# Best trade for advancing in ranks



## legionnaire007 (20 Jan 2021)

Hello everyone,

thank you for all the invaluable information provided.

Would the experienced members be able to say which trade would be the best for an aspiring officer to (faster than slower) advance in ranks?

Thank you for your time.


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## Inspir (20 Jan 2021)

Usually the combat arms trades (i.e. infantry) progress at a more accelerated rate than other trades. However, promotions are merit based after Captain. And as there are "Corporals for Life", the same can also be said for Captains.


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## Furniture (20 Jan 2021)

legionnaire007 said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> thank you for all the invaluable information provided.
> 
> ...


To be blunt, this is the wrong attitude to join with. If you're joining simply to get the highest rank you can in the shortest amount of time, you are setting-up yourself, and the people you supervise, for failure.


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## Remius (20 Jan 2021)

Medical Officer or JAG.

You’ll be a Major in no time.  You might also be one for a long time.   😂


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## daftandbarmy (20 Jan 2021)

legionnaire007 said:


> Hello everyone,
> 
> thank you for all the invaluable information provided.
> 
> ...



The one with the highest casualty rates, of course 

Really, it can vary depending what's going on in the CAF at any point in time. I'd pick your preferred trade becasue you are interested in doing it for 20 years, and not because you might get promoted faster.


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## Navy_Pete (20 Jan 2021)

daftandbarmy said:


> The one with the highest casualty rates, of course
> 
> Really, it can vary depending what's going on in the CAF at any point in time. I'd pick your preferred trade becasue you are interested in doing it for 20 years, and not because you might get promoted faster.


second this.

Although if you like something that you are good at, you'll perform better, and more likely to get promoted, but should be a side effect and not the goal.

Pure careerist are usually awful to work with and can hit a ceiling pretty suddenly; seems to depend on how long their sucking up can overcome their ability to make everyone that works for them hate them and have that filter up to the big giant heads. We have enough competent people that genuinely care about the people that work for them to promote that just being competent isn't enough, in a personnel driven organization.


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## ModlrMike (20 Jan 2021)

daftandbarmy said:


> The one with the highest casualty rates, of course
> 
> Really, it can vary depending what's going on in the CAF at any point in time. I'd pick your preferred trade becasue you are interested in doing it for 20 years, and not because you might get promoted faster.


Or in other words, "a bloody war and sickly season".


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## daftandbarmy (20 Jan 2021)

ModlrMike said:


> Or in other words, "a bloody war and sickly season".


My favourite toast!


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## dimsum (20 Jan 2021)

daftandbarmy said:


> My favourite toast!


More so than the Saturday one?


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## daftandbarmy (20 Jan 2021)

dimsum said:


> More so than the Saturday one?


Prior to 2013?


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## dimsum (20 Jan 2021)

daftandbarmy said:


> Prior to 2013?


Like you need to ask.


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## daftandbarmy (20 Jan 2021)

dimsum said:


> Like you need to ask.


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## legionnaire007 (20 Jan 2021)

Thank you all for the inspiring responses.

To clarify, I wanted to join the military since I was a teenager but I wasn't able to do so in my country of origin due to the political situation plus my family did everything in their power to stop me from doing so, including hiding the training invitation from me (over-concerned parents). In fact, I chose to immigrate to Canada knowing that I won't be too old to join the military, which was the case elsewhere.

Looking back years later, and having tried literally dozens of jobs (now law enforcement), my desire, or even need to become a soldier never went away. It feels like this is my true calling and I'm definitely not looking for a job where I'd suck up to my superiors to advance in ranks but rather a place where going the extra mile would be recognized and rewarded.

Additionally, the system is a bit different where I'm from and one doesn't really get much choice when it comes to the trade - the options are limited and you basically get what they want to give you. Therefore, being flexible comes naturally to me but I also feel it is important to prepare for unpredictable situations in the future and ensure I would have a chance at using the military experience in the civilian sector, should the need arise and I wasn't able to serve my whole life.

So, if I know I'm flexible in choosing a trade - why not choose the one where I would have the opportunity to work harder (and hopefully, smarter) and get that feeling of fulfillment and continuous challenge, self-improvement, and progression rather than getting stuck in a trade where the system doesn't leave room for people who are willing and able to do more?

My experiences will include administration, management, and law enforcement so it's really hard to choose the best trade as I'm aware that even if a trade might appeal to me now, it may also feel completely different in "real life" when actually doing the job.

Following my heart, I'd go for a combat trade such as armour officer however I'm concerned if I get hurt or a health issue arises, will I have a chance at a good civilan job using the military experience.

I also practiced sports skydiving in the past and it would be great to get in a trade where I'd be able to do this for work, however, the possibility for that didn't seem too high based on my research.

Apologies for the extremely long post, the hands kept typing on their own  If someone is actually patient enough to read all this, advice on the trade based on my post would be much appreciated...

