DCO or enlist?

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

That's another thing. Is he looking for DCO or active duty officer? If that doesn't work out is he looking for active duty or advanced reserve enlisted programs?

All the same answer: contact a recruiter.

 

[dennis10093]

Hi all,

Thank you all for your input. I am looking for reserve only at this point because of the reason I stated above (job and family). I also noticed that DCO is really hard to get into, which brings it back to my original question: Go for DCO or enlist for the Navy Reserve?

I am interested in Supply and Intel. My ASTB scores are 56/6/6/6, not sure if that's relevant for the reserve.

I have tried to contact a Navy recruiter several times, using Navy.com, calling different regional district recruiting stations. I was referred to different recruiters and have been given several phone numbers to call, but they all led to nowhere (no response, invalid phone number). I will try to get in touch with a NROTC instructor.

In the meantime, I want to hear you all's input on this situation.

Thank you

 

[Renegade One]

You CANNOT compare the DCO process to the OCS process, it is like trying to compare the engine room startup of a nuclear ship to the engine room startup of a gas turbine ship.

So…not just "apples and oranges"?

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Hi all,

Thank you all for your input. I am looking for reserve only at this point because of the reason I stated above (job and family). I also noticed that DCO is really hard to get into, which brings it back to my original question: Go for DCO or enlist for the Navy Reserve?

I am interested in Supply and Intel. My ASTB scores are 56/6/6/6, not sure if that's relevant for the reserve.

I have tried to contact a Navy recruiter several times, using Navy.com, calling different regional district recruiting stations. I was referred to different recruiters and have been given several phone numbers to call, but they all led to nowhere (no response, invalid phone number). I will try to get in touch with a NROTC instructor.

In the meantime, I want to hear you all's input on this situation.

Thank you

DCO doesn't require nor do they even look at your ASTB scores. Intel DCO is out of the question because you don't meet the requirements. Supply DCO is out of the question as well because you don't have at least 5+ years of applicable business or supply chain experience. In order to be competitive a master's degree (MBA) and serious leadership and personal experience in those fields will help you out.

If your overall goal is to be in the Navy, yes, go enlisted reserve. While the enlisted process can't guarantee a job, you can do well on the ASVAB and that will open more enlisted jobs to choose from while you are at MEPS. Keep your options open, but if the jobs are available, take something Supply or Intel/IWC related to get your foot in the door to becoming an officer down the road.

 

[unbroken]

Isn't the OP asking about DCO? Not sure how we switched into OCS...

my apologies, I looked at his profile and he had just graduated from college so I read DCO and started thinking OCS, mainly because a new college grad has a better shot at winning mega millions lottery than getting a DCO spot.

Roger, was referencing DCO process since that's what the OP inquired about.

In any case, no harm, no foul!

 

[unbroken]

DCO doesn't require nor do they even look at your ASTB scores. Intel DCO is out of the question because you don't meet the requirements. Supply DCO is out of the question as well because you don't have at least 5+ years of applicable business or supply chain experience. In order to be competitive a master's degree (MBA) and serious leadership and personal experience in those fields will help you out.

Don't mean to be contrarian, but why doesn't the OP meet the Intel DCO requirements? Perhaps I missed something in reading over the posts, but I didn't catch any automatic disqualifiers...

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Don't mean to be contrarian, but why doesn't the OP meet the Intel DCO requirements? Perhaps I missed something in reading over the posts, but I didn't catch any automatic disqualifiers...

Perhaps you missed the part where he needs at least 5+ years of applicable civilian Intel experience.

 

[unbroken]

Perhaps you missed the part where he needs at least 5+ years of applicable civilian Intel experience.

Perhaps I am misunderstanding, but is that a new rule? I ask because myself and four other peers that I know of were selected for Intel DCO this January, all without 5 years of intel experience. 2 came from finance (as the OP would be doing), 2 from law, and 1 from tech. All were within 2-4 years of graduating undergrad.

While I understand why intel experience is desirable, it's clear from the endorsements received (many from folks with distinguished service in military intelligence communities) that there are other experiences which lend themselves to useful preparation on both the leadership and analysis fronts.

If this link is accurate, intelligence experience is "strongly desired" but not required. I also don't see anything alluding to a requisite 5 years, and the above mentioned anecdotes indicate that different experiences, while perhaps uncommon, are also not disqualifiers. The fact that we were all processed through different districts leads me to believe this wasn't simply a recruiting error https://www.navycs.com/officer/intelligenceofficer.html

Again, not trying to be contrarian, but I think it's important that stated requirements are accurate.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Perhaps I am misunderstanding, but is that a new rule? I ask because myself and four other peers that I know of were selected for Intel DCO this January, all without 5 years of intel experience. 2 came from finance (as the OP would be doing), 2 from law, and 1 from tech. All were within 2-4 years of graduating undergrad.

While I understand why intel experience is desirable, it's clear from the endorsements received (many from folks with distinguished service in military intelligence communities) that there are other experiences which lend themselves to useful preparation on both the leadership and analysis fronts.

If this link is accurate, intelligence experience is "strongly desired" but not required. I also don't see anything alluding to a requisite 5 years, and the above mentioned anecdotes indicate that different experiences, while perhaps uncommon, are also not disqualifiers. The fact that we were all processed through different districts leads me to believe this wasn't simply a recruiting error https://www.navycs.com/officer/intelligenceofficer.html

Again, not trying to be contrarian, but I think it's important that stated requirements are accurate.

