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Anonymous ID:Od/vCTIP Thu 29 Oct 2015 19:49:51 No.941707 View Reply Report Delete

Quoted By: >>941720

I currently work a shitty job, I'm gonna be joining the military soonish and gaining some skills through that. But the military is something I want to do and experience for a while anyway.

My question is what can I do now to help myself in the future? Is there anything? For example would buying books and studying things not on a course offer any advantage?

I have no real idea what I want to go into but I am smart. I know that with a real focused effort there's not much academically I couldn't do.

Areas of interest are public speaking, psychology, I like history. I just don't know what degrees have good job prospects and therefore don't know what to study now.

For example when I was 14 , I was put on an early access trial/course to do an RE exam early and got an A*. Now say RE is a poor subject all you want it just goes to prove that I have/had the skills to write an A* test anyway.

Anyone offer any insight? Kinda bummed out right now

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:IwfxjCbE Thu 29 Oct 2015 19:56:57 No.941720 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>941731

>>941707

If you don't know what you want to do I would suggest two options that are better than the military

1. Backpack around Europe or Asia for 6 months or so (especially if you haven't travelled extensively already)

2. Volunteer with either a local charity or something like the Peace Corps that will get you out of your comfort zone

These will get you out experiencing the world and meeting new people, and just maybe you'll find something you actually want to do

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:HEMqJH7p Thu 29 Oct 2015 20:02:12 No.941728 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>941738

Get a military job that requires that requires a TS clearance. Thank me later

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:Od/vCTIP Thu 29 Oct 2015 20:04:22 No.941731 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>941758

>>941720
I know this is Excactly the answer youd expect but how will backpacking let me know what I want to do? At least in the military I get a wage and opportunity. Say I want to re badge into signals, engineering and construction, aviation etc there are a lot of options which is why I have applied.

I have heard that before though, I just don't know how to apply the travelling advice in the real world in all honesty.

Would saving money from my current job be an obvious start?

I just want to know I can do something good and productive. I'd like to go to university but it would mean choosing a field to go into and doing an access course for said course.

Honestly if there was anything I could do it would be history. I like the history of Europe/england but I don't know how that can translate into well paid work.

For the sake of context I was out of school through exams caring for a parent. Kinda throws you off being in school studying and staying behind extra knowing your dads at home shitting himself and puking from chemo as you can probably imagine

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:Od/vCTIP Thu 29 Oct 2015 20:06:19 No.941738 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>941766

>>941728
That'd be military intelligence or SF then

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:IwfxjCbE Thu 29 Oct 2015 20:18:47 No.941758 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>941777

>>941731

You will meet so many people and experience so many new things that you are likely to encounter some field that interests you. You'll also develop a lot of people skills.

Obviously university is a superior option, but as you say you need to have a good idea of what you want to do first, this will help you find it.

The great thing about backpacking is that you only need a few thousand dollars to get underway, you should be able to live for a few months off that alone, and you can work as you go to stay longer

In the military you'll be learning technical skills, but you won't be in a very different environment, you'll still be hanging out in America with Americans from similar backgrounds, so you won't find as much new experience.

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:HEMqJH7p Thu 29 Oct 2015 20:22:03 No.941766 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>941777

>>941738
Not even close.
Some (not all) of those jobs do require TS, but so do basically anything involving communications, it, technology, and even lots of mechanical military trades require TS. It's not like you have to be a bad ass sf guy to get it. The guy who fixes the radio and the guy that operates the radar also has clearance.

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:Od/vCTIP Thu 29 Oct 2015 20:30:06 No.941777 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>941789

>>941766
Ah that makes sense. I would like to do something creative, the idea of creating software, an object, etc is good. Engineering is another thing I am interested in and could do in the military so I guess that's helpful in a way. Cheers.

>>941758
Ah I understand. I'll be joining a different military than the U.S. But I do understand what you're saying

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:A6hAmDtO Thu 29 Oct 2015 20:34:27 No.941783 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>941790

former usmc infantry captain chiming in. I would very much recommend going to undergrad before joining, so that you can become an officer. That said, if you're if you're dead set on enlisting, you have a few options. To prepare you for the future, gear your time in the military to something that makes sense to /you/. Make sure that you can demonstrate that you're just another dumb grunt. You do this by doing interesting things during your job, that are NOT your job. Example: I started as infantry, moved to operations asap, and did some really cool things there. This demonstrates that I'm more than just an infantry guy. You get the idea.

And by god use the GI Bill when you get out. I swear to god if you enlist and you don't use the GI Bill you're a fucking moron and you deserve to be poor.

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:A6hAmDtO Thu 29 Oct 2015 20:38:34 No.941789 Report Delete

Quoted By:

>>941777
Oh you're like a kiwi or something. So, no GI Bill for you, I guess? Regardless, there's enough similarity that maybe I'm not completely stupid. There's a few major categories that remain the same, anyway. Major point is: just do something that has longer term utility than just being your standard issue slob. Most people in the military are complete losers and never try to rise above themselves. That just means the bar is that much lower to being a total badass at whatever it is that you do. You won't get paid more, or promoted very much faster, but you'll be able to present afterwards all the amazing things you did. Think of the military like an extended internship.

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:Od/vCTIP Thu 29 Oct 2015 20:38:37 No.941790 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>941852

>>941783
Thanks for the reply Sir, no idea if my country has a GI bill or equivalent but I do understand what you're saying. I am set on serving, and it's becoming increasingly obvious that a combat engineer followed by going into studying engineering at university Etc would be a very sensible thing to do

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:A6hAmDtO Thu 29 Oct 2015 21:23:39 No.941852 Report Delete

Quoted By: >>941879

>>941790
keep in mind that while the label "combat engineer" sounds like you might do engineering stuff -- you won't. I'm dead serious. The moment you talk actual engineering with the guys at your unit you'll get stared at like you have a purple dick growing out of your forehead. No one has an engineering degree, no one knows anything about engineering, at all. Engineering in the military is a joke -- you're better off going logistics, but then again, all you're doing is stacking and unstacking crates and driving trucks all day until you've been around for 4 years. Your best bet is IT, communications, or some other sort of analyst. I say this because of the kinds of things that you'll have access to at your job -- it could be different where you are though. A lot of what you end up doing at any of your jobs will be up in the air, and some teams will be led better than others. Suffice to say it's not really an environment for self-starters, nor is it an environment within which you can self-start. That doesn't mean you can't study study study on your own -- just don't think that you'll be doing anything REMOTELY close to engineering in the military, regardless of what recruiters say.

Think of it this way: "Combat photographer" sounds cool. Sometimes I had some attached to my unit, taking pictures of our ops and stuff. I'd been taking pictures for about a decade at this point, but when I tried talking to them about their gear, or about anything related to photography, I might as well have been speaking Swahili. If they wanted to become professional photographers after the corps, they sure weren't trying very hard.

Anonymous

Anonymous ID:x3okwJ2o Thu 29 Oct 2015 21:51:56 No.941879 Report Delete

Quoted By:

>>941852
>Engineering in the military is a joke

not sure about that - for example in the UK then yeah 'royal engineers' is more bridge construction, mine clearance, demolitions, explosive ordinance disposal etc..

but 'royal signals' is quite technical - lots of interesting opportunities there

royal electrical and mechanical engineers is also technical - officers require relevant engineering degrees and can progress professionally to chartered engineer status while serving....

frankly I'd look at signals or intelligence - both are growth areas

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