Questions about recruiting process

[PrinceBoxcar]

So, i'm 16 and I want to join the primary reserve. I talked to a recruiting officer but I was a bit shy to ask questions for fear of seeming ignorant. I have a few questions...first of all, i'm homeschooled and in grade ten. Will that effect anything? I know you have to complete 10 and have 6 credits to go in, is that 100& set in stone? I'm also wondering how long it took YOU to get in after submitting your application? And also, I have a bit of extra weight on me but I can hit all the top requirements for the physical, will my weight affect my chances? I'm a bit flustered and want to get in now,  :-\ but I know I have to wait...any and all help is greatly appreciated. 

 

[brihard]

So, i'm 16 and I want to join the primary reserve. I talked to a recruiting officer but I was a bit shy to ask questions for fear of seeming ignorant. I have a few questions...first of all, i'm homeschooled and in grade ten. Will that effect anything? I know you have to complete 10 and have 6 credits to go in, is that 100& set in stone? I'm also wondering how long it took YOU to get in after submitting your application? And also, I have a bit of extra weight on me but I can hit all the top requirements for the physical, will my weight affect my chances? I'm a bit flustered and want to get in now,  :-\ but I know I have to wait...any and all help is greatly appreciated. 

1- Yes, grade 10 is mandatory. That's set in stone.

2- Under current recruiting policy, you must be either 17, or 16 in the case of a full time student to join the military. I'm not sure if recruiting policy has yet contemplated the situation of a 16 year old with grade 10 complete who is being homeschooled. You'll have to ask a recruiter.

3- Your weight in and of itself will not affect your chances. Note that any published fitness standards should be considered a minimum to aim for. Aim to signigicantly exceed what is stated as required for joining.

4- It took me a few months to get in. As a recent recruiter at a reserve unit, I've seen it take anything from 2 months to over a year, or longer. There is no standard you can expect, however 4 or 5 months would be cautiously reasonable. You cannot begin this process until you meet age and educational requirements, plus any others.

5- Recruits expect you to not know the ins and out. Their job is to get the right people into the military, which includes answering many questions. So ask them. If you're polite and you've made some effort to learn what you're able it will be no means be held against you.

 

[Shiggalowe]

5- Recruits expect you to not know the ins and out. Their job is to get the right people into the military, which includes answering many questions. So ask them. If you're polite and you've made some effort to learn what you're able it will be no means be held against you.

100% agree with this post. When I started the recruiting process I wasn't too keen on asking questions for fear of sounding like a fool. Trust me though, you can save yourself a ton of headaches and worries by sucking it up and just asking. Chances are it's a question they've heard asked before and they'll be more than happy to set you straight on the matter.

 

[brihard]

I'll be more blunt on it... When I landed the recruiting job for a time, it was a second (or third... or fourth...) hat that I was wearing. My main job remained infantry section commander, and that's the mindset I bring to things, right or wrong. My primary motivation when dealing with potential applicants was making sure I gave them as good an idea as I can convey to a civilian of what they would expect were they to make it in and work for myself or my peers. I get to motivate those who really want to do it, and plant those seeds of doubt in the minds of at least some whou shouldn't have walked through my door.

Ask the questions, get answers. This may mean you decide it's not for you- excellent, you save yourself some agony and save some instructors some hassle. Or you may decide you still want to join, but do something different. Or, best possibility, you're now better equipped to go through the rest of the process, be a competitive applicant, and show up worth the time and effort of your instructors and your eventual peers and leadership.

Time spent learning what the job is about is never wasted.

 

[DexOlesa]

3- Your weight in and of itself will not affect your chances. Note that any published fitness standards should be considered a minimum to aim for. Aim to signigicantly exceed what is stated as required for joining.

+1. I could perform better than the standard when I went off to BMOQ. However if I had been 20lbs lighter and could crank out 10+ pullups as well as the other standards, I would have had a MUCH easier time of it.