Did not know that. THAT blows.
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Enlisted Recruiter making me wait to talk to Officer Recruiter
- Thread starter dbrauer87
- Start date
Did not know that. THAT blows.
Knowing is half the battle.
Spekkio
He bowls overhand.
The things you guys are saying are all valid, but I don't think they refute anything I listed on why getting recruits is an issue these days.
You have joe schmo high school graduate who's faced with a decision: join the military, go to work, or go to college/trade school. If he goes to work, he won't find much without a college degree other than various manual labor jobs, waitering, and maybe some data entry type stuff at an office. The salary he'd make is probably around $25-30k/year. However, he can live wherever he chooses, so long as he can find a job in the area. What he can afford is limited, but it is "his." If, in one year, he decides to go to college, he can do that with no penalty.
If he joins the military, he won't have any bills and can make a decent (for his age and education level) salary. College will be completely free once he gets out, should he choose to pursue it. He can probably qualify for other civilian jobs without a degree, that he wouldn't have before, because of his military training. And, of course, there's the pride of knowing that you contributed to the safety and well being of your homeland. However, he will have to give up all autonomy over where he lives. He will have to put off college for at least 4 years, possibly 8. He can't quit his job if he doesn't like it 2 years from now. If he meets a nice lady, or has one already, they will have to deal with long periods apart from each other.
If he goes to college, he'll probably do so on loans like most people. Assuming he majors in something that's in demand (why advisors don't tell college students this is beyond me), many of the advantages above will disappear once he graduates. He will qualify for jobs that start at $40k+ per year, and will have the opportunity to make a lot more once he gets his foot in the door. He will be able to afford a decent place to live, a decent car, and still have some beer money left over. Should he still have a streak of patriotism, like many people on these boards, he could apply for one of various officer programs and start out making a good salary to begin with. If he didn't major in something useful, go back to the high school graduate paragraph.
So what you guys are telling me is that enlisting in the military is appealing -- from a financial standpoint -- to those people who JUST graduated high school and don't think college is an option, or those people who think that paying for college is impossible in their current state. That's fine and dandy, but the amount of people in this situation is a lot lower than it was 20 years ago.
Then you have guys who might not be compelled to serve until they hit their 20s, and they might be on their way to solid careers with or without a college degree. Then he hears he's gotta live on a boat or share an apt with 5 guys just to afford a place to live. Of course, you're going to get people who are patriotic and really want to enlist even if they sacrifice autonomy and take a paycut, but a lot of the guys who are "on the fence" are going to be really turned off by that. Yes, it's a good deal for an 18 year old with no work experience, but it's not a good deal for a 22 year old college grad. And we have a lot more 22 year old college grads these days.
You have joe schmo high school graduate who's faced with a decision: join the military, go to work, or go to college/trade school. If he goes to work, he won't find much without a college degree other than various manual labor jobs, waitering, and maybe some data entry type stuff at an office. The salary he'd make is probably around $25-30k/year. However, he can live wherever he chooses, so long as he can find a job in the area. What he can afford is limited, but it is "his." If, in one year, he decides to go to college, he can do that with no penalty.
If he joins the military, he won't have any bills and can make a decent (for his age and education level) salary. College will be completely free once he gets out, should he choose to pursue it. He can probably qualify for other civilian jobs without a degree, that he wouldn't have before, because of his military training. And, of course, there's the pride of knowing that you contributed to the safety and well being of your homeland. However, he will have to give up all autonomy over where he lives. He will have to put off college for at least 4 years, possibly 8. He can't quit his job if he doesn't like it 2 years from now. If he meets a nice lady, or has one already, they will have to deal with long periods apart from each other.
If he goes to college, he'll probably do so on loans like most people. Assuming he majors in something that's in demand (why advisors don't tell college students this is beyond me), many of the advantages above will disappear once he graduates. He will qualify for jobs that start at $40k+ per year, and will have the opportunity to make a lot more once he gets his foot in the door. He will be able to afford a decent place to live, a decent car, and still have some beer money left over. Should he still have a streak of patriotism, like many people on these boards, he could apply for one of various officer programs and start out making a good salary to begin with. If he didn't major in something useful, go back to the high school graduate paragraph.
So what you guys are telling me is that enlisting in the military is appealing -- from a financial standpoint -- to those people who JUST graduated high school and don't think college is an option, or those people who think that paying for college is impossible in their current state. That's fine and dandy, but the amount of people in this situation is a lot lower than it was 20 years ago.
Then you have guys who might not be compelled to serve until they hit their 20s, and they might be on their way to solid careers with or without a college degree. Then he hears he's gotta live on a boat or share an apt with 5 guys just to afford a place to live. Of course, you're going to get people who are patriotic and really want to enlist even if they sacrifice autonomy and take a paycut, but a lot of the guys who are "on the fence" are going to be really turned off by that. Yes, it's a good deal for an 18 year old with no work experience, but it's not a good deal for a 22 year old college grad. And we have a lot more 22 year old college grads these days.
Free, really? Where? I must have attended the wrong college. I don't agree with your assessment.
-ea6bflyr
Well Spekkio....
Recruiters can get pretty much anybody to do anything with these benefit tags and the ensuing interview. It's not that the recruiters are so, so smart or shady. Most people, even the people in your college category, can be easily led to do anything by pretty much anybody who has a tight marketing game plan.
There's also the matter of people who are in category 3 of yours who are too lazy or immature to even get through JuCo. Another ripe market for any recruiter.
Recruiters can get pretty much anybody to do anything with these benefit tags and the ensuing interview. It's not that the recruiters are so, so smart or shady. Most people, even the people in your college category, can be easily led to do anything by pretty much anybody who has a tight marketing game plan.
There's also the matter of people who are in category 3 of yours who are too lazy or immature to even get through JuCo. Another ripe market for any recruiter.
Do the math. The Montgomery GI Bill will cover some if not most, but not all.
-ea6bflyr
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
Yeah, but with the top-up it can be done at a state school...
Yes, IF you pick the right school. My point being that you can't throw out broad-based statements like "College will be completely free once he gets out..."
Maybe it should have read "Depending on where you decide to go to school, college may be completely free once he gets out."
Am I being nit-picky?
-ea6bflyr
Not true. Plenty of Enlisted guys go to college on active duty.
I agree getting college is a DESIRE. I got a bachelors as an Aircrew Instructor working many extra hours after Hurricane Ivan. I caught alot of shit from my buddies asking why I never hung out or was always at school or doing homework. I was an AW1 then and I've been an ENS 18 months now and I have the same guys asking how did you become an officer. My reply is DEDICATION and HARD WORK. If a person wants to be an Officer they can they just need to figure out what their priorities are and see them through. It's not easy but it if you want it bad enough...
phrogpilot73
Well-Known Member
Excellent advice for anyone, officer or enlisted, civilian or military...
Kulita
New Member
I was enlisted and shafted out of the GI Bill. I have tried to call the VA to get that settled but it still hasn't now I am in my Master's Program and I am still paying for it myself. I can't seem to find a job in my career field even though my Enlisted rate supports my degree. Well, Now I am trying for OCS, BECAUSE it seems to me that unless you are a salty enlisted fellow your enlisted experiences is just about as worthless as being a chasier clerk at some fast food joint; And I HATE to type that. My husband has some dust on him.. not so salty... but being that he is an E-6 and there are 5 of us, I must say that his pay does not cover much. There is very little in our savings account. He does use the TA for his degree.
For the initial title of this thread. I think that recruiter is ploying him into an enlistment.
For the initial title of this thread. I think that recruiter is ploying him into an enlistment.