Extra responsibility in the RAF
Once in the airforce as an officer can you pick up extra optional responsibilities such as setting up sports matches or helping run station visits? If so, Would an officer have time to do this? Would it help there chances of promotion? What sort of extra responsibility can you pick up?
Original post by 08pynna
Once in the airforce as an officer can you pick up extra optional responsibilities such as setting up sports matches or helping run station visits? If so, Would an officer have time to do this? Would it help there chances of promotion? What sort of extra responsibility can you pick up?
They're called "secondary duties". Yes, you have time for them (or if you don't you'll find time!) although during early stages of training and some jobs you can be protected from them. And yes, despite the fact that "jobs need doing", some are higher profile than other, and some people pick and choose them to ensure they get what they think is the best chance of promotion.
Types of job vary, some are station level (or even service level), others are just at unit/squadron level:
Running a station sports club.
Organising major functions (balls etc)
Being on the "Mess Committee" eg Secretary, Treasurer etc
Being a liaison officer for an external organisation (eg Air Cadets, RAFA etc)
Are all examples of a station type duty. Unit/Sqn duties will be fairly numerous but with a little less breadth and less high profile - generally - or "additional duties" related directly to the professional role.
Original post by Fritz Bollinger
They're called "secondary duties". Yes, you have time for them (or if you don't you'll find time!) although during early stages of training and some jobs you can be protected from them. And yes, despite the fact that "jobs need doing", some are higher profile than other, and some people pick and choose them to ensure they get what they think is the best chance of promotion.
Types of job vary, some are station level (or even service level), others are just at unit/squadron level:
Running a station sports club.
Organising major functions (balls etc)
Being on the "Mess Committee" eg Secretary, Treasurer etc
Being a liaison officer for an external organisation (eg Air Cadets, RAFA etc)
Are all examples of a station type duty. Unit/Sqn duties will be fairly numerous but with a little less breadth and less high profile - generally - or "additional duties" related directly to the professional role.
Types of job vary, some are station level (or even service level), others are just at unit/squadron level:
Running a station sports club.
Organising major functions (balls etc)
Being on the "Mess Committee" eg Secretary, Treasurer etc
Being a liaison officer for an external organisation (eg Air Cadets, RAFA etc)
Are all examples of a station type duty. Unit/Sqn duties will be fairly numerous but with a little less breadth and less high profile - generally - or "additional duties" related directly to the professional role.
Brilliant thanks for your help! What would be an example of a service level additional duty?
Some duties are outside the station environment - examples of these would be representative sports (for example RAF Football, RAF Rugby, Ski Team etc) and their administration.
pynna
Secondary duties enable NCOs and Officers (and some junior ranks too) to demonstrate breadth by expanding knowledge and interests outside the primary role. They also show that you have extra capacity for responsibility at a particular stage of your career.
What you should take from this is that you need to get your primary duty squared away before you take on extra duties. In reality, as Fritz says, you should be shielded from these extra duties by your chain of command until they believe you are at that stage of your career. During phase 1 training (for both Officers and Non-Commissioned Aircrew) you will be given opportunities to learn about and practice secondary duties during the course (or at least you were when I went through, but that was the same course as Pontious).
Points to note for secondary duties:
a. Do not collect them like Scout badges
b. Carry out one higher profile Station duty well, rather than several Sqn ones less effectively
c. Remember it is a 'SECONDARY DUTY', do not allow it to take precedence over your primary day job.
d. Work your way up the secondary duty ladder, eg if on the mess committee start off on the Ents sub-committee, then treasurer, before the Stn Cdr realises your potential and appoints you to PMC /CMC
e. In a similar vein to c. ensure you strike the right work/life balance. Saddest things I saw was a Sqn Ldr who had to move into the mess during his final tour before retirement as his marriage had broken down. He'd spent his whole career being focussed on the RAF and forgot what should have been the most important thing in his life. His family.
In trying to make yourself competitive on promotion / re-engagement boards, don't forget the big world beyond the wire. There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer in the local community, carry out charity work and generally make yourself useful outside the RAF. I've known lots of folk who help to run the local cadets / guides and scouts / village committees etc etc.
Finally, after embedding yourself in your secondary duty / community work, ensure that when it comes to appraisal time, you let your 1st reporting officer (1RO) ie line manager know what you've done over the year and, more importantly, how you've done it. If you can get a genuine endorsement from the OIC of your particular secondary function, that would be good. Anything you can do to make your appraisal writer's life easy, will be good for you.
But take things one step at a time, sort out your basic and professional training first. There'll be plenty of time for secondary duties in the years to come.
Ikky
Secondary duties enable NCOs and Officers (and some junior ranks too) to demonstrate breadth by expanding knowledge and interests outside the primary role. They also show that you have extra capacity for responsibility at a particular stage of your career.
What you should take from this is that you need to get your primary duty squared away before you take on extra duties. In reality, as Fritz says, you should be shielded from these extra duties by your chain of command until they believe you are at that stage of your career. During phase 1 training (for both Officers and Non-Commissioned Aircrew) you will be given opportunities to learn about and practice secondary duties during the course (or at least you were when I went through, but that was the same course as Pontious).
Points to note for secondary duties:
a. Do not collect them like Scout badges
b. Carry out one higher profile Station duty well, rather than several Sqn ones less effectively
c. Remember it is a 'SECONDARY DUTY', do not allow it to take precedence over your primary day job.
d. Work your way up the secondary duty ladder, eg if on the mess committee start off on the Ents sub-committee, then treasurer, before the Stn Cdr realises your potential and appoints you to PMC /CMC
e. In a similar vein to c. ensure you strike the right work/life balance. Saddest things I saw was a Sqn Ldr who had to move into the mess during his final tour before retirement as his marriage had broken down. He'd spent his whole career being focussed on the RAF and forgot what should have been the most important thing in his life. His family.
In trying to make yourself competitive on promotion / re-engagement boards, don't forget the big world beyond the wire. There are plenty of opportunities to volunteer in the local community, carry out charity work and generally make yourself useful outside the RAF. I've known lots of folk who help to run the local cadets / guides and scouts / village committees etc etc.
Finally, after embedding yourself in your secondary duty / community work, ensure that when it comes to appraisal time, you let your 1st reporting officer (1RO) ie line manager know what you've done over the year and, more importantly, how you've done it. If you can get a genuine endorsement from the OIC of your particular secondary function, that would be good. Anything you can do to make your appraisal writer's life easy, will be good for you.
But take things one step at a time, sort out your basic and professional training first. There'll be plenty of time for secondary duties in the years to come.
Ikky
^^ What he said.
Get through training, get your feet on the ground, then think about such things. You'll probably be provided with a couple of additional duties as part of your 1st post. Your boss(es) will look after you and start you off in the right direction - if they have the right stuff.
Get through training, get your feet on the ground, then think about such things. You'll probably be provided with a couple of additional duties as part of your 1st post. Your boss(es) will look after you and start you off in the right direction - if they have the right stuff.
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