Ex-reg force, considering joining the reserves

[modi13]

I spent a few years in the reg force in officer training, including completing IAP, BOTP, and some time in kindergarten... er, I mean, RMC. I decided to pursue other career options, so I left before I was MOC qualified, but now I'm considering joining the reserves as an NCM. Does anyone know if I'd get some credit for my past experience, such as bypassing BMQ or even joining at a higher rank? I know a few guys who switched from officer to NCM before they finished their MOC training and were made corporals, but they were still on active service, and I think they'd done CAP. Obviously it would be best to talk to a recruiter, but I'll be more interested and more likely to follow through if I know I won't have to start from the bottom again.
I'm also curious about how reservists handle scheduling military training around their regular jobs. I work in an industry that has pretty widely-varying shifts, and I'm not sure I'd be able to take ten weeks to go for training. How do others handle it?

 

[mariomike]

I'm also curious about how reservists handle scheduling military training around their regular jobs. I work in an industry that has pretty widely-varying shifts, and I'm not sure I'd be able to take ten weeks to go for training. How do others handle it?

Some employers have a Military Leave Policy.

 

[George Wallace]

I spent a few years in the reg force in officer training, including completing IAP, BOTP, and some time in kindergarten... er, I mean, RMC. I decided to pursue other career options, so I left before I was MOC qualified, but now I'm considering joining the reserves as an NCM. Does anyone know if I'd get some credit for my past experience, such as bypassing BMQ or even joining at a higher rank? I know a few guys who switched from officer to NCM before they finished their MOC training and were made corporals, but they were still on active service, and I think they'd done CAP. Obviously it would be best to talk to a recruiter, but I'll be more interested and more likely to follow through if I know I won't have to start from the bottom again.
I'm also curious about how reservists handle scheduling military training around their regular jobs. I work in an industry that has pretty widely-varying shifts, and I'm not sure I'd be able to take ten weeks to go for training. How do others handle it?

Much will depend on how long ago it was that you were in the Reg Force and Released.  If over ten years, you can almost guarantee that you will start at square one.  If less than five years, and depending on whether you have completed CAP, you may be granted a BMQ and BMQ (L) bypass, and on completion of Trades Trg there is a possibility that you may be accelerated to MCpl.  There are many factors that must be considered, starting with the time you have been away from the military, to the courses that you have completed and what you get credited towards, positions available at a Reserve unit, the desire/attitude of the CoC of that unit to promote, etc.

If you will require BMQ and BMQ (L), they are conducted for the most part on weekends and during the summer months.  You may have to use up Leave days from your occupation to attend.  Some courses are broken down into modules, where you can stretch a Crse over longer period of time, but the downside is: you are untrained until you complete the course, and therefore unemployable as a trained member.

A good number of Reservists have full-time jobs in all aspects of civilian life, and are able to juggle their time.  Depending on your civilian job, there is likely one or two in similar jobs who are members on this site.