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Hi there, I'm thinking of joining the British armed forces as an officer, and I was wondering if I could get your advice. A bit about me: I'm in my early 20s - a Commonwealth citizen who has been living in the UK for the past 5-and-a-bit years. I have a social science degree from a top-tier British university. I'm currently working for a PR agency with a focus on crisis management. Before that, I worked in Parliament as an aide. I've been thinking about joining one of the branches of the British military for about a year now - probably either the Army or the RAF. There are a few reasons for this: First of all: from a practical perspective, I need a visa to stay in the country, which I desperately want to do. Joining up would give me this. Second: I really like this country, and feel the kind of loyalty to it that I think only really comes when you're an immigrant. It's the kind of place I'd like to fight for. Third: I don't really know where my career is going at the moment, and my current job doesn't feel very secure. So I figure the military would give me some concrete assurance that - at the very least - I've got a promotion to look forward to, and my employer probably won't go out of business any time soon. Fourth: I also really dislike my industry. Apart from going back to school (which I can't afford and don't really want to do anyway) joining up sounds like the most straightforward way to change tack. Fifth: I'm out of shape, and deciding to join up would give me a concrete incentive to lose some weight and get in shape in order to meet the fitness standards. Sixth: I think I've got a bit of a character flaw, in that I tend to be pretty bad at doing stuff I don't like doing. This sounds stupid, but I think it's stopping me from really excelling at work and getting in shape... etc. In the military, you tend to be forced to do poo poo you hate - it's part of the culture. So maybe I'd learn some... discipline, I guess? If I do end up joining, it won't be until around this time next year. I think this gives me enough time to get in shape and prepare for the various aptitude tests. ---- All this said... I don't know if I should do it and, if so, how best to go about it. So, a few questions: 1) How far above and beyond the entry fitness requirements should I be? e.g.: I need to be able to run 1.5 miles in 11 minutes to join the RAF, but should I actually aim to be able to do it in 9 mins, because otherwise I'll burn out in training? 2) 9 years seems like a hell of a long time to sign my life away for. What exactly would I be doing all day? Is there enough flexibility that, if I find I really dislike and/or suck at my assigned role, I can switch to something else? Or am I stuck with that for as long as I'm in the military? 3) Does the military need people like me? I know that's pretty impossible to tell just from what I've written... So, generally speaking, what do the various branches look for in their officers? 4) As a Commonwealth citizen, I can join as an officer, but will my nationality make it harder to make my way up the ranks, even after I finally get British citizenship? 5) How much choice do I have in terms of where I get posted? 6) Should I learn a third language? Will this make me more useful? Is the military looking for particular languages at the moment? Got any other advice for me? Need more info? I'd really appreciate your advice, both UK specific and more general.
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Apr 10, 2014 23:29
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| # ¿ May 22, 2024 06:28 |
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Sir Lucius posted:I'm United States, but I'm pretty sure this is global. This point: OK, true. I guess it's more of the latter for me. Like, if I want to join the military, I need to be fit. But I also need to get fit anyway, because I don't like being fat. So I guess I'll get fit over the next year anyway, and if I choose to join up then good, but even if I don't join up I'll still be happy I got in shape. I'm not treating it like fat camp. I want to be as fit as possible when I join.
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Apr 11, 2014 00:35
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