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Letters of Recomendation how many? what holds best?

Gilley

Gilley

New Member
Im getting together my letters of recomendation. As it stands i have our Mayor, State Senator, a Congressman, State Representative, Public Accountant, and my Grandfather (35 year veteran Naval Officer, served two tours in Vietnam) do i need more military LOR? How many total should i get? Do the political ones hurt my chances i.e. if they are a different party than the board members? Am i looking going at the LOR the right way?
 
Gilley said:
Im getting together my letters of recomendation. As it stands i have our Mayor, State Senator, a Congressman, State Representative, Public Accountant, and my Grandfather (35 year veteran Naval Officer, served two tours in Vietnam) do i need more military LOR? How many total should i get? Do the political ones hurt my chances i.e. if they are a different party than the board members? Am i looking going at the LOR the right way?
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You're going about it all wrong. It's not the "status" of your letters of recommendations..it's who knows you well enough to give a valid account of your character.

A diversified account of you from people who have known you is much more favorable than some Congressman who typed up a LOR based on a resume you gave him or a quick favor. Get one from your boss too. The military thing works if they know you well enough.

I had a USAF Colonel and LT. Colonel give me references but they had known me quite a while..and the latter knew me almost my entire life. I DID however include an "interview" which is much different from an LOR and requires a different form. This was from a Navy Commander who flew A-6's. I did not know him, but he is the current XO of the NROTC unit I was in a few years ago.
 
I know our mayor, senator, public accountant, and Representative fairly well, i mean we don't hang out or anything.... but i know them well enough for them to say some things about it that they actually mean. The only favor would be congressman my friend works directly for him... So these would be good then right? since i do know them. So i should do an interview with someone? Just free form interview or is there some standard i need to go by?
 
Gilley said:
I know our mayor, senator, public accountant, and Representative fairly well, i mean we don't hang out or anything.... but i know them well enough for them to say some things about it that they actually mean. The only favor would be congressman my friend works directly for him... So these would be good then right? since i do know them. So i should do an interview with someone? Just free form interview or is there some standard i need to go by?
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These are all questions to throw at your recruiter. They have the forms to give to your people. None of it is "free form" it is all done through government document(s).
 
Gilley said:
Really? Even just my letter of recomendation?
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Yes, everything. Now the person can write up a LOR on a separate sheet but it must be attached to the government form because there are questions about you and boxes to check on that form as well.

They fax the LOR directly to your recruiter, they don't give it to you for you to give to the recruiter. This tarnishes the credibility of the LOR. Not saying you would, but you could draft up your own LOR and say it is from someone...that is why.

This isn't like applying for some typical civilian job that you and I are used to. You don't show up with all your stuff and just hand it over to the recruiter and they submit it. Many things are checked and balanced and safeguarded to make sure it is legit. The Navy (assuming you get picked) is investing in you, and you are an asset..they don't want to get screwed over.
 
did not know that. thanks So i should be getting them a form to go with the LOR? My recruiter hasn't really told me anything. Im just trying to wing it and put things together. So is this form online where i can dowload it? i have the link to the "complete application" but its not on it.
 
Gilley said:
did not know that. thanks So i should be getting them a form to go with the LOR? My recruiter hasn't really told me anything. Im just trying to wing it and put things together. So is this form online where i can dowload it? i have the link to the "complete application" but its not on it.
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They have them for download but there are questions on it that you really can't understand unless the recruiter explains stuff to you. You want this done right, you don't want to screw it up. Just email him and say you need the letter of recommendation forms, it's called the DD 370.

No matter what, you're going to need to deal with your recruiter...you can't just go solo on this. It's good that you're trying to show initiative but what you can do is study for the ASTB, work out a lot, secure who is going to give you your references.

Until you take the ASTB (and do well) your recruiter is not going to give you much thought...it is a seller's market right now and an Officer recruiter has plenty of qualified applicants coming to him/her. The ASTB is a huge part of your kit and really is the decider of the recruiter saying, "Hey thanks for playing." and "Okay dude we need to get you in MY Navy".

