RAF
Hi All,
Just joined this looking for a bit of helpful advice, if anyone could assist I'd appreciate greatly!
I'm inquiring about joining the RAF in probably either the police or PTI role. I am 25 and have a degree behind me however I am put off from joining as an officer having been turned away at the Army Officer Selection Board some 12 months ago. I still like the idea of a military career however, so am looking at alternative options with a view to perhaps commissioning later.
My concerns are, please: would RAF non-commissioned roles be a fulfilling career option? Would I be 'over qualified'? Are the roles mentioned academically challenging? Would I be surrounded by kids 8 years my junior and so probably feel out of place and frustrated?
I have also the option to start work with my brother in Dubai, where the money would be far greater, however I'm keen to find out more about the RAF since it is not something I have considered till late.
Any advice or words of wisdom would be appreciated - many thanks!
James
Just joined this looking for a bit of helpful advice, if anyone could assist I'd appreciate greatly!
I'm inquiring about joining the RAF in probably either the police or PTI role. I am 25 and have a degree behind me however I am put off from joining as an officer having been turned away at the Army Officer Selection Board some 12 months ago. I still like the idea of a military career however, so am looking at alternative options with a view to perhaps commissioning later.
My concerns are, please: would RAF non-commissioned roles be a fulfilling career option? Would I be 'over qualified'? Are the roles mentioned academically challenging? Would I be surrounded by kids 8 years my junior and so probably feel out of place and frustrated?
I have also the option to start work with my brother in Dubai, where the money would be far greater, however I'm keen to find out more about the RAF since it is not something I have considered till late.
Any advice or words of wisdom would be appreciated - many thanks!
James
Do you have 'a sport'?
PTIs tend to be particularly good in at least one sport. When I say good, I mean competitive at a high level.
Why police and PTI? What do you think you have that would make you good at either Trade?
PTIs tend to be particularly good in at least one sport. When I say good, I mean competitive at a high level.
Why police and PTI? What do you think you have that would make you good at either Trade?
Original post by ProStacker
Do you have 'a sport'?
PTIs tend to be particularly good in at least one sport. When I say good, I mean competitive at a high level.
Why police and PTI? What do you think you have that would make you good at either Trade?
PTIs tend to be particularly good in at least one sport. When I say good, I mean competitive at a high level.
Why police and PTI? What do you think you have that would make you good at either Trade?
They're just a couple of trades that interest me and which seem challenging. Play a lot of rugby (low level) and have had an interest in the police as well as the military. Am uncertain though whether with my experience I would find any enlisted role slightly short of my expectations.
Original post by JTB
Hi All,
Just joined this looking for a bit of helpful advice, if anyone could assist I'd appreciate greatly!
I'm inquiring about joining the RAF in probably either the police or PTI role. I am 25 and have a degree behind me however I am put off from joining as an officer having been turned away at the Army Officer Selection Board some 12 months ago. I still like the idea of a military career however, so am looking at alternative options with a view to perhaps commissioning later.
My concerns are, please: would RAF non-commissioned roles be a fulfilling career option? Would I be 'over qualified'? Are the roles mentioned academically challenging? Would I be surrounded by kids 8 years my junior and so probably feel out of place and frustrated?
I have also the option to start work with my brother in Dubai, where the money would be far greater, however I'm keen to find out more about the RAF since it is not something I have considered till late.
Any advice or words of wisdom would be appreciated - many thanks!
James
Just joined this looking for a bit of helpful advice, if anyone could assist I'd appreciate greatly!
I'm inquiring about joining the RAF in probably either the police or PTI role. I am 25 and have a degree behind me however I am put off from joining as an officer having been turned away at the Army Officer Selection Board some 12 months ago. I still like the idea of a military career however, so am looking at alternative options with a view to perhaps commissioning later.
My concerns are, please: would RAF non-commissioned roles be a fulfilling career option? Would I be 'over qualified'? Are the roles mentioned academically challenging? Would I be surrounded by kids 8 years my junior and so probably feel out of place and frustrated?
I have also the option to start work with my brother in Dubai, where the money would be far greater, however I'm keen to find out more about the RAF since it is not something I have considered till late.
Any advice or words of wisdom would be appreciated - many thanks!
James
I can comment from my own experience only as I have graduated from Halton last week I can say that age wise range is between 17-35, mostly people in their twenties, from school leavers to graduates, all seeking new challenges and more full-filling careers.
Do as much research into your choices as possible, see which one is most suitable for yourself, and also do not underestimate the phase 1 training, I think that was the main theme on my course, it will be hard, there will be times when you're on the exercise in freezing cold, wet, lying in the ditch of mud at night with your rifle, helmet and all other kit and you think to yourself, hold on a minute, I could be in Dubai right now... Is it worth it at the end? I think so, I am yet to find out but long-term potentially RAF has a lot to offer to have a good life and fulfilling career, but who knows it's not for everyone.
