Questions about DEO from a (very) green outsider

[Thermostat]

Hi everyone-

I've been reading the forums for quite some time, and I've finally gotten up to asking my own share of questions. Cutting to the chase, I'm interested in applying as an Officer in the Forces. It's been something that I've been considering since high school. I have zero military experience, an undergraduate degree, but strong aspirations to serve my country well.

But, here are my questions:

1. I'm finding the forces.ca website to be very confusing- how do applying officer cadets get the job they're shooting for? For example, the forces.ca website lists all of these great trades (eg. Intelligence Officer, Public Affairs Officer). Now, I know that you don't just get into any trade you apply for. Is your success in getting into a particular trade dependent on its availability?  In other words, how do you go from aspiring applicant to that particular trade you want to get into?

2. Which trades are in high demand in the forces, right now?  I want to get a feel for things, but at the same time I want to be useful.

3. As a Regular Officer, how much time can you expect to be away from home when you're not on tour? I understand that the needs of the Forces are paramount- I have a fiancee and family in Toronto (not exactly a hub for CF activity). Should I tell the fiancee to pack her things and head up to Petawawa, or wherever I'll be stationed? Or, is there a work-life balanced that's achieved in some way?

4. What do starting Officers start at as far as pay? A lot of figures I see start out at the 2nd Lieutenant rank, but have nothing to say for anything below that.

5. I hate self-entitled yuppies with fancy degrees, and I'm sure a lot of you folks do. For someone who's as green as I am and who, at some point, wants to end up as an Air Combat Systems Officer during a more senior part of my career (gotta walk before you crawl, right?), how do folks usually start out while earning their stripes? Is it suggested to go from enlisted to Officer, or dive right into DEO?

6. What in the world is the "Hot Jobs" section on the forces.ca website, anyway? Jobs that are in demand?

I do have other questions, but I'd like to get some insight on these issues before shooting any more.

Thanks a lot.

 

[George Wallace]

DEOs do not go to RMC or CMR.  DEO is a completely different Entry Plan than ROTP.  DEO is an Entry Plan for persons who have paid their own way through University and have already earned a Degree.

 

[FDO]

My advice to you is come in and talk to a recruiter. You can ask for me. Just ask for "really good looking Navy guy in the front office" or ask for any other recruiter. They can answer all your questions.

Our hours are Mon - Thurs 8:30 - 5:00 and Fri 8:30 - 4. We are at 4900 Yonge St ( Sheppard Building) main floor right across from the main enterence.

I'll answer some quickly for you right now. If you want to be an Air Combat Systems Officer then you join as a ACSO. You "earn your strips" (by the way officers wear "bars") by learning your job and doing it. As for time away, it depends on your Sqn. Usually in the Air Force you fly out of a base, fly back into the base, go home. If you are posted to a Ship's Helo det you usually leave when the ship leaves. Ships on average not including deployments spend anywhere from 2 - 6 months away from home.

"Hot Jobs" are the ones we are very short in right now.

Come in and see us, talk to a recruiter.

 

[Thermostat]

My advice to you is come in and talk to a recruiter. You can ask for me. Just ask for "really good looking Navy guy in the front office" or ask for any other recruiter. They can answer all your questions.

Our hours are Mon - Thurs 8:30 - 5:00 and Fri 8:30 - 4. We are at 4900 Yonge St ( Sheppard Building) main floor right across from the main enterence.

I'll answer some quickly for you right now. If you want to be an Air Combat Systems Officer then you join as a ACSO. You "earn your strips" (by the way officers wear "bars") by learning your job and doing it. As for time away, it depends on your Sqn. Usually in the Air Force you fly out of a base, fly back into the base, go home. If you are posted to a Ship's Helo det you usually leave when the ship leaves. Ships on average not including deployments spend anywhere from 2 - 6 months away from home.

"Hot Jobs" are the ones we are very short in right now.

Come in and see us, talk to a recruiter.

Thanks a lot for the info! I'll definitely stop by next week.

 

[Park]

Disclaimer: I am not an authority on the issue, but this is what my research has uncovered.

1. I'm finding the forces.ca website to be very confusing- how do applying officer cadets get the job they're shooting for? For example, the forces.ca website lists all of these great trades (eg. Intelligence Officer, Public Affairs Officer). Now, I know that you don't just get into any trade you apply for. Is your success in getting into a particular trade dependent on its availability?  In other words, how do you go from aspiring applicant to that particular trade you want to get into?

If you apply as a DEO, you will still be asked what trades you would most prefer, ranked 1 to 3.  In your case, there will be a field on the application where you would specifically say something like: 1) Intelligence (Officer), 2) Public Affairs (Officer), and 3)....

2. Which trades are in high demand in the forces, right now?  I want to get a feel for things, but at the same time I want to be useful.

On the forces.ca site, jobs in demand are denoted with stars on the job explorer
http://www.forces.ca/html/jobexplorer_en.aspx

4. What do starting Officers start at as far as pay? A lot of figures I see start out at the 2nd Lieutenant rank, but have nothing to say for anything below that.

It is possible that you will be paid the ROTP rate during training (not sure), which looks like the low $30Ks, bumped to mid $40K when you become 2nd Lieutenant under DEO. not exact, but should provide a reasonable expectation.  There is a bit of discrepancy between this link: http://www.cmp-cpm.forces.gc.ca/dgcb-dgras/ps/pay-sol/pr-sol/rfor-ofr-eng.asp  and the forces.ca site 

6. What in the world is the "Hot Jobs" section on the forces.ca website, anyway? Jobs that are in demand?

That appears to be the case.  They coincide with the "in demand" jobs on the HTML version of the site.