Moral of the story, ASTB first...LOR's way down the line for you at this point.
 
Attached are the "Request for Reference - DD Form 370" and the "Interviewers Appraisal Sheet - NAVCRUIT Form 1131_5", both of which are used when applying to Navy officer programs.

The Request for Reference - DD Form 370 is used when obtaining professional and character references. You will provide this to your current/former employers, character references, et al. What usually happens is that people will ask you to fill it out and to write up the reference, and provide it back to them for tweaking. Once the form is completed and is signed, you would give it to your recruiter.

The Interviewers Appraisal Sheet - NAVCRUIT Form 1131_5 is used by your interviewer when you have your "professional community" interview. You or your recruiter will provide this blank form to the interviewer and he/she will fill it out and give it directly to the recruiter: you will never see the contents of the completed form.

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with OUSOONER. Your recruiter should be able to give you an idea of your competitiveness prior to your ASTB. I conducted my interviews before I took my ASTB test and did the leg work to find and to schedule my professional interview.
 

Attachments

bubblehead said:
Attached are the "Request for Reference - DD Form 370" and the "Interviewers Appraisal Sheet - NAVCRUIT Form 1131_5", both of which are used when applying to Navy officer programs. Well, at least they are used for DCO/DIRCOM.

"Request for Reference - DD Form 370" is used when obtaining professional and character references.

"Interviewers Appraisal Sheet - NAVCRUIT Form 1131_5" is used by your interviewer when you have your "professional" interview.
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Bubble, he hasn't taken the ASTB yet...much less even established meaningful contact with his recruiter, IMO this stuff is down the road.
 
bubblehead said:
Attached are the "Request for Reference - DD Form 370" and the "Interviewers Appraisal Sheet - NAVCRUIT Form 1131_5", both of which are used when applying to Navy officer programs. Well, at least they are used for DCO/DIRCOM.

"Request for Reference - DD Form 370" is used when obtaining professional and character references. And "Interviewers Appraisal Sheet - NAVCRUIT Form 1131_5" is used by your interviewer when you have your "professional" interview.

I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with OUSOONER. Your recruiter should be able to give you an idea of your competitiveness prior to your ASTB. I conducted my interviews before I took my ASTB test and did the leg work to find and to schedule my professional interview.
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Bubble, he wants to go pilot. The ASTB is much more important in that respect. That whole test after all is the Aviation Selection Test Battery, which predicts performance in flight school. Aren't you trying for PAO or something? Apples and Oranges. You guys are more concerned with the OAR (Officer Aptitude Rating) portion of the test..which then I would agree he could get more done prior to the test.
 
OUSOONER said:
Bubble, he wants to go pilot. The ASTB is much more important in that respect. That whole test after all is the Aviation Selection Test Battery, which predicts performance in flight school. Aren't you trying for PAO or something?
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I am a DCO/DIRCOM applicant, for the Intelligence Officer program. The Intel board looks at all of the components of the ASTB:
Academic Qualifications Rating (AQR): (Score: 1–9) This score is a predictor of your performance in the academic portions of ground school training.

Pilot Flight Aptitude Rating (PFAR): (Score: 1–9) This score is a predictor of flight grades in primary flight training.

Flight Officer Flight Aptitude Training (FOFAR): (Score: 1–9) This score, like the PFAR, is a predictor of flight grades in primary flight training.

Officer Aptitude Rating (OAR): (Score: 20–80) This is a composite score derived from the combination of your test scores.
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The only reason I feel the recommendations and interviews can be started now is because some people can take weeks to provide the finished paperwork. I have read of some people missing boards because recommendations/interviews were not turned in on time.

Gilley, have you had a face-to-face interview with your recruiter?
 
Yes pilot, but shouldn't i be getting my stuff together too? I am waiting on a waiver but it still would be good to get everything put together right
 
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