USN DCO Reserve - Intel vs CW

[Hail_HYDRA!]

I have an okay amount of varied professional work experience both domestic and abroad (13+ years) with one B.S., three master degrees, and literally JUST completed the doctorate (all with high GPA scores, well, maybe except for the b.s.). My degree ranges from engineering, business, to predictive analytics and modeling. Be that as it may, I was still a non-select earlier this year for CW.

I really just want to be a naval officer who is competent in their abilities and wise enough to lean on my senior enlisted personnel to progress the mission. Confident in my abilities means commissioning into a leadership role commensurate with my background and education that the Navy could exploit.

Lately, I have read on numerous boards that Intel is the way to go if an applicant wants to increase their odds to get in. I also read this designator is quite overmanned. As stated before, I really want to be a naval officer. I am left wondering will the work be so vastly different in Intel than CW that if I ever considered a lat transfer I would be a fish out of water due to years of being a customer of that data versus being the originator? Or, could I leverage my civilian experience and make the case for it later? Who knows, I may actually love it.

The bottom line, will the board look at my packet with a raised eyebrow if I put intel first and CW second? I really want CW first, but I want to get selected and be a naval officer more. One more detail, I am a GS-14 in D.C. which IMHO does means not much here as GS-14's are like E-9's walking around at US Army Sergeants Major Academy at Ft. Bliss. No diss to any E-9s or GS-14/15, but for those who live in the D.C. area understand it is saturated with 14/15's due to the mindset and structure here so top-heavy. I just feel I'd have more "street cred" if I was like anywhere but here as a 14.

Lastly, it seems like cyber is making its way into many designators (as advertised online) with Intel being one of them. With my background in cyber fraud and process control systems, could my background still be utilized via the Intel route?

 

[Griz882]

You will be fine in the reserves, but I'd check the "D.C. GS-14's are dicks attitude." As a walk-on direct commission officer that kind of crap will stink of an air of superiority and you already have a strike against you being an egg-head (PhD). As one of those bloated D.C. 14's stealing oxygen and getting paid for it, as well as a former naval officer, I think you have a solid shot.

 

[Hail_HYDRA!]

You will be fine in the reserves, but I'd check the "D.C. GS-14's are dicks attitude." As a walk-on direct commission officer that kind of crap will stink of an air of superiority and you already have a strike against you being an egg-head (PhD). As one of those bloated D.C. 14's stealing oxygen and getting paid for it, as well as a former naval officer, I think you have a solid shot.

First, thank you for the prompt feedback. I may have misstyped on the GS-14 business. I work with a bunch of retired E-8s and E-9s who come to work and bring the pain. I love it! I do however feel like the average joe who comes to work because of it, but I gives my best. I do however work with people who do believe because they are a GS-14 that they have a superiority aire about themselves and it irks the crap out of me. My focus was on if it would help me being senior in the government in a leadership position look great or because that I am in D.C. it would be viewed as "just another GS-14 from D.C." and I not get the credit for kicking butt at work because of my locale is all.

BTW, I am not a formal Naval Officer. My only affiliation with the military is my dad being a retired E-8 (Army) and brother as a E-9 (Army) active duty aviation dude.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

You will be fine in the reserves, but I'd check the "D.C. GS-14's are dicks attitude." As a walk-on direct commission officer that kind of crap will stink of an air of superiority and you already have a strike against you being an egg-head (PhD). As one of those bloated D.C. 14's stealing oxygen and getting paid for it, as well as a former naval officer, I think you have a solid shot.

The issue is that he's competing against others in DC. When he does the OIC interviews, he is ranked against his peers in the local DC area. For every one of him, there's probably dozens more that are just as qualified if not more.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

If you have a good IWC DCO OIC Interviewer, he or she would tell you exactly what you'd be a good fit for.

Not saying you're a bad person, but judging by the way you've been talking here... you might have said the wrong things in your motivational statement, resume, or even interviews that turned off the board members.

 

[Hail_HYDRA!]

If you have a good IWC DCO OIC Interviewer, he or she would tell you exactly what you'd be a good fit for.

Not saying you're a bad person, but judging by the way you've been talking here... you might have said the wrong things in your motivational statement, resume, or even interviews that turned off the board members.

Actually, got all 10's, but had to reschedule my interview with the O-5 as I had to interview people for my slots at the job. Rescheduling wasn't a good impression.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Rescheduling wasn't a good impression.

Not necessarily. If you gave the interviewer a decent heads up, I don't see it being an issue. If not, and literally gave him a 3-minute notice, than that's something else.

 

[Hail_HYDRA!]

Not necessarily. If you gave the interviewer a decent heads up, I don't see it being an issue. If not, and literally gave him a 3-minute notice, than that's something else.

I agree with what you're saying, but in my situation it was more like a three-hour notice. At any rate, next go around I am taking the day off so I don't get hit with any day of requests from my employer.

 

[Griz882]

First, thank you for the prompt feedback. I may have misstyped on the GS-14 business. I work with a bunch of retired E-8s and E-9s who come to work and bring the pain. I love it! I do however feel like the average joe who comes to work because of it, but I gives my best. I do however work with people who do believe because they are a GS-14 that they have a superiority aire about themselves and it irks the crap out of me. My focus was on if it would help me being senior in the government in a leadership position look great or because that I am in D.C. it would be viewed as "just another GS-14 from D.C." and I not get the credit for kicking butt at work because of my locale is all.

BTW, I am not a formal Naval Officer. My only affiliation with the military is my dad being a retired E-8 (Army) and brother as a E-9 (Army) active duty aviation dude.

I get it, and I was just having a little fun. It is true that you are entering in a geographic area where competition is stiff. BTW, I was a naval officer - years ago - and I was writing toward my beliefs that your qualifications should serve you well if you can remain fixed on your capabilities and not your academic degrees.

 

[Hail_HYDRA!]

I get it, and I was just having a little fun. It is true that you are entering in a geographic area where competition is stiff. BTW, I was a naval officer - years ago - and I was writing toward my beliefs that your qualifications should serve you well if you can remain fixed on your capabilities and not your academic degrees.

You got me good, I guess I could use some loosening up.

All jokes aside, thanks for the input as someone will eventually stuble onto this chatter and the idea it is helpful to them as it has been to me.

 

[unbroken]

You will be fine in the reserves, but I'd check the "D.C. GS-14's are dicks attitude." As a walk-on direct commission officer that kind of crap will stink of an air of superiority and you already have a strike against you being an egg-head (PhD). As one of those bloated D.C. 14's stealing oxygen and getting paid for it, as well as a former naval officer, I think you have a solid shot.

To the latter point re PhD -- multiple members of my unit have PhDs, and I personally have never heard anything unkind spoken about them. The chiefs' mess loves 'em, and they have said they've found the Navy accommodating and encouraging of their doctoral pursuits. Each has served honorably on overseas deployments, including Iraq and Afghanistan. We appreciate that they decided to take on this service despite none of their peers doing the same. That's what we talk about -- we don't shake our heads and shame them.

I'm sure there are some who will view them unfavorably because of unfamiliarity with intellectuals, preconceived stereotypes, etc. But to the OP, don't think that there aren't others who would admire that type of credential, when embraced humbly. We should be a service that prides itself on an educated officer corps.