Anyway, if you have any questions about phase 1 training feel free to ask, while it's fresh in my head.
Miza,
Thanks for this. Sounds like you have had a positive experience so far! What trade are you going for? Where will you be based? I am all up for the hardship of initial training, it is more a concern about the job itself. I am quite glad not to have been accepted into the army as I learn more about some friends' personal accounts of having served in it, however at the time I did ask whether the soldier route would be a good option. A recruiting officer emailed and was quite honest when he said your average graduate probably would feel unchallenged and would not have the same level of maturity or life experience as others in the group. Hence I decided to draw a line under it and look at the RAF.
I'll investigate what enlisted roles would best suit someone looking for both a mental and physical challenge and hopefully get going as soon as possible!
Thanks for this. Sounds like you have had a positive experience so far! What trade are you going for? Where will you be based? I am all up for the hardship of initial training, it is more a concern about the job itself. I am quite glad not to have been accepted into the army as I learn more about some friends' personal accounts of having served in it, however at the time I did ask whether the soldier route would be a good option. A recruiting officer emailed and was quite honest when he said your average graduate probably would feel unchallenged and would not have the same level of maturity or life experience as others in the group. Hence I decided to draw a line under it and look at the RAF.
I'll investigate what enlisted roles would best suit someone looking for both a mental and physical challenge and hopefully get going as soon as possible!
Been in the RAF a few years now, and all I can really tell you is that, although it's a slight cliche; it's what you make of it.
It really depends what you mean by "challenged". If you're looking for a trade that will challenge you both physically and mentally, i'd say that of the two you have expressed an interest in, Police would probably be your best bet. There is always physical challenge to be found in the forces. However, if you're fit enough, my personal recommendation would be PTI. I was just out on "exercise" (really, a free skiing holiday) in Germany, and there are PTI's there that are paid to spend a lot of their time skiing and having a laugh in a picturesque German town. Not exactly a bad life, is it?
So, in my opinion, that recruitment officer is talking out of his arse. You can be as challenged as you want to be, and in certain trades (such as my own - ICT Tech), if you later feel like you'd like to spend your time delegating the actual work to us poor souls, you can get commissioned when you're in.
All that said, you've made the first correct decision in wanting to join the best branch
It really depends what you mean by "challenged". If you're looking for a trade that will challenge you both physically and mentally, i'd say that of the two you have expressed an interest in, Police would probably be your best bet. There is always physical challenge to be found in the forces. However, if you're fit enough, my personal recommendation would be PTI. I was just out on "exercise" (really, a free skiing holiday) in Germany, and there are PTI's there that are paid to spend a lot of their time skiing and having a laugh in a picturesque German town. Not exactly a bad life, is it?
So, in my opinion, that recruitment officer is talking out of his arse. You can be as challenged as you want to be, and in certain trades (such as my own - ICT Tech), if you later feel like you'd like to spend your time delegating the actual work to us poor souls, you can get commissioned when you're in.
All that said, you've made the first correct decision in wanting to join the best branch
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by JTB
I'm inquiring about joining the RAF in probably either the police or PTI role. I am 25 and have a degree behind me however I am put off from joining as an officer having been turned away at the Army Officer Selection Board some 12 months ago. I still like the idea of a military career however, so am looking at alternative options with a view to perhaps commissioning later.
I'm inquiring about joining the RAF in probably either the police or PTI role. I am 25 and have a degree behind me however I am put off from joining as an officer having been turned away at the Army Officer Selection Board some 12 months ago. I still like the idea of a military career however, so am looking at alternative options with a view to perhaps commissioning later.
Don't ever look at something with a view to commissioning later; it's possible, but in some circumstances (especially some trades without a clear link to their commissioned alternatives) even harder than just doing it in the first place. If your trade is short of people, don't expect to be let off to go to OASC and leave before an option point! In a lot of situations, the experience you gain in a trade won't necessarily prepare you for commissioning either, so you're in a lose-lose situation.
If you want to be an officer (and you obviously did), take the advice AOSB gave you. Did they say "never come back, you'll never be an officer?" Or "you're not fit to be an Army officer?" Or "go get some life experience and come back when you're more mature?" If they told you to try something, give it a shot. OASC's different anyway, so what marks you down as an Army candidate won't always mark you down as an RAF one.
The career paths between officer and JR is so different that I wouldn't consider one as an alternative to another. If you were a narrow miss for officer selection, I'd say your second port of call (recruiting issues aside) should be one of the direct entry NCO roles, like ATC or NCA. That's likely to allow you the crossover, responsibility and future commissioning opportunities that JR entry won't.
