teams.  *As for cooks, they are some of the hardest working and most popular folks in the armed forces and crucial to operational effectiveness.*



This is absolutely true. During the First World War, my maternal great-grandfather was a cook. Round about this time of year in 1917, he was busy making breakfast at three in the morning. He had a hand in making what is probably the most influential breakfast in Canadian history.


----------



## dangerboy (7 Apr 2018)

Xylric said:
			
		

> He had a hand in making what is probably the most influential breakfast in Canadian history.



You have me curious. What is this breakfast?


----------



## Xylric (7 Apr 2018)

Technically, I gave you all the information you might have needed with the year. 

My great-grandfather was one of a surprising number of people involved with making sure that the four Canadian divisions were well fed on the morning of April 9th, 1917, prior to the ascent of Vimy Ridge. I'd say that there are many more breakfasts with a far greater influence on global history, but for Canada, that one breakfast was a meal shared by soldiers from all of Canada's regions. From what I was told by my grandfather growing up in Depression-era Nova Scotia, the distances of Canada were so vast that British Columbia seemed like a completely separate country when he was in school. One could make a case that the coalescence of the Canadian forces under Vimy Ridge shrank our country and helped tied it together, but there's been a lot of mythical significance attached to it over the years.

It's just a personal point of pride for me that my family's culinary tradition ties directly to one of the more notable events of Canadian martial history.


----------

