My Recruiters, too!

[Spencer]

I've started this rant post in support of a recent post titled "My Recruiter."

-I've been in Navy Officer Programs for over a year now (most of which I spent getting ready to submit a package for an OCS Billet to BUD/S). At first, I thought my recruiter just didn't take me seriously because I wanted to be a Navy SEAL Officer.

However, after I flew to Ft. Bragg N.C. to meet 4 high ranking SEALs and got great reccomendations from all of them, and then flew to D.C. to meet with another SEAL that deals with the boards, I found that my recruiter still didn't appear to care at all.

Here were the problems:

1) If I called, his attitude towards me was as if I was bothering him.
2) He never returned a call (i.e. I'd leave messages, but no return)
3) He had little or nothing to do with any SEAL progress I made
4) He didn't know any SEAL package procedures, dates, etc.
5) He never returned an email.
6) He QUIT the day before I sent in my package.

So I'm left with no official recruiter except another OSO in another city who sent up my package. He has been far nicer, but also has not done anything he has said he would do. I emailed him with important questions to help me finish my SNA package to be submitted July 31, and he didn't reply. After a week, I called him. And do you know what he asked me? He asked me, "What do you need?"-in an irritated tone!

Are you kidding me? I wanted to say, "YOU told me to get some things ready so I can submit this strong package for flight school, but I have little time and YOU haven't told me everything I need!"-

At any rate, call that whining, but I think a lot of us are recruiting ourselves here.

Is this the Naval Officer recruiting method? Or is it just that many of the Navy Officer recruiters are complete apathetic slackers? (This is a personal opinion based off my direct experience, and in no way suggests that ALL/the majority/or even "many" Navy Officer recruiters are as such).

Feedback on this topic is thoroughly encouraged!

 

[Thisguy]

I felt my recruiter did an outstanding job. However, I had the luxury of being involved with a very small recruiting office. I went to Penn State which is in a total college town. The office was right downtown, across the street from campus, and consisted of 2 LTs. Pretty much all the applicants they dealt with were Penn State students.

The recruiters were at every career fair, and put postings on the career centers job listings. I feel very fortunate now, after hearing other people's frustrations. But I can imagine how impersonal it can be if you say, have to drive from ERAU in Daytona to see your recruiter in Jax.

Conclusion: The larger the office you deal with, and the further you have to drive to get to it, the less personal the attention.

 

[RHPF]

I've started this rant post in support of a recent post titled "My Recruiter."

-I've been in Navy Officer Programs for over a year now (most of which I spent getting ready to submit a package for an OCS Billet to BUD/S). At first, I thought my recruiter just didn't take me seriously because I wanted to be a Navy SEAL Officer.

However, after I flew to Ft. Bragg N.C. to meet 4 high ranking SEALs and got great reccomendations from all of them, and then flew to D.C. to meet with another SEAL that deals with the boards, I found that my recruiter still didn't appear to care at all.

Here were the problems:

1) If I called, his attitude towards me was as if I was bothering him.
2) He never returned a call (i.e. I'd leave messages, but no return)
3) He had little or nothing to do with any SEAL progress I made
4) He didn't know any SEAL package procedures, dates, etc.
5) He never returned an email.
6) He QUIT the day before I sent in my package.

So I'm left with no official recruiter except another OSO in another city who sent up my package. He has been far nicer, but also has not done anything he has said he would do. I emailed him with important questions to help me finish my SNA package to be submitted July 31, and he didn't reply. After a week, I called him. And do you know what he asked me? He asked me, "What do you need?"-in an irritated tone!

Are you kidding me? I wanted to say, "YOU told me to get some things ready so I can submit this strong package for flight school, but I have little time and YOU haven't told me everything I need!"-

At any rate, call that whining, but I think a lot of us are recruiting ourselves here.

Is this the Naval Officer recruiting method? Or is it just that many of the Navy Officer recruiters are complete apathetic slackers? (This is a personal opinion based off my direct experience, and in no way suggests that ALL/the majority/or even "many" Navy Officer recruiters are as such).

Feedback on this topic is thoroughly encouraged!

I really dont know what to tell you, I have spoke to lots of OCS/BDCP candidates and heard similiar. I guess my advice is if you have to recruit yourself, then do it, it will be worth it (I really cant tell you for sure though, as im still in the app process myself, but im hoping ).

I imagine a lot of this comes from being understaffed? Either way good luck, and I suggest you use the internet (what people did before that I have no idea) as a resource to find the docs you need to submit. You'd be surprised what you can find from a google search.

 

[pdx]

My experience was better than yours, but not entirely different. I had to do almost all of the initial footwork and post good scores before my recruiter took an interest. Then things smoothed out a little, but I was still passed a LOT of bad gouge and/or outright lies.

My advice would be seek out a better OSO until you find one, even if it means talking to someone in a different state. And keep taking the initiative like you are doing. Don't wait a week between phone calls, I would say 2 days is max. I had to call my recruiter often. I think I was starting to piss her off a little, but she submitted my package. Then I got selected, which made us both very happy.

 

[FMRAM]

I've started this rant post in support of a recent post titled "My Recruiter."

