Enriching Officer Application
Hello!
I am well underway in my preparations to fulfill a dream of mine in becoming an RAF Officer. I initially sought to apply after A levels, but instead decided to go to university - recently graduating with a 2:1.
At the moment I am employed, just trying to get some money behind me to support my living while I prepare myself for my application, hopefully as an ABM - although I am also highly interested in Intel.
I am not rushing myself into things, I want to be as best prepared as possible before I apply.
I am revising heavily everything RAF related. History, bases, aircraft, equipment, past present and future ops, along with all all other areas with information available. I want this to be second nature when I apply so am treating it like a university module ha!
Alongside this, I am avidly studying, debating and formulating opinions on many current affairs topics (actually really enjoyable!) to prep for interviews.
Also brushing up on maths, SDT and practicing aptitude where possible.
Fitness is getting there, got the 2.4km well beaten and the situps are comfortable. Just trying to up my pressups a bit more.
I want to be able to big myself up a bit more in interview... my only real leadership experience is football captain at university - my role at work requires initiative etc, but not really leadership.
As I said, I am fully committed to this - do you guys have any further advice on how I can really bolster my application?
Thanks in advance!
I am well underway in my preparations to fulfill a dream of mine in becoming an RAF Officer. I initially sought to apply after A levels, but instead decided to go to university - recently graduating with a 2:1.
At the moment I am employed, just trying to get some money behind me to support my living while I prepare myself for my application, hopefully as an ABM - although I am also highly interested in Intel.
I am not rushing myself into things, I want to be as best prepared as possible before I apply.
I am revising heavily everything RAF related. History, bases, aircraft, equipment, past present and future ops, along with all all other areas with information available. I want this to be second nature when I apply so am treating it like a university module ha!
Alongside this, I am avidly studying, debating and formulating opinions on many current affairs topics (actually really enjoyable!) to prep for interviews.
Also brushing up on maths, SDT and practicing aptitude where possible.
Fitness is getting there, got the 2.4km well beaten and the situps are comfortable. Just trying to up my pressups a bit more.
I want to be able to big myself up a bit more in interview... my only real leadership experience is football captain at university - my role at work requires initiative etc, but not really leadership.
As I said, I am fully committed to this - do you guys have any further advice on how I can really bolster my application?
Thanks in advance!
Original post by Opts
Hello!
I am well underway in my preparations to fulfill a dream of mine in becoming an RAF Officer. I initially sought to apply after A levels, but instead decided to go to university - recently graduating with a 2:1.
At the moment I am employed, just trying to get some money behind me to support my living while I prepare myself for my application, hopefully as an ABM - although I am also highly interested in Intel.
I am not rushing myself into things, I want to be as best prepared as possible before I apply.
I am revising heavily everything RAF related. History, bases, aircraft, equipment, past present and future ops, along with all all other areas with information available. I want this to be second nature when I apply so am treating it like a university module ha!
Alongside this, I am avidly studying, debating and formulating opinions on many current affairs topics (actually really enjoyable!) to prep for interviews.
Also brushing up on maths, SDT and practicing aptitude where possible.
Fitness is getting there, got the 2.4km well beaten and the situps are comfortable. Just trying to up my pressups a bit more.
I want to be able to big myself up a bit more in interview... my only real leadership experience is football captain at university - my role at work requires initiative etc, but not really leadership.
As I said, I am fully committed to this - do you guys have any further advice on how I can really bolster my application?
Thanks in advance!
I am well underway in my preparations to fulfill a dream of mine in becoming an RAF Officer. I initially sought to apply after A levels, but instead decided to go to university - recently graduating with a 2:1.
At the moment I am employed, just trying to get some money behind me to support my living while I prepare myself for my application, hopefully as an ABM - although I am also highly interested in Intel.
I am not rushing myself into things, I want to be as best prepared as possible before I apply.
I am revising heavily everything RAF related. History, bases, aircraft, equipment, past present and future ops, along with all all other areas with information available. I want this to be second nature when I apply so am treating it like a university module ha!
Alongside this, I am avidly studying, debating and formulating opinions on many current affairs topics (actually really enjoyable!) to prep for interviews.
Also brushing up on maths, SDT and practicing aptitude where possible.
Fitness is getting there, got the 2.4km well beaten and the situps are comfortable. Just trying to up my pressups a bit more.
I want to be able to big myself up a bit more in interview... my only real leadership experience is football captain at university - my role at work requires initiative etc, but not really leadership.