PTIs do have an easier route to commissioning than some branches as PTI service counts for entry to the PEdO role rather than needing an educational degree, but movement in the admin world leads me to believe the PEdO role will be changing a fair bit in the future so maybe not so useful to hang your hat on.
In summary, the fact that you're worried about the potential degree of challenge in a non-commissioned role makes me worry that you're not likely to enjoy it. You could very well end up working for someone less qualified and perhaps less capable than you, without any of the opportunities to work out of it!
Original post by Wzz
PTIs do have an easier route to commissioning than some branches as PTI service counts for entry to the PEdO role rather than needing an educational degree, but movement in the admin world leads me to believe the PEdO role will be changing a fair bit in the future so maybe not so useful to hang your hat on.
PTIs do have an easier route to commissioning than some branches as PTI service counts for entry to the PEdO role rather than needing an educational degree, but movement in the admin world leads me to believe the PEdO role will be changing a fair bit in the future so maybe not so useful to hang your hat on.
The role has already changed, it merged into personnel in the last few years and PEdO looks to vanish as an independent post, most take on other hats too now. Recently heard they all share a deskie now so no longer a direct link at all.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Exactly what I was referring to; if it does become available as a posting to all existing Pers Spt officers rather than a specific specialisation of its own, then there's less need to allow PTIs to commission.
I haven't heard of a scribbly moving directly to a PEdO post yet though, but I am a bit out of touch.
I haven't heard of a scribbly moving directly to a PEdO post yet though, but I am a bit out of touch.
Original post by Wzz
Exactly what I was referring to; if it does become available as a posting to all existing Pers Spt officers rather than a specific specialisation of its own, then there's less need to allow PTIs to commission.
I haven't heard of a scribbly moving directly to a PEdO post yet though, but I am a bit out of touch.
I haven't heard of a scribbly moving directly to a PEdO post yet though, but I am a bit out of touch.
PEdO as a role doesn't really exist anymore. The one where I work isn't even technically PEdO anymore, he's OC FD Flight now.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by Wzz
Exactly what I was referring to; if it does become available as a posting to all existing Pers Spt officers rather than a specific specialisation of its own, then there's less need to allow PTIs to commission.
I haven't heard of a scribbly moving directly to a PEdO post yet though, but I am a bit out of touch.
I haven't heard of a scribbly moving directly to a PEdO post yet though, but I am a bit out of touch.
There are trawls taking place for Personnel Officers to specialise as PJIs; so todays OC PSF may well be jumping out of planes in the near future..!
Hi,
Thanks for taking the time to reply to this thread. It is not much that I am bothered about who has what educational background, it is more to do with wanting to feel like I am putting my experience to good use and am getting the most out of myself possible. Questions in my mind were I to go in through the ranks are:
-Will my peers/bosses generally be switched on, like minded guys
-Will the typical day for challenging enough for your average graduate
-Or will my first year involve completing tedious and unskilled tasks
-At 25, would this be to my disadvantage
-Would the low salary be something I should consider
-Is it overall a less 'suitable' career choice for someone in my position when compared to the prospect of a commission (and being offered a job with the family business in Dubai)
-Would there be many other grads or people with similar backgrounds to me during my intake
I have got my initial tests booked, for the role of Police, but I of course have doubts going down this route. Serving in the forces is something I have long wanted to do, but I feel that in being turned away from officer entry, it may be wise to look at alternative careers that have a better bearing for the future. The reserves may be the answer perhaps. Any more advice or suggestions would be appreciated as it's obviously a decision not to be taken lightly. Many thanks.
James
Thanks for taking the time to reply to this thread. It is not much that I am bothered about who has what educational background, it is more to do with wanting to feel like I am putting my experience to good use and am getting the most out of myself possible. Questions in my mind were I to go in through the ranks are:
-Will my peers/bosses generally be switched on, like minded guys
-Will the typical day for challenging enough for your average graduate
-Or will my first year involve completing tedious and unskilled tasks
-At 25, would this be to my disadvantage
-Would the low salary be something I should consider
-Is it overall a less 'suitable' career choice for someone in my position when compared to the prospect of a commission (and being offered a job with the family business in Dubai)
-Would there be many other grads or people with similar backgrounds to me during my intake
I have got my initial tests booked, for the role of Police, but I of course have doubts going down this route. Serving in the forces is something I have long wanted to do, but I feel that in being turned away from officer entry, it may be wise to look at alternative careers that have a better bearing for the future. The reserves may be the answer perhaps. Any more advice or suggestions would be appreciated as it's obviously a decision not to be taken lightly. Many thanks.