-I've been in Navy Officer Programs for over a year now (most of which I spent getting ready to submit a package for an OCS Billet to BUD/S). At first, I thought my recruiter just didn't take me seriously because I wanted to be a Navy SEAL Officer.

However, after I flew to Ft. Bragg N.C. to meet 4 high ranking SEALs and got great reccomendations from all of them, and then flew to D.C. to meet with another SEAL that deals with the boards, I found that my recruiter still didn't appear to care at all.

Here were the problems:

1) If I called, his attitude towards me was as if I was bothering him.
2) He never returned a call (i.e. I'd leave messages, but no return)
3) He had little or nothing to do with any SEAL progress I made
4) He didn't know any SEAL package procedures, dates, etc.
5) He never returned an email.
6) He QUIT the day before I sent in my package.

So I'm left with no official recruiter except another OSO in another city who sent up my package. He has been far nicer, but also has not done anything he has said he would do. I emailed him with important questions to help me finish my SNA package to be submitted July 31, and he didn't reply. After a week, I called him. And do you know what he asked me? He asked me, "What do you need?"-in an irritated tone!

Are you kidding me? I wanted to say, "YOU told me to get some things ready so I can submit this strong package for flight school, but I have little time and YOU haven't told me everything I need!"-

At any rate, call that whining, but I think a lot of us are recruiting ourselves here.

Is this the Naval Officer recruiting method? Or is it just that many of the Navy Officer recruiters are complete apathetic slackers? (This is a personal opinion based off my direct experience, and in no way suggests that ALL/the majority/or even "many" Navy Officer recruiters are as such).

Feedback on this topic is thoroughly encouraged!

SNA and SEAL packages? That's quite a tasking for a recruiter...
Get used to doing most of your own legwork, Im sure many of the Officers on this site could probably attest to this. With that being said, I wish you the best of luck.

 

[IRfly]

[At any rate, call that whining, but I think a lot of us are recruiting ourselves here.

Interesting observation...You'll find that there are going to be a lot of processes through which you will pass that are for exactly that--self-selection. From my limited experience, it seems that the Navy doesn't weed people out nearly as much as they put them in situations where they'll weed themselves out. Especially in aviation.

 

[FMRAM]

Interesting observation...You'll find that there are going to be a lot of processes through which you will pass that are for exactly that--self-selection. From my limited experience, it seems that the Navy doesn't weed people out nearly as much as they put them in situations where they'll weed themselves out. Especially in aviation.

Concur
That has been my exact experience for the last 4 years with STA-21, and It was all worth it.

 

[OneOddGuy]

Although I feel that the recruiter didn't pay too much attention to me until I took the ASTB, this is understandable. As I've said before, why waste time on an aviation wannabe when his ASTB scores are not compeititive at all.

Afterwards, both the L T and the civilians (former Navy) have been very helpful, and have never tried to steer me away from Aviation and have not even mentioned other programs. Now sometimes they do forget stuff about me, but who wouldn't? Their recruiting district covers like 10 million people...

And sure, they don't know everything; but who does? Just be happy we live in a world where resources are often only a few clicks away.

 

[saltpeter]

Spencer - What is the question that you need answered? If you've already applied for SEAL, i.e. sent a package to Tennesee, then it should be a simple process of re-submitting your package for pilot. If I remeber correctly, it consisted of a phone call and maybe a one page fax from the recruiting office. And then you wait to hear back from the selection board.

 

[Spencer]

Well, I simply wanted to know if my SEAL LORs would really count for SNA. I also wanted to know if while I am at OCS (say under SNA orders) in November, if I could re-submit my SEAL package for the Jan SPECWAR board and see if I could get a billet...

If I could, it'd be a hard choice between BUD/S and Flight School.

But it's really not that serious, I just want to know what options I have in all respects.

 

[Thisguy]

I also wanted to know if while I am at OCS (say under SNA orders) in November, if I could re-submit my SEAL package for the Jan SPECWAR board and see if I could get a billet...

That's highly unlikely. If you go to OCS as SNA, you're filling an SNA quota. If you have a clear cut first choice that's worth holding out for, then do it. I hear people say so often "...I can get my foot in the door and lat xfer later..." That's about as much fun as petting a rattlesnake. Lat xfer quotas fluctuate, and are in fewer numbers. If you think there aren't many SEAL slots as a civilian, the number of lat xfers they take is miniscule.

 

[KSUFLY]

My recruiter was a retiring Senior Chief that would do anything to get out of the office and drive the three hours to come see how things were going. I didn't realize how good he was until he actually retired and I had to deal with the actual recruiters that always seemed to have something more important than to deal with me.

Oh well, I made it and I'm enjoying life now.

 

[BlkPny]

Driving for three hours across Kansas defines a motivated recruiter.

 

[saltpeter]

If your Seal LOR'S are within six months use them, if not get three more and attach the first three as an addendum.

 

[FMRAM]

Well, I simply wanted to know if my SEAL LORs would really count for SNA. I also wanted to know if while I am at OCS (say under SNA orders) in November, if I could re-submit my SEAL package for the Jan SPECWAR board and see if I could get a billet...

If I could, it'd be a hard choice between BUD/S and Flight School.

But it's really not that serious, I just want to know what options I have in all respects.

Eventually your going to have to pick one...