Narrowed down to three choices...

[alexpb]

NCI OP
Naval Communicator
Sonar (TAS) OP

I really don't know which to pick. I liked the sounds of them all.

I have a few questions though. How hard is it to get one of the three selected? I have up to grade 11 (so grade 10 minimum) education, i'm 18 years old.
I really would like to join the Navy and not the Army, the Navy just looks so much better to me.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

I am planning on handing my application in sometime this week, and hopefully becoming apart of the Navy.

That is my dream 

Thanks,

Alex

 

[Roy Harding]

NCI OP
Naval Communicator
Sonar (TAS) OP

I really don't know which to pick. I liked the sounds of them all.

I have a few questions though. How hard is it to get one of the three selected? I have up to grade 11 (so grade 10 minimum) education, i'm 18 years old.
I really would like to join the Navy and not the Army, the Navy just looks so much better to me.

Any advice would be much appreciated.

I am planning on handing my application in sometime this week, and hopefully becoming apart of the Navy.

That is my dream 

Thanks,

Alex

I'll give you the best advice you'll receive in your life (which, naturally - being 18, you'll ignore).  FINISH High School.  THEN, having proved that you finish what you started, apply to join the CF.  Your choices will be wider, as will your other prospects, should it not pan out for one reason or another.

 

[alexpb]

Yes, your advice is much appreciated, and i have given it a lot of thought. I only need 10 credits. So just over 1 school year.
The thing is school really wasn't the place for me. It might sound like a lie, but it's true. I would much rather be out and being hands on, and making a difference one way or another, then being stuck in a class room

Now i know that there is a lot of work (ie. being taught how to preform a job, which is much like school) but atleast i know im learning something for my future occupation. I really feel like joining now, and those three jobs are my top choices.

I really appreciate your advice though.

Does anyone else have any info regarding the choices mentioned?

Thanks,

Alex

(and please don't take it like i'm disregarding your advice at all, i just know what i want, and what i've wanted for the last couple of years (i waited until i was of legal age).

 

[Roy Harding]

Yes, your advice is much appreciated, and i have given it a lot of thought. I only need 10 credits. So just over 1 school year.
The thing is school really wasn't the place for me. It might sound like a lie, but it's true. I would much rather be out and being hands on, and making a difference one way or another, then being stuck in a class room

Now i know that there is a lot of work (ie. being taught how to preform a job, which is much like school) but atleast i know im learning something for my future occupation. I really feel like joining now, and those three jobs are my top choices.

I really appreciate your advice though.

Does anyone else have any info regarding the choices mentioned?

Thanks,

Alex

(and please don't take it like i'm disregarding your advice at all, i just know what i want, and what i've wanted for the last couple of years (i waited until i was of legal age).

I know you're not ignoring my advice, and I appreciate that your reply was couched in terms that I can relate to.  Well said, and I applaud you for it.

I cannot answer your Naval questions, as my background is Army - I'm sure there are others on the board who will answer your element specific questions for you.

I can't let this go, however, as I feel strongly about it - and because I'm impressed with your answer to my original post.

No matter which element of the CF you may choose, they are all military.  And the military expects that you finish what you started - no matter how hard, no matter how boring, indeed no matter how dangerous.

You are not willing to finish the most basic element of education available to you - because you don't like being stuck in a classroom.  View it as an initiation rite if you must, view it as penance if you must - but do it.  You will find that much of the military (no matter the element) involves classroom instruction - it's not always fun, it's not always entertaining - but it's almost always necessary.

I am totally impressed with your answer to me, it displays a level of maturity and introspection I was not expecting to hear back from my post.  Solely based on that answer, I think you may have what it takes to be an effective sailor and leader in the future - give yourself the basics and you'll be surprised at how far you might go.

Good luck to you, no matter your decision.

 

[RecDiver]

Hi Alex;

I apologize for not directly answering your question, however I would like to second Roy's comments.

My daughter was going thru some hard time around your age partly due to school she was in, partly due to friends she was hanging out with, partly due to my divorce battles. With proper couching, guidance and patience she not only finished high school, but she also finished university and now completing her Masters. She will be starting PhD this fall. 

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE do yourself a favour and do not limit your future by ignoring an additional year of schooling. Numbered  days always go fast. Before you know it, its Xmas, then March break, then summer. Now you have a better future and more options.  Think of it as a personal challange. Something you will be proud of. Something you will tell your own children that, no matter how tempting it was, you did not quit, and you finished your task. And that makes you a perfect candidate for any job in the real world.

And actually its not really a WHOLE year of schooling... From Sept to July its 10 months.. Which is about 42 weeks. Take away the various breaks. That nets about 38 or so weeks.Which nets about 190 days. And assuming you go to school from 9 to 3. Thats about 2/3rds of a day. So your real net is reduced to about 130 days.. Only 130 days of pain to endour for a whole lifetime worth of options..... Creative, eh?

My $0.02...

 

[bossi]

Once upon a time ... I was in Recruiting.