As I said, I am fully committed to this - do you guys have any further advice on how I can really bolster my application?
Thanks in advance!
Football captain sounds very promising, you don't want lots of different examples because commitment could be questioned, it's better to have that one good example you committed yourself to and they love sports!
Good luck with it!
Posted from TSR Mobile
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by teasin_tina
Football captain sounds very promising, you don't want lots of different examples because commitment could be questioned, it's better to have that one good example you committed yourself too and they love sports!
Good luck with it!
Posted from TSR Mobile
Good luck with it!
Posted from TSR Mobile
Thanks, yeah I held the position for a year - think it demonstrated quite a lot. Kind of regret not going into cadets or anything years ago just to have that extra thing to talk about when it comes to interview, plus it sounds pretty fun ha!
Potential questions you will get asked.
What makes a good leader?
Have you ever been in a pressurised leadership role before? When? What? Outcome?
How does being a Football captain relate to being an RAF officer?
Do you see yourself as a risk-taker? Why/why not?
Why the RAF?
How does *insert degree* have any resemblance to leading and serving men in a military environment? (the skills and attributes of such degree and how they can be applied in the RAF)
What is the difference between laissez-faire style leadership, and parental? And which (including any other) do you think you fit into?
If I was travelling at 6 Kilometres an hour, how far will I have travelled in 40 minutes? (no calculator/paper)
Basically think up how your experience as a leader makes you the best potential RAF officer. They will question you on this. Any answer is right, as long as it is reasonable and backed up with a solid explanation
Good luck.
What makes a good leader?
Have you ever been in a pressurised leadership role before? When? What? Outcome?
How does being a Football captain relate to being an RAF officer?
Do you see yourself as a risk-taker? Why/why not?
Why the RAF?
How does *insert degree* have any resemblance to leading and serving men in a military environment? (the skills and attributes of such degree and how they can be applied in the RAF)
What is the difference between laissez-faire style leadership, and parental? And which (including any other) do you think you fit into?
If I was travelling at 6 Kilometres an hour, how far will I have travelled in 40 minutes? (no calculator/paper)
Basically think up how your experience as a leader makes you the best potential RAF officer. They will question you on this. Any answer is right, as long as it is reasonable and backed up with a solid explanation
Good luck.
(edited 10 years ago)
Original post by the mezzil
Potential questions you will get asked.
What makes a good leader?
Have you ever been in a pressurised leadership role before? When? What? Outcome?
How does being a Football captain relate to being an RAF officer?
Do you see yourself as a risk-taker? Why/why not?
Why the RAF?
How does *insert degree* have any resemblance to leading and serving men in a military environment? (the skills and attributes of such degree and how they can be applied in the RAF)
What is the difference between laissez-faire style leadership, and parental? And which (including any other) do you think you fit into?
If I was travelling at 6 Kilometres an hour, how far will I have travelled in 40 minutes? (no calculator/paper)
Basically think up how your experience as a leader makes you the best potential RAF officer. They will question you on this. Any answer is right, as long as it is reasonable and backed up with a solid explanation
Good luck.
What makes a good leader?
Have you ever been in a pressurised leadership role before? When? What? Outcome?
How does being a Football captain relate to being an RAF officer?
Do you see yourself as a risk-taker? Why/why not?
Why the RAF?
How does *insert degree* have any resemblance to leading and serving men in a military environment? (the skills and attributes of such degree and how they can be applied in the RAF)
What is the difference between laissez-faire style leadership, and parental? And which (including any other) do you think you fit into?
If I was travelling at 6 Kilometres an hour, how far will I have travelled in 40 minutes? (no calculator/paper)
Basically think up how your experience as a leader makes you the best potential RAF officer. They will question you on this. Any answer is right, as long as it is reasonable and backed up with a solid explanation
Good luck.
Thanks, the bit I bolded was of high importance to me.
This is because when looking at current affairs standpoints - I was wondering whether they were looking for a reasoned argument based on your views, or whether the answer should be framed to align with UK Foreign Policy objectives / diplomacy. (IE: Crimea, I believe Russia's intervention is justified, but they definitely pursued the wrong avenue - militarism rather than negotiations. Whereas the UK/US have more or less totally condemned their actions.)
(edited 10 years ago)
You should have your own views rather than just reflecting those of journalists or what foreign policy is. As long as you can back them up with logical reason it's fine.
What makes a good leader?
Generic answer about being flexible, approachable, committed and versatile. Ability to to prioritise and delegate where necessary, with a willingness to enlist the help of others whereby their skills can contribute to the task in hand
Have you ever been in a pressurised leadership role before? When? What? Outcome?