James
Original post by JTB
Hi,
Thanks for taking the time to reply to this thread. It is not much that I am bothered about who has what educational background, it is more to do with wanting to feel like I am putting my experience to good use and am getting the most out of myself possible. Questions in my mind were I to go in through the ranks are:
-Will my peers/bosses generally be switched on, like minded guys
-Will the typical day for challenging enough for your average graduate
-Or will my first year involve completing tedious and unskilled tasks
-At 25, would this be to my disadvantage
-Would the low salary be something I should consider
-Is it overall a less 'suitable' career choice for someone in my position when compared to the prospect of a commission (and being offered a job with the family business in Dubai)
-Would there be many other grads or people with similar backgrounds to me during my intake
I have got my initial tests booked, for the role of Police, but I of course have doubts going down this route. Serving in the forces is something I have long wanted to do, but I feel that in being turned away from officer entry, it may be wise to look at alternative careers that have a better bearing for the future. The reserves may be the answer perhaps. Any more advice or suggestions would be appreciated as it's obviously a decision not to be taken lightly. Many thanks.
James
Thanks for taking the time to reply to this thread. It is not much that I am bothered about who has what educational background, it is more to do with wanting to feel like I am putting my experience to good use and am getting the most out of myself possible. Questions in my mind were I to go in through the ranks are:
-Will my peers/bosses generally be switched on, like minded guys
-Will the typical day for challenging enough for your average graduate
-Or will my first year involve completing tedious and unskilled tasks
-At 25, would this be to my disadvantage
-Would the low salary be something I should consider
-Is it overall a less 'suitable' career choice for someone in my position when compared to the prospect of a commission (and being offered a job with the family business in Dubai)
-Would there be many other grads or people with similar backgrounds to me during my intake
I have got my initial tests booked, for the role of Police, but I of course have doubts going down this route. Serving in the forces is something I have long wanted to do, but I feel that in being turned away from officer entry, it may be wise to look at alternative careers that have a better bearing for the future. The reserves may be the answer perhaps. Any more advice or suggestions would be appreciated as it's obviously a decision not to be taken lightly. Many thanks.
James
Hi James,
At which stage were you turned down and for what reasons did they give?
I wouldn't act in haste if it isn't what you want to do. I'm 23 and having failed selection for logistics last year, rather than look at junior rank trades I've waited and reapplied this year and they look at second or third (sometimes fourth!) time applicants as someone who is clearly dedicated to the role and committed enough to work on their advice, improve and try again.
You're not just considering a short term job and it sounds like you don't want to go as an airman police otherwise you wouldn't be looking for your answers above.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Original post by teasin_tina
PEdO as a role doesn't really exist anymore. The one where I work isn't even technically PEdO anymore, he's OC FD Flight now.
PEdO's, even before they were absorbed by the Admin branch (just in time for the mass redundancies...), have been doing OC FD jobs for years - fairly sensible considering FD covers the who AT and PT world, well before the demolition of the branch.
Sadly joining as a PEdO is no longer an option. I know of a superb candidate, who was told very frankly that he'd have to do a Stn Adjutant then PSF type jobs (the old "Admin (Sec)" type postings) before he could anywhere near "traditional" PEdO-ing.
Criminal IMHO.
Original post by Fritz Bollinger
PEdO's, even before they were absorbed by the Admin branch (just in time for the mass redundancies...), have been doing OC FD jobs for years - fairly sensible considering FD covers the who AT and PT world, well before the demolition of the branch.
Sadly joining as a PEdO is no longer an option. I know of a superb candidate, who was told very frankly that he'd have to do a Stn Adjutant then PSF type jobs (the old "Admin (Sec)" type postings) before he could anywhere near "traditional" PEdO-ing.
Criminal IMHO.
Sadly joining as a PEdO is no longer an option. I know of a superb candidate, who was told very frankly that he'd have to do a Stn Adjutant then PSF type jobs (the old "Admin (Sec)" type postings) before he could anywhere near "traditional" PEdO-ing.
Criminal IMHO.
We just had a FD/PEdO course come through and they're backgrounds are what was training officer mainly! Most are looking at getting a PEd/FD tour under the belt then aim for PJI.
Posted from TSR Mobile
Quick Reply
Related discussions
- Can I delay of raf application
- RAF Pilot Qualifications
- RAF reserve and regular roles
- Will I get into the RAF with Level 4 Uni grades
- RAF Medical Officer
- Is doing an extra level 3 apprenticeship a bad idea after a levels?
- UK military work experience
- Which cadet force should I join
- Fire service / RAF
- Becoming an pilot within the RAF
- Start dates for basic training
- Help needed!
- RMAS/RAF Cadet
- Private Pilot License in RAF
- Pilot
- Raf
- Applying For The RAF Police
- Phd raf
- Training
- Leaving Harrogate to join the RAF
Latest
Trending
Last reply 3 months ago
How can I go about appealing my army application after medically unfit report?Trending
Last reply 3 months ago
How can I go about appealing my army application after medically unfit report?