All the best


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## Furniture (21 Jan 2021)

legionnaire007 said:


> Thank you all for the inspiring responses.
> 
> To clarify, I wanted to join the military since I was a teenager but I wasn't able to do so in my country of origin due to the political situation plus my family did everything in their power to stop me from doing so, including hiding the training invitation from me (over-concerned parents). In fact, I chose to immigrate to Canada knowing that I won't be too old to join the military, which was the case elsewhere.
> 
> ...


The explanation changes things from my perspective, but I would still caution that advancement is less important than you may imagine. 

A max incentive Capt/Lt makes over 100K/year, so even if you cap out at Capt you are still doing well. Also, job satisfaction starts becoming more important as the years go by, so being a Maj in a job you hate may not make up for being a Capt in a job you love. 

Find a trade that appeals to you not only as a "cool job", but as something you can imagine doing for the next 20-25 years.


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## legionnaire007 (21 Jan 2021)

Thank you for reading the whole post and the realistic advice, I will definitely shift my focus only to finding a trade that would be a perfect match and provide job satisfaction.

Do you feel Intelligence Officer is a good direction for me?

Much appreciated


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## Furniture (21 Jan 2021)

legionnaire007 said:


> Thank you for reading the whole post and the realistic advice, I will definitely shift my focus only to finding a trade that would be a perfect match and provide job satisfaction.
> 
> Do you feel Intelligence Officer is a good direction for me?
> 
> Much appreciated


I work with Int Os, but I am not an expert on the job. They seem to enjoy their work for the most part, and at the Jr level are very involved with Int Op work of coalition and analysis of data. As you move up, the focus switches to personnel management, but that is true of any job. 

I can definitivly state that any reasonably fit 50 year old can be an Int O, I cannot say the same for the Combat Arms.


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## legionnaire007 (21 Jan 2021)

Makes perfect sense, that might be a good direction. I was considering a Healthcare Admin Officer position due to the possibility of utilizing the experience in the private sector (just in case) however I am not sure how satisfying would that position be... Signals Officer or even Logistics Officer might be a good fit then, especially Signals being in demand as of now...

Thank you so much for all your input, hope you have a nice evening.


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## brihard (21 Jan 2021)

legionnaire007 said:


> Makes perfect sense, that might be a good direction. I was considering a Healthcare Admin Officer position due to the possibility of utilizing the experience in the private sector (just in case) however I am not sure how satisfying would that position be... Signals Officer or even Logistics Officer might be a good fit then, especially Signals being in demand as of now...
> 
> Thank you so much for all your input, hope you have a nice evening.


FWIW, I have a couple of LogOs in my family who both did/are doing reasonably well in their careers. There are a lot of them, it's a sizeable trade, and there are a lot of interesting opportunities. If you go army log there would likely still be time spend in field units doing logistics in direct support of military training/operations, and this can include the opportunity to command other soldiers. Later on there can be a fair bit of opportunity to deploy internationally in logistics roles both with CAF and with international coalitions. The trade is, of course, mostly office bound, that's just a reality of it. But pretty much any officer trade mostly is outside of a field unit. It would likely be a decent go.


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## OldSolduer (21 Jan 2021)

It really all depends on one thing...YOU.


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## TangoTwoBravo (21 Jan 2021)

legionnaire007 said:


> Following my heart, I'd go for a combat trade such as armour officer however I'm concerned if I get hurt or a health issue arises, will I have a chance at a good civilan job using the military experience.
> 
> I also practiced sports skydiving in the past and it would be great to get in a trade where I'd be able to do this for work, however, the possibility for that didn't seem too high based on my research.
> 
> ...


Well, follow your gut. Apply for Armour Officer and see where it takes you.  If you find after ten years that you've peaked (or worn out) you could then transfer to something like HCA (several colleagues have done that) or Intelligence, using your Cbt Arms experience as a baseline.


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## Jarnhamar (21 Jan 2021)

Legionnaire,
Lots of applicants get their sights set on officer right away because officer>troop. You're going to generally get treated better and paid more as an officer, but there's also a lot of responsibility flying your way at the very beginning of your career. And small mistakes are often treated as very big ones.

If you decide you want to be an officer make sure it's for the right reasons. The right reasons aren't more money and because you get promoted faster. There's not much more obnoxious in the military than someone, officer or NCO, who just cares about getting promoted fast. You'll find when people recognize that, and they usually do, they'll go out of their way to make you look bad. Or punch you in the face.

As for what trade you should take. Take something you think you'll enjoy. Your time is priceless, if you spend 15 years doing a job you hate then that's 15 years of your life you'll never get back. 15 years of hating going to work. If you love doing a goofy job that doesn't pay well and you don't get promoted fast, that's 15 years of loving your job and being happy every day. That's priceless man. Write down your hobbies and stuff you like doing then compare it to different jobs in the army.


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## legionnaire007 (24 Jan 2021)

I'm truly thankful for everyone's input, it is a big, life-changing decision so I might as well take some time to reflect and choose what's right.




