Joining RAF as officer at 42

Well i had my officer filter interview today and failed so i can either wait 12 months to build up charity work and take on external responsibilties etc which is what i am missing or go through as a non-officer.

Air Ops specialist has now closed so my 2nd choice was Intel Analyst which he said i have passed the test for and is recruiting so i am going to take a week to decide on that or giving up on the RAF altogether. I don't think waiting 12 months is right for me as the role could stop recruiting in the meantime.

Sorry to hear this! I appreciate that hearing this news, especially when considering a career change later on, is difficult. Take the time to think about what you want to do and go from there.

Reply 21

isothermal

4

Original post by gazberg

Well i had my officer filter interview today and failed so i can either wait 12 months to build up charity work and take on external responsibilties etc which is what i am missing or go through as a non-officer.

Air Ops specialist has now closed so my 2nd choice was Intel Analyst which he said i have passed the test for and is recruiting so i am going to take a week to decide on that or giving up on the RAF altogether. I don't think waiting 12 months is right for me as the role could stop recruiting in the meantime.

Very sorry to hear. Only you know what the best route is now - you could keep RAF on the back burner as it were, and revisit things when the time has passed. I was 21 when I first applied so different circumstances, but I was in a good job, kept up the volunteering with the cadets, got fitter, and applied again - but, different, as that was my ambition (I did have a post graduate course as my back up, but I got in ...).

I'm working my way through the Reserves at present, as the AFCO can't process a Rejoiner application in parallel, but I still wonder how I will fare at filter interview should things progress that far. It is tough and a lot of people get turned away for seemingly arbitrary things. Let the time pass, think on it, see where you are in a year.

Reply 22

gazberg

OP

5

Thanks all.

Now i've had 48 hours to sit on it i will re-apply as an officer. Not in exactly a year as they offered but in my own time.

Going to spend the 18 months travelling and working abroad, try some new experiences, get involved in some international communities actually and boost my chances of getting in the RAF as well hopefully.

Reply 23

isothermal

4

Original post by gazberg

Thanks all.

Now i've had 48 hours to sit on it i will re-apply as an officer. Not in exactly a year as they offered but in my own time.

Going to spend the 18 months travelling and working abroad, try some new experiences, get involved in some international communities actually and boost my chances of getting in the RAF as well hopefully.

Excellent plan :smile:

(watch out on residency when going abroad!). Very best of luck - you can smash it next time for sure.

OP

Thanks very much!

Original post by gazberg

Well i had my officer filter interview today and failed so i can either wait 12 months to build up charity work and take on external responsibilties etc which is what i am missing or go through as a non-officer.

Air Ops specialist has now closed so my 2nd choice was Intel Analyst which he said i have passed the test for and is recruiting so i am going to take a week to decide on that or giving up on the RAF altogether. I don't think waiting 12 months is right for me as the role could stop recruiting in the meantime.

Really sorry to hear about this. I've got my interview next week (I've had very little time to prepare due to personal reasons) so only got eight days but I'm just wondering how in depth they were about aircraft types? Do you reckon learning around 3 from each section (e.g. 3 combat, 3 ISTAR etc) would be good enough for the filter interview?

Reply 26

Tempest II

16

Original post by kingcutt

Definitely great to find and read this thread - thank you for posting!

I'm 36 (37 at the end of the month) and recently contacted my local AFCO to arrange a meeting and discuss my potential options. Would have been a dream to go for WSOp or WSO, but sadly a few years too old now. Therefore, interested in IntO (but my wife is a Spanish citizen which I believe disqualifies me from this role) or Air Op.

Glad to know I won't be the only aged whiskey in the process if I am able to go ahead. Best of luck to all of you with your applications and the process!

Apologies for being a tad late to the party here, but it might be worth querying that foreign spouse "rule". I know plenty of members of the said community and the RAF in general with the similar level of clearances with foreign spouses, albeit them being generally either from "Five Eyes" nations or Western Europe.
There are certainly spousal nationalities that will prevent you from getting a clearance necessary from a role in the intelligence community - Russian, Chinese, Iranian, Eastern European in general (eg Ukrainian) to name the obvious. The military does like seemingly arbitrary rules so I certainly can't promise you'll get anywhere, but you'll lose nothing by asking.

Reply 27

WildOak

2

Original post by gazberg

Well i had my officer filter interview today and failed so i can either wait 12 months to build up charity work and take on external responsibilties etc which is what i am missing or go through as a non-officer.

Air Ops specialist has now closed so my 2nd choice was Intel Analyst which he said i have passed the test for and is recruiting so i am going to take a week to decide on that or giving up on the RAF altogether. I don't think waiting 12 months is right for me as the role could stop recruiting in the meantime.

Happy to have found this thread! What did you decide to do in the end?

I am 41 and currently applying for IntO. Did you take a CBAT?

Also, you mentioned building up charity work; just wondering what you mean by this?