Most definitely. Role as a football captain. Had two types of pressure, self pressure to succeed as well as the pressure of others to carry out my role capably and fulfill the season objectives I outlined at the start of the season. This was the ongoing pressure, however the main bulk of pressure was scenario specific in matches - how could I mix things up in a situation to maximise the resources in my team. As the only second team in the BUCS league of 6, we were competing against primarily first teams from other universities. At the end of the season we had bypassed my initial goals of staying in the league by finishing 3rd, coupled with a strong cup run and a win in varsity!
How does being a Football captain relate to being an RAF officer?
In many ways. I was responsible to maximise the use of the resources I had available in order to give the team the best possible opportunity to achieve our potential. The role required me to apply a number of skills which I believe are transferable to a role as an RAF officer.
First was the ability to be effective at communication and organisation. I was responsible for the training and development of my team, on an individual level to maximise the players potential - but ultimately on a team level. In university, with graduations and fresher intake, no team is ever the same for 2 years running. This made it highly important to ensure the team bonds both on and off the pitch early in the season so we were able to hit the ground running when the competitive fixture list commenced.
Second was the ability to read into scenarios, and adapt where necessary. No two games of football were ever the same. Different games required different selections, formations and tactics. It was down to me and my vice captain to make these decisions in advance, but also we had to be flexible enough to change them if they were not working. Man management was also important, the team and individuals were always aware of my expectations. If these were not met, constructive criticism was offered, but where necessary this was directed primarily at the team as a whole than any individuals in particular.
Finally, in collaberation with my captaincy - I was also on the club committee, who were responsible for the day to day running of the club - financially, socially and actively on the pitch.
Do you see yourself as a risk-taker? Why/why not?
Only when necessary. Once again I think one of the best frameworks to judge this by is football. If you are chasing the game, risks need to be taken to try to get yourself back into it. However, if you are in control - a more conservative and structured framework needs to be in place. On a day to day basis, where risk is concerned - I like to play out the possible outcomes in my head and make a decision from there through risk versus reward.
Why the RAF?
Both my parents served in the RAF, my mum was involved in communications and my dad was a aircraft technician. My Grandad was also a warrant officer. It's something I've always been interested in, based on stories from them. Also the earliest interest I can think back to is primary education of the Battle of Britain, which fascinated me and really captivated my interest in history. Initially I wanted to be a pilot - but unfortunately my eyes just aren't good enough!
How does *insert degree* have any resemblance to leading and serving men in a military environment? (the skills and attributes of such degree and how they can be applied in the RAF)
I read History, focussing on the modern era. As my modules reflect, I have a keen interest in military history having studied several modules of it. It required a strong analytical mind, the ability to collect, study and form opinions on a variety of sources in order to formulate or justify an opinion. I think this is a fundamental part of how a military works and is seen in many areas ranging from justifying conflicts or battlefield decisions based on the best information available to looking at a piece of intelligence and having the ability to extract every piece of valuable information presented. I was also required to have and build on the ability to carry out presentations, which is an important attribute to leadership in the RAF.
What is the difference between laissez-faire style leadership, and parental? And which (including any other) do you think you fit into?
I think both. Obviously paternal is required in the sense that in the military you always have the potential to be working in a hostile environment, and without the trust of your team - things can turn dangerous. Also , as an officer, you are not just the leader of these men, you represent their interests - so it is important that you are approachable, after all you are also a part of this team. Laissez faire is also important, delegation and allowing the team to work on their own initiative using their own individual skills is a fundamental component of success.
If I was travelling at 6 Kilometres an hour, how far will I have travelled in 40 minutes? (no calculator/paper)
4 km
----cheers for these, I had free time at lunch so decided to have a stab at some of them :P
Generic answer about being flexible, approachable, committed and versatile. Ability to to prioritise and delegate where necessary, with a willingness to enlist the help of others whereby their skills can contribute to the task in hand
Have you ever been in a pressurised leadership role before? When? What? Outcome?
Most definitely. Role as a football captain. Had two types of pressure, self pressure to succeed as well as the pressure of others to carry out my role capably and fulfill the season objectives I outlined at the start of the season. This was the ongoing pressure, however the main bulk of pressure was scenario specific in matches - how could I mix things up in a situation to maximise the resources in my team. As the only second team in the BUCS league of 6, we were competing against primarily first teams from other universities. At the end of the season we had bypassed my initial goals of staying in the league by finishing 3rd, coupled with a strong cup run and a win in varsity!