Jarnhamar said:


> Well, follow your gut. Apply for Armour Officer and see where it takes you.  If you find after ten years that you've peaked (or worn out) you could then transfer to something like HCA (several colleagues have done that) or Intelligence, using your Cbt Arms experience as a baseline.


Would you say it's harder to get into Intelligence "off the street"?


Jarnhamar said:


> Legionnaire,
> Lots of applicants get their sights set on officer right away because officer>troop. You're going to generally get treated better and paid more as an officer, but there's also a lot of responsibility flying your way at the very beginning of your career. And small mistakes are often treated as very big ones.
> 
> If you decide you want to be an officer make sure it's for the right reasons. The right reasons aren't more money and because you get promoted faster. There's not much more obnoxious in the military than someone, officer or NCO, who just cares about getting promoted fast. You'll find when people recognize that, and they usually do, they'll go out of their way to make you look bad. Or punch you in the face.
> ...



Absolutely agree, thank you for pointing this out. Which army job would you say is goofy? 



Hope you all have a great Sunday!


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## brihard (24 Jan 2021)

Jarnhamar said:


> Legionnaire,
> Lots of applicants get their sights set on officer right away because officer>troop. You're going to generally get treated better and paid more as an officer, but there's also a lot of responsibility flying your way at the very beginning of your career. And small mistakes are often treated as very big ones.
> 
> If you decide you want to be an officer make sure it's for the right reasons. The right reasons aren't more money and because you get promoted faster. There's not much more obnoxious in the military than someone, officer or NCO, who just cares about getting promoted fast. You'll find when people recognize that, and they usually do, they'll go out of their way to make you look bad. Or punch you in the face.
> ...


One of my PRes infantry buddies spent a number of years trying to figure out what he wanted to be when he grew up - PRes Inf Sgt taking whatever Cl Bs he could scrape up. He ended up CTing to the regs as an image tech and basically does the travelling military photographer gig. He sees to absolutely love it, and he basically keeps getting sent where cool stuff is being done that's worth photographing. One of those guys who seems to really have life figured out now.


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## daftandbarmy (24 Jan 2021)

legionnaire007 said:


> I'm truly thankful for everyone's input, it is a big, life-changing decision so I might as well take some time to reflect and choose what's right.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


No job in the Army is goofy. 

The longer I served, and the more I saw of the Army (and other parts of the CAF) outside of my own job, the more impressed I was about how much cool stuff there was to get involved in.


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## Furniture (25 Jan 2021)

daftandbarmy said:


> No job in the Army is goofy.
> 
> The longer I served, and the more I saw of the Army (and other parts of the CAF) outside of my own job, the more impressed I was about how much cool stuff there was to get involved in.


I think more people need more exposure to what people in the CAF do outside of their trade/element. 

Some of us are lucky, and get to spend a bit of time in each element, but many end up with a very myopic view of the CAF based on their experiences.

For anyone joining who wants a broad view of the CAF I think Image Tech is perhaps the best way to see everything. They do all the cool stuff, but only for a few weeks/months at a time usually. 

Another great occupation for seeing all three elements is Met Tech. In my 20 years I have spent months deployed with the artillery in Kandahar, years on an airfield, and the best five years of my career on ship. 

@legionnaire007 Spend some time looking at careers in the CAF both NCM and Officer. See if anything in particular seems interesting, then ask on these forums for real world experiences from those in that career field. On this site you have hundreds of years worth of experience to draw from, and most of us aren't so bad to deal with.


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## stoker dave (26 Jan 2021)

One of the reasons I joined the Navy was my desire to travel.  In my short career I visited:  Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, up and down east and west coasts of Canada and the US, Bermuda, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Gibraltar, Italy, Suez Canal, Djibouti, United Arab Emirates and probably a few more places that don't spring to mind.


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## daftandbarmy (26 Jan 2021)

stoker dave said:


> One of the reasons I joined the Navy was my desire to travel.  In my short career I visited:  Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, up and down east and west coasts of Canada and the US, Bermuda, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Gibraltar, Italy, Suez Canal, Djibouti, United Arab Emirates and probably a few more places that don't spring to mind.


.... but did you need badges on your arm to remind you, or were the (nightclub) bills enough?


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## legionnaire007 (27 Jan 2021)

Once again, I must thank everyone for their input, you guys are great! As of now, I feel I will apply for Intelligence/Logistics/HCA based on my experience and your advice.

And


stoker dave said:


> One of the reasons I joined the Navy was my desire to travel.  In my short career I visited:  Hawaii, Samoa, Fiji, Australia, New Zealand, up and down east and west coasts of Canada and the US, Bermuda, US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Gibraltar, Italy, Suez Canal, Djibouti, United Arab Emirates and probably a few more places that don't spring to mind.


When it comes to the Navy, I would definitely go for it if I wasn't a family man now - I used to be a seaman before and loved it. What do the Canadian ships do in all these ports ie. why does the Navy go to all those places?

How much of the ports do you get to see, how much time would you have to explore?


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