looking for some advice pertaining to my situation

[xXpyroteccXx]

Hey my name is Bruce, I am 22 years old and currently working on the oil patch in northern Alberta as an apprentice electrician and have been for the last year or so, originally from Vancouver. although i love what I'm doing as an electrician i feel that now is the perfect time for me to follow my dream of being in the military, ever since i was in High school i have wanted to be a part of the team. I've been frequenting this site regularly for some advice on how to best go about getting a job in the infantry as a regular member in the force. I applied about 3 weeks ago only to have the recruiter tell me that the trade was closed, even though it was fairly discouraging at first i manned up and am keeping my drive to be in the army alive.

I have gotten plenty of direction from previous posts and realize now that the infantry is a lot harder to get into then i first realized but i thought maybe somebody who has made it through the process,  and has some experience with it would be able to shed some light on the pros and cons of joining the reserves first ( depending on the demands of the reserves ) and asking for a CT, as opposed to applying as a civilian. I have asked two buddy's of mine who are currently in the CF and they both have told me two different things, the forums on this site seem helpful so i appreciate any feedback on my situation

thank you for taking the time out of your day to read my post i look forward to hearing what the community has to say 

 

[ballz]

What part of northern Alberta? Do you commute? What kind of shifts do you work?

Having lived and worked in Fort Mac, I know how different everybody's scenario is. You will have to be specific about your scenario so we can tell you if the PRes will even be compatible for you or not. Also, depending on where you are, there may not even be a unit nearby (living in Fort Mac, I had no option to join the PRes...).

 

[xXpyroteccXx]

Well i hear fort mac is a beautiful place   I'm actually in Grande prairie, and to the best of my knowledge there are no res units out this way either, closest one i have found is in Edmonton. currently for the most part my shifts are during the week cause i just got a job that works out of Grande  prairie mainly to the south of town. the last company i was out for months at a time ( which was bunk ). now the thing is that i am not terribly opposed to moving and finding new work in Edmonton or going back to Vancouver so that i could be a reserve member and continue my apprenticeship in the meantime

 

[RCDtpr]

I wouldn't leave a job just to relocate for the purpose of joining the reserves.

If I were you, I'd stick it out where are if you don't mind the work.  The infantry won't be closed forever.

 

[ballz]

Yes, unfortunately Grande Prairie is a bit far from Edmonton for the CF.

Someone here can comment better on the general PRes way, but basically you've got to train 1 night a week (so say 7pm - 10:30pm), plus one weekend a month. Your going to need a job that can accomodate for that (which is why, having worked shiftwork and doing the ol' 24-4 on shutdowns type of deal, I know that a lot of jobs in the oil patch can't...), as well as be fairly close to a PRes unit.

Speak about it to a recruiter, but I would say being in Grande Prairie you're S.O.L., and as an electrician, you're going to have to find something that's a lot more mon-fri than the normal electrician jobs in northern Alberta. If you are willing to make big changes like you speak of, you should make sure you are going get hired by a unit first.

And as RCDcpl said, the infantry won't be closed forever.... that said, once you're a journeyman electrician you may no longer want to transition to the infantry for a private's salary... but you could obtain your journeyman ticket and work in the PRes at the same time, and stay with the PRes... it's all a matter of finding what works for you.

 

[xXpyroteccXx]

thanks to the both of you for your input, I'm going to go speak to a recruiter when i can find a day off and drive down to edmonton, and at the same time keep my eye open for the trade to be open again. thanks again i appreciate it

 

[Tow Tripod]

Don't hold your breath for the infantry to open up anytime soon. Even if the tap gets turned back on in April 2012 I can see any Reg Force DP 1 courses starting until Sept 2012, maybe. Why? Because I think we might be the only Army in NATO that completely closes down from May to Sept 01 to train the Primary Reserve in the summer months.

 

[Pusser]

If you have your heart set on the infantry that's one thing, but if you like what you're doing, have you considered becoming an electrician in the CF?  I believe that marine electricians (Navy) are in demand and that there are also electricians in construction engineering (Air Force).  If it's the adrenaline fix you're looking for, marine electricians also have the opportunity to become a Ship's Diver and/or a member of the Boarding Team.