How does being a Football captain relate to being an RAF officer?
In many ways. I was responsible to maximise the use of the resources I had available in order to give the team the best possible opportunity to achieve our potential. The role required me to apply a number of skills which I believe are transferable to a role as an RAF officer.
First was the ability to be effective at communication and organisation. I was responsible for the training and development of my team, on an individual level to maximise the players potential - but ultimately on a team level. In university, with graduations and fresher intake, no team is ever the same for 2 years running. This made it highly important to ensure the team bonds both on and off the pitch early in the season so we were able to hit the ground running when the competitive fixture list commenced.
Second was the ability to read into scenarios, and adapt where necessary. No two games of football were ever the same. Different games required different selections, formations and tactics. It was down to me and my vice captain to make these decisions in advance, but also we had to be flexible enough to change them if they were not working. Man management was also important, the team and individuals were always aware of my expectations. If these were not met, constructive criticism was offered, but where necessary this was directed primarily at the team as a whole than any individuals in particular.
Finally, in collaberation with my captaincy - I was also on the club committee, who were responsible for the day to day running of the club - financially, socially and actively on the pitch.
Do you see yourself as a risk-taker? Why/why not?
Only when necessary. Once again I think one of the best frameworks to judge this by is football. If you are chasing the game, risks need to be taken to try to get yourself back into it. However, if you are in control - a more conservative and structured framework needs to be in place. On a day to day basis, where risk is concerned - I like to play out the possible outcomes in my head and make a decision from there through risk versus reward.
Why the RAF?
Both my parents served in the RAF, my mum was involved in communications and my dad was a aircraft technician. My Grandad was also a warrant officer. It's something I've always been interested in, based on stories from them. Also the earliest interest I can think back to is primary education of the Battle of Britain, which fascinated me and really captivated my interest in history. Initially I wanted to be a pilot - but unfortunately my eyes just aren't good enough!
How does *insert degree* have any resemblance to leading and serving men in a military environment? (the skills and attributes of such degree and how they can be applied in the RAF)
I read History, focussing on the modern era. As my modules reflect, I have a keen interest in military history having studied several modules of it. It required a strong analytical mind, the ability to collect, study and form opinions on a variety of sources in order to formulate or justify an opinion. I think this is a fundamental part of how a military works and is seen in many areas ranging from justifying conflicts or battlefield decisions based on the best information available to looking at a piece of intelligence and having the ability to extract every piece of valuable information presented. I was also required to have and build on the ability to carry out presentations, which is an important attribute to leadership in the RAF.
What is the difference between laissez-faire style leadership, and parental? And which (including any other) do you think you fit into?
I think both. Obviously paternal is required in the sense that in the military you always have the potential to be working in a hostile environment, and without the trust of your team - things can turn dangerous. Also , as an officer, you are not just the leader of these men, you represent their interests - so it is important that you are approachable, after all you are also a part of this team. Laissez faire is also important, delegation and allowing the team to work on their own initiative using their own individual skills is a fundamental component of success.
If I was travelling at 6 Kilometres an hour, how far will I have travelled in 40 minutes? (no calculator/paper)
4 km
----cheers for these, I had free time at lunch so decided to have a stab at some of them :P
Original post by ProStacker
You should have your own views rather than just reflecting those of journalists or what foreign policy is. As long as you can back them up with logical reason it's fine.
thanks
Original post by Opts
Thanks, the bit I bolded was of high importance to me.
This is because when looking at current affairs standpoints - I was wondering whether they were looking for a reasoned argument based on your views, or whether the answer should be framed to align with UK Foreign Policy objectives / diplomacy. (IE: Crimea, I believe Russia's intervention is justified, but they definitely pursued the wrong avenue - militarism rather than negotiations. Whereas the UK/US have more or less totally condemned their actions.)
This is because when looking at current affairs standpoints - I was wondering whether they were looking for a reasoned argument based on your views, or whether the answer should be framed to align with UK Foreign Policy objectives / diplomacy. (IE: Crimea, I believe Russia's intervention is justified, but they definitely pursued the wrong avenue - militarism rather than negotiations. Whereas the UK/US have more or less totally condemned their actions.)
Well that is a perfectly acceptable answer. They will certainly probe further, but as long as you can see conflicting opinions, but aren't weak willed and are willing to defend your position with a good explanation you will be fine. From looking at the replies to the above questions, you seem like a strong candidate! I wish you the best of luck!
(edited 10 years ago)
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