The best thing you can do for yourself is to finish your education.
That's not advice - that's a fact.

It's difficult to be "competitive" with others who've finished high school, or even college, if you've only got the "minimum" education ... (read between the lines:  They'd get selected - you wouldn't).

Is it rough in school?  Don't enjoy it?
It's rough being unemployed with no education.  You won't enjoy that, either.

And, I'm Army also - however, I expect some of our Maritime SME's will be only too glad to point out that our Navy is equally becoming as high-tech as any of our other forces ...

Tough words?  Yup.
Life's tough - it's tougher when you're enthusiastic, but unarmed in a battle of wits ...

 

[CallOfDuty]

  Hey man, let me tell you................I tried to get into the army regs about a year and a half ago.............I have my grade 12, all university prep courses.....on the honour roll...............yada yada yada............  That still was not enough to make me a competitive applicant.  Listen to these guys man, get  your grade 12, but not only that, get good marks.  You will only benefit from it in the future!!
  Cheers mate
Steve

 

[RMC Sqn NCO]

Alex, the 3 trades that you're interested in are all quite difficult, meaning that if you think high school is hard, it won't get any easier in the forces. Just so you know, if you show up at the recruiting center without your high school diploma, they might only offer you easier trades. Do yourself a favor, complete your HS and then you can join the navy.. there's no life like it.

Cheers

 

[Ex-Dragoon]

NCI-OP and Sonar Op you have to be really good with math....the more education you have the better it is for you and the Forces.

 

[FSTO]

The Navy is short of Naval Combat Trade personnel so you will have a good chance of getting in. That being said, you should finish your high-school now because the days of getting ahead with out education is over. If you do get in, take every opportunity to advance your education with the program offered by the CF.

 

[NavyShooter]

I won't beat the drum any further, but I will point out some of my own experience.

I joined the Navy out of High School to "Get away from school"  I did the first semester of the college course I started, but never did complete that.

I joined as an NET(A), and was supposed to have been an operator for the first 3-5 years, followed by a longer tech course to get my tech training.

I ended up doing an 18 month QL3 course.  I joined the Navy to get away from a classroom, and spent another year and a half in one.

As an NCI OP, Sonar OP, or whatever trade you may choose, education will be a continual part of your job.  Be it your initial trades training, your advanced trade training, your QL4 OJT package, an IT Course, etc etc.  I've spent approximately 1/4 of my 13 years in the Navy in the fleet school or on other training courses.

It's not an "escape" from the classroom at all.

Now, that said, there is a much more practical level to the military's training courses.  When I was in OAC Calculus, I could not for the life of me ever figure out why it was important to know the volume of a cone, or the area under a parabola.  When I took Calculus on the Tech course, they showed my direct applications to the equipment I worked on, and it suddenly became much more relevant to me.

I'll join the others in the chorus here, and while I applaud your maturity, I will also suggest perseverance.

NavyShooter

 

[alexpb]

Thank you for all the replies. I really appreciate the input.

I just recently (after talking it over with family and reading more about the trades) changed my three top trade choices.

It is odd, because I sort of moved away from the Navy entirely.

I have chosen:

1. Armoured Soldier
2. Artillery Soldier - Field
3. Naval Communicator

A question I have;
[Please disregard my educational background and my age]

How exactly does it become narrowed down? The aptitude test will obviously give me results in which trades I would be suitable in. But will the CFRC tell me which trade is in more need of employees?
I am going to go out on a limb and guess that armoured soldier is very popular, and they could possibly use someone in Naval Communicator more. I do not know if they would be in dire need of anymore people in that trade, but I was just curious if it would be my choice in the end out of the top three.

I would also like to reply to the above post;
I would actually not mind going through school while in the CF. I think my main problem is that the people who I hang around with, and the peer influences I have had, had a lot to due with me not finishing highschool.
I seriously think that while in the CF, taking classes and learning my future trade, that I will succeed. This due to the strict discipline. My highschool was horrible, and i have had a lot of horrible peers.
With this change, I am sure I will not have any bad influences on me.

Sorry I am rambling on here.

Thank you very much for the replies, and thank you for the few compliments on my maturity, it is much appreciated. 


Alex

 

[NavComm]

Hi Alex,

I recently applied for NavComm. I'm not sure what the CFAT cut-off for that trade is but I believe the higher your education, the better for any trade.

You can ask at the recruiting centre. I'm sure you will have the opportunity to discuss which trades have more openings once you attend the CFRC.

My advice is to not make solid decisions until you've been down to the CFRC and talked to them about what your best course of action is.

I was like you way back when I was in highschool and I ended up getting my highschool diploma as an adult student. This led to more schooling and a very good civvie job I've had for 19 yrs. In those 19 years I've been sent on courses for skill upgrading many many times. Education is ongoing and the more of it you have, the more competitive you become. I understand completely what you are saying about peers, but just remember, this is YOUR future and only you can benefit or suffer from the decisions you make.

Good luck in whatever you decide.