The Student Room Group

RAF Communications/ Electronics (C/E) Officer?

Hi i have been considering joining the RAF for a long time now. I have now come to the stage whereby i have finished University and looking for a career and any input into the Communications/ Electronics (C/E) role would be much appreciated. I have a few questions

As for doing a Trade is the training and military hierarchy demanding? (eg. I'm not sure what to expect)

Also I have noticed the selection for officers is over a number of days, do they reject many even if they are well qualified for the role?

if they do is it worth going in at a lower level and working your way up?

I am thinking of this as a long term career, do many people stay after the initial sign up period?

What sort of things would i do in my day to day role?

Does the Communications/ Electronics (C/E) Officer take part in training in extreme environments?

Do people employed as tradesmen take part in weapons training?

Finally is a Communications/ Electronics (C/E) Officer a sort after role or is it over subscribed?

Thanks enough questions for the time being, thank you for your time and help.
Reply 1
I can answer a few of the questions, but it's open to other people to answer too...

From what I hear, they are looking for people that are going to be able to do the job, not just look at your CV and see how many qualifications you have. So if someone isn't suited to doing the job, then they probably get rejected. ;-)

Finally, the only other bit I can answer is that -all- RAF personnel will probably undergo weapons training, as you are an RAF Soldier first, and whatever your job is, second. If you can't fire a gun, if you need to, then you wouldn't be much use in a hostile environment.
Reply 2
MElliottUK
Hi i have been considering joining the RAF for a long time now. I have now come to the stage whereby i have finished University and looking for a career and any input into the Communications/ Electronics (C/E) role would be much appreciated. I have a few questions

As for doing a Trade is the training and military hierarchy demanding? (eg. I'm not sure what to expect)

Also I have noticed the selection for officers is over a number of days, do they reject many even if they are well qualified for the role?

if they do is it worth going in at a lower level and working your way up?

I am thinking of this as a long term career, do many people stay after the initial sign up period?

What sort of things would i do in my day to day role?

Does the Communications/ Electronics (C/E) Officer take part in training in extreme environments?

Do people employed as tradesmen take part in weapons training?

Finally is a Communications/ Electronics (C/E) Officer a sort after role or is it over subscribed?

Thanks enough questions for the time being, thank you for your time and help.


1. As an EngO you are trained to lead and manage men. You'll go through a SERE course as well as IOT to enable you to do so. The military does have ranks to denote experience and time within the RAF. These are to be respected, but you will find that you make friends no matter what rank. You're an Officer, you share an Officers mess.

As for trades you have a wider gap to cross. You're the hands on people, who follow orders and work at a 'lower' level to Officers. You won't associate with Officers outside work. (generally) You have your own mess.

2. Everyone who is good enough will get in. You have to aim to exceed expectations. Apparently they get a lot of dross at OASC.

3. No, it is not worth going for trades and working up to Officer. If you want Officer, go for Officer. There is no guarentee that you will be able to switch from trades to Officer and you'll be competiting against new intakes from OASC.

4. Depends on the branch and terms of service and the person. A 24 year old girlie whos about to have her first kid and works in ATC might leave after her SSC. A 30 year old pilot whos just finished his first front line tour and is looking forward to an intructional tour at an FTS may stay on if offered. There are plently of 'old boys' in the RAF and there are plently of guys working their way through training.

5. Officer or trades?

6. Depends what you mean by extreme training. Everyone goes through the same training at OASC. If you man survival exercises then they are for aircrew as they are most likely to need it.

7. Check the website and ask your AFCO. EngOs are generally in demand in the RAF.

HTH
Reply 3
Thanks for the replies.

What areas should i know in detail other than the subject field. I read some of the aspects pilots are expected to know about, do engineering trades need to know these in as much detail for interviews or are they slightly different?

Thanks
Reply 4
MElliottUK
Thanks for the replies.

What areas should i know in detail other than the subject field. I read some of the aspects pilots are expected to know about, do engineering trades need to know these in as much detail for interviews or are they slightly different?

Thanks

All Officer candidates are required to know the same amount of basic information about the service they are entering into. In this case you will be required to study about the Aircraft and Weapons of the RAF just the same as a pilot because you want to work on the equipment as an Engineer. Go in to your local AFCO and ask for the Commissioning Procedures booklet, it will give you a list of questions you will be required to answer if you are entering as an Officer, you will also have to know all about your branch choices in detail. As an example, a Pilot applicant would be required to know where all their training will take place, in what aircraft and for how long. You will not need to know this, only the ins and outs of the Engineering branch or whatever other choices you have cited.
Reply 5
MElliottUK
As for doing a Trade is the training and military hierarchy demanding? (eg. I'm not sure what to expect)


No, not really. IOT's hard work but you'll enjoy it; it's not like being a prisoner of war, and you'll work harder than you ever thought possible. Then you'll pop out at the end very very fit with a shiny uniform and feel very proud. Day to day it's like most other jobs, except with a slightly more regimented rank structure. But hey, in an office, you'll probably still call the boss "sir" in some places so it's not too tough. And you don't have to buy dozens of expensive suits! Life in an Eng section's quite nice, everyone's friendly, and the JO bosses (i.e. you) generally know how to set the level of familiarity.