Going off of almost 4 years of recruiting experience to include talking to community managers and board members the rule of thumb is 5 years of related civilian experience. Because there's minimum training involved (2-3 weeks each year) you're expected to know much about the community from the get go.

This isn't a "new rule" but rather my experience in recruiting and seeing the stats of those who have been selected.

 

[unbroken]

Going off of almost 4 years of recruiting experience to include talking to community managers and board members the rule of thumb is 5 years of related civilian experience. Because there's minimum training involved (2-3 weeks each year) you're expected to know much about the community from the get go.

This isn't a "new rule" but rather my experience in recruiting and seeing the stats of those who have been selected.

Thanks for clarifying. It certainly seems that more experience is more common, just wanted to clarify that it isn't necessarily a hard-and-fast disqualifier if you bring other things to the table.

Appreciate your response. Enjoy the weekend!

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Perhaps I am misunderstanding, but is that a new rule? I ask because myself and four other peers that I know of were selected for Intel DCO this January, all without 5 years of intel experience. 2 came from finance (as the OP would be doing), 2 from law, and 1 from tech. All were within 2-4 years of graduating undergrad.

While I understand why intel experience is desirable, it's clear from the endorsements received (many from folks with distinguished service in military intelligence communities) that there are other experiences which lend themselves to useful preparation on both the leadership and analysis fronts.

If this link is accurate, intelligence experience is "strongly desired" but not required. I also don't see anything alluding to a requisite 5 years, and the above mentioned anecdotes indicate that different experiences, while perhaps uncommon, are also not disqualifiers. The fact that we were all processed through different districts leads me to believe this wasn't simply a recruiting error https://www.navycs.com/officer/intelligenceofficer.html

Again, not trying to be contrarian, but I think it's important that stated requirements are accurate.

you may have been lucky, but from my experience I didn't see a person get marks to get them selected unless they had at least 5 years experience, the senior officers that would do the interviews for my NRD only gave high marks if warranted, I do know some interviewers would do it different and set amounts so if they had 10 interviews they might give 2 with 10's 2 with 9's, and the others 8's (just an example) so there were times were no one had marks to get them picked at my NRD and times half of the group had high marks.

I tend to think the process should be even across the board, a person that rec'd an 8 at one NRD could be a 10 at another, while a 10 at one NRD could be an 8 at another.

If you have under 5 years and interviewed at the NRD I was at you would probably not have been selected, as you would have had a comment that would say something like "Needs more experience directly related to the XX designator"

 

[Hair Warrior]

I would be eager to see more stats on the latest crop of applicants who got Pro Rec Y for FY17 Intel DCO.

The USCG Intel DCO specifically requires 5 yrs of intelligence experience. I was told that USN looks for 10-ish yrs experience, not necessarily in the intelligence field.

For the original poster, if you're under 26 and non prior service, DCO is an uphill battle. The only person I know who did it around that age got a master's in security studies from Gtown at age 23 and immediately went to work at DIA as a civilian intel analyst. This was also back when there was more funding/manpower, when both OIF and OEF were in full swing (09'ish I think).

Caveat: One anecdote does not make a trend. Talk to a recruiter and also talk to IS1's, 1835's, or anyone else in the community. Know what you're getting into - there are a lot of great things in the IWC if you walk in with eyes/ears open.

 

[unbroken]

you may have been lucky, but from my experience I didn't see a person get marks to get them selected unless they had at least 5 years experience, the senior officers that would do the interviews for my NRD only gave high marks if warranted, I do know some interviewers would do it different and set amounts so if they had 10 interviews they might give 2 with 10's 2 with 9's, and the others 8's (just an example) so there were times were no one had marks to get them picked at my NRD and times half of the group had high marks.

I tend to think the process should be even across the board, a person that rec'd an 8 at one NRD could be a 10 at another, while a 10 at one NRD could be an 8 at another.

If you have under 5 years and interviewed at the NRD I was at you would probably not have been selected, as you would have had a comment that would say something like "Needs more experience directly related to the XX designator"

I agree that standardization is certainly preferable when feasible, though I'd be curious to see how they might do that given variation across the applicant pool.

Re your last point: I take it in good humor as I know you were not privy to my application, but the fact that I was selected indicates that a number of people -- my OR, interviewers and several LOR endorsers (across multiple NRDs) -- disagreed with your assessment of my preparation, and that of my peers. I generally shy away from judging or underestimating folks I've never before met, but that's just me. You know the old saying about assumptions...

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

I agree that standardization is certainly preferable when feasible, though I'd be curious to see how they might do that given variation across the applicant pool.

Re your last point: I take it in good humor as I know you were not privy to my application, but the fact that I was selected indicates that a number of people -- my OR, interviewers and several LOR endorsers (across multiple NRDs) -- disagreed with your assessment of my preparation, and that of my peers. I generally shy away from judging or underestimating folks I've never before met, but that's just me. You know the old saying about assumptions...

You also have or about to have a PhD and so I'm assuming you did internships and projects related to national security to the political science realm...

Also, going back on topic the OP appears to only have a bachelors and very limited experience in banking. Once again... That's not going to cut it for IDC DCO.

 

[unbroken]

You also have or about to have a PhD and so I'm assuming you did internships and projects related to national security to the political science realm...

Also, going back on topic the OP appears to only have a bachelors and very limited experience in banking. Once again... That's not going to cut it for IDC DCO.

Just a MA, actually. But internships and related jobs, yes!

Off to a wedding...hope everyone's having a good wknd!