Joining the Forces
Discussion
Good afternoon, too anyone who reads this!
I am 22, currently at Uni, studying ICT, but not seeing anything at the end of the tunnel, my life (for quite some time) has felt incredibly idle and is lacking purpose or future.
For the past year or so I've been thinking about joining the forces, not necessarily to continue with my IT skills - but just as a career/life change.
Essentially the main goal of this post was to see if anyone on this vast forum has been/are in the forces and if they could tell me about day to day life and what it is really like? If my memory serves correctly, I know there is one indivudual on PH who is in the forces?
Anyway, TIA.
- Possibly the only time I could ever use this smiley?!
I am 22, currently at Uni, studying ICT, but not seeing anything at the end of the tunnel, my life (for quite some time) has felt incredibly idle and is lacking purpose or future.
For the past year or so I've been thinking about joining the forces, not necessarily to continue with my IT skills - but just as a career/life change.
Essentially the main goal of this post was to see if anyone on this vast forum has been/are in the forces and if they could tell me about day to day life and what it is really like? If my memory serves correctly, I know there is one indivudual on PH who is in the forces?
Anyway, TIA.
- Possibly the only time I could ever use this smiley?! Good, at least someone else is in the same boat! I'm currently at my parents (Harpenden), and spoke to the Luton recruitment officer and he advised me to go to the one in Bournemouth (where I'm at Uni) - So I'm going to drop in on Wednesday.
After you've been, do you fancy updating the thread with your experience so I know what to expect?
Cheers, Allister
After you've been, do you fancy updating the thread with your experience so I know what to expect?
Cheers, Allister
Haven't really got any idea what area of the forces I *REALLY* want to go into - I would partiality enjoy continuing the whole IT thing, but honestly, I'm not that fussed - My life is idle and major changes need to be made.
I'm really hoping that the chat with the recruitment officer will help me find where I would fit in.
I'm really hoping that the chat with the recruitment officer will help me find where I would fit in.
V8mate said:
allister88 said:
I'm really hoping that the chat with the recruitment officer will help me find where I would fit in.
They're just like salesmen in Currys. They'll tell you that whichever regiment/corps etc has the most vacancies is the most exciting and worthwhile there is.
tting it. Hmm.Allister
I left university after doing my B.Eng not knowing what I wanted to do and joined the RAF on a commission initially to pay off student debts and leave in 4 years, I ended up staying almost 10 years! I had a great time and the extra qualifications and aircraft experience I gained stood me in good stead when I returned to civvy street. It isn't all sweetness and light though and you need to go into it with an open mind, I've been to some of the biggest holes there are but feel better for seeing them and have been to some great places doing things I never thought of trying. I have seen repatriations from Basrah and our squadron lost aircrew but on the other hand I have met some incredible people who I stay in touch with who would back me up in any situation. Go for it.
I only left last year so if you have any questions PM me.
I only left last year so if you have any questions PM me.
Edited by statts1976uk on Thursday 8th April 17:45
For the army look at this; beware of the locals, they've never been arrested for molesting visitors, but that's just for lack of evidence!
For the navy look at this
For the raf look at this
I dabbled at the edges of being a civil servant in the MoD and have been TA with the sappers, so I can reasonably say you'll learn more on these forums than you'll ever learn from visiting a careers office. Do however visit the careers office and blag as many visits and experience days as you can; even if you decide against the career, they are great fun and you get to meet a variety of forces types who will tell tall tales.
For the navy look at this
For the raf look at this
I dabbled at the edges of being a civil servant in the MoD and have been TA with the sappers, so I can reasonably say you'll learn more on these forums than you'll ever learn from visiting a careers office. Do however visit the careers office and blag as many visits and experience days as you can; even if you decide against the career, they are great fun and you get to meet a variety of forces types who will tell tall tales.
I have applied for the Navy, I went to the careers office in March then did my recruitment test a few weeks after, then the medical which i passed, and today I have my Pre joining fitness test. but with the navy once you pass everything theres huge waiting list for just about every job. The one im hoping for is air engineering tech and the waiting list for that is 24 months.
i joined in a similar position, i was 6 months in to a college course and couldnt see any light at the end of the tunnel, one day i just went into the recruitment office, 3 months later i was on the train to pirbright ATC.
served for nearly 6 years before being medically discharged and did lots of things i would have never got the chance to, and experienced things that i wouldnt wish on anybody, BUT it made me a much better person and i gained so much, i got all my driving licences for nothing, did 30+ parachute jumps, blew things up, helped rebuild 3 countrys and met some chaps that have become lifelong mates.
as has already been said, take you time and decide what YOU want to do, then go for it, dont be put of by some of the negative press the forces get from some sections of the media, you will find that people respect you for signing up to do what they couldnt/wouldnt do.
served for nearly 6 years before being medically discharged and did lots of things i would have never got the chance to, and experienced things that i wouldnt wish on anybody, BUT it made me a much better person and i gained so much, i got all my driving licences for nothing, did 30+ parachute jumps, blew things up, helped rebuild 3 countrys and met some chaps that have become lifelong mates.
as has already been said, take you time and decide what YOU want to do, then go for it, dont be put of by some of the negative press the forces get from some sections of the media, you will find that people respect you for signing up to do what they couldnt/wouldnt do.
casbar said:
If you have a degree, try to get a commision, a lot easier life. I did 25 years in the Royal Signals, its a good corp, with loads of different and interesting jobs. But its nothing like being in the RAF, whatever the last poster says.
I was answering the OP; he is after views of the forces in general.Have to agree with you, there is a vast difference between some Army/RAF comms jobs. As far as the RAF side of things go there are a huge variety of jobs available, from office IT, to deployed comms in the forward operating bases, to working in places like GCHQ and Whitehall.
If you have the brains to be in university then I'd have to agree that Officer is the way to go. You don't have to limit yourself to engineering either - speak to an AFCO and see if they can arrange a visit to a nearby Army unit/RAF station. Probably a bit late now but see if there is an OTC/UAS at your uni, they might be able to sort something out.
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