MElliottUK
Also I have noticed the selection for officers is over a number of days, do they reject many even if they are well qualified for the role?


Yes, as you have to be good enough to be an officer. That said, they have about a billion applicants for every pilot slot and a billion slots for every engineer applicant; so if you're intelligent, relatively fit, articulate, and qualified, you're in with a very good chance.

MElliottUK
if they do is it worth going in at a lower level and working your way up?


God no. See Blackhawk's post. You'll end up fixing aeroplanes in Iraq for years only to be told that your post is so valuable you can't be released to apply for a commission. There's a lot more management in an EngO job, but still enough opportunities for hands-on stuff if you're desperate.

MElliottUK
I am thinking of this as a long term career, do many people stay after the initial sign up period?


Some do, some don't. You have to be offerred it.

MElliottUK
What sort of things would i do in my day to day role?


Depends. You don't get to pick between CE and AS (aerosystems) when you finish Engineer Officer Training. The top posting is a squadron JEngO; so you're in charge of running engineering for a front line squadron, under a Sqn Ldr and sharing the workload with another junior eng mate. It's mostly management, with a big pile of jets outside you have to get your lads to fix. It's nice being part of a squadron.

CE jobs can vary from adminy-type ones (you could be part of an IPT designing some spurious new bit of kit, or testing things, or introducing some new fatigue-monitoring software) to IT based ones (station network manager; although a lot of these posts are civilianised) to odd radar related things.

As a junior EngO though, you're primarily a leader of men. You'll have a bunch of technicians of varying trades and experience, and will have to dispatch them to fix things; he said, simplifying things massively :wink:

MElliottUK
Does the Communications/ Electronics (C/E) Officer take part in training in extreme environments?


Yup! Radars in the Gulf, IT in the Arctic, wherever we need CE kit you might have to go. Go work with Tactical Communications Wing; you get to run around in warzones setting up communications infrastructure.

MElliottUK
Do people employed as tradesmen take part in weapons training?


Yup! See above. In the Gulf, your job might be to sort out IT for a unit deploying, but you'll want to know how your gas mask and rifle work if crazed locals attack. Generally, you practice Common Core Skills once a year; first aid, weapons, NBC, skill at arms; and before deployment you'll do maybe a couple of days' training regarding the specific theatre you're off to. You won't be expected to be Rambo, but you'll be expected to realise you're in the military and there're bad people out there.

MElliottUK
Finally is a Communications/ Electronics (C/E) Officer a sort after role or is it over subscribed?


Most junior Eng mates I know wanted to be streamed AS so they could be JEngOs on squadrons, so to be honest no; some will have strong preferences, others won't care; you'll generally go where you'll be best suited, so coming from a CE background you could expect to get at least a CE first tour.

MElliottUK
Thanks enough questions for the time being, thank you for your time and help.


You're terribly welcome. I think you get paid a bit more for appropriate qualifications in the Eng world, by the way.
Reply 6
BlackHawk
You'll go through a SERE course as well as IOT to enable you to do so.


Nope; you do SERE if you're "professionally qualified," but we only look on doctors, nurses, padres and the like as being "Specialist Entrants."

Engineers do the full IOT; it's either one or the other, not both.
Reply 7
Could you recommend any books or sources that would give me in depth knowledge of RAF operations around the world, the history and the equipment/aircraft i would be expected to have knowledge of?

or any other sources?, thanks
Reply 8
Go to your local AFCO, they have all the books and leaflets that you need to pass OASC.
Reply 9
Wzz
Depends. You don't get to pick between CE and AS (aerosystems) when you finish Engineer Officer Training....


You get streamed either AS or CE during Engineer Specialist Training (EST) so would be unlikely (or unlucky!) to get a job outside of your specialist area.
Reply 10
Mumrah123
You get streamed either AS or CE during Engineer Specialist Training (EST) so would be unlikely (or unlucky!) to get a job outside of your specialist area.


Isn't that what I just said?
:love:

why hello there
Reply 12
Wzz
Isn't that what I just said?


I was just trying to clarify that the decision about whether you go AS or CE is made before the start of EST rather than at the end of it. Also, there is some scope to change streams during the early weeks of the course.