Joining the RAF

[welshandy]

My 17 year old is thinks of joining the RAF to train as an IT technician. Can ny of you Guys give him some insight/advice etc. on what to expect. Thanks in advance.

[C24]

Don't try to change the System, ask questions to understand how it works and stick to the rules.

Aim to be the best in his intake at every level of his training.

Take time to help everyone in his intake, remember that even to be the best it is necessary to work as a team.

Don't give up. The harder you work, the easier it becomes.

Start working towards getting in today. Use today's time, it only comes once, so don't waste IT.

If I had taken this advice I would have ended my time as an Admiral

Good fortune to him

[EGNV]

Tell him too look on 'The Student Room' forum. Jobs > Armed Forces. Any questions he has will more than likely have been asked on the forum before. Loads of information and help is provided on there by serving members and applicants who have been through different selection processes.

[rj.mad]

Well having been an ict tech in the RAF for 4 years now the best advice i can give is this. Basic training at halton can be mentally draining but they are only trying to mould you into what they want you to be you just have to play the game. As for trade training at cosford its give or take 12 - 14 months. I joined with very little background knowledge of ICT. Its a hard slog of around 50 exams and a load of BTECS and an NVQ but trust me if i can do it so can he. Our trade is massivly under manned at the minute and of course there is the £2000 incentive bonus on completion of training (which wasnt around when i joined) if you have any other questions please feel free to ask and ill do my best to answer them honestly.

Regards

Dan

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[beefsteak]

Eyes, ears, mouth....................Keep two open and one shut, I'll let you work out which for yourself!
Never volunteer for anything.
If you get asked on parade whether you've shaved that morning always reply in the positive...whether you've actually started shaving or not (fell for that one myself!)
And never, I repeat never, get a posting to the Falklands !

[StevenNFFC]

I shouldn't really advocate another forum but tell him to have a look at E-Goat. The unofficial RAF forum.

Steven.

[rj.mad]

I would have recommended e-goat however all it seems to be on there at the minute is negative people saying how rubbish the RAF is. I admit we are at hard times with things like promotion but what we need to get promotion moving again is new recruits joining the trade. E-goat does not help us in that respect!!!!

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[Contrail1958]

You should try and advise him to be an Officer in ANY of the services first.
You'll never see an ex Officer or retired one selling "The Big Issue" on the high street
when they come out.

[C24]

I agree with Contrail1958 that applying to become an Officer would be a good move. However, I am not sure about the second comment.
Anyone leaving the Services should find employment if they are prepared to adapt to their new environment.

Losers are Losers no matter what rank they achieved.
Promotion requires Luck, Contacts, Hardwork & an expanding Service and more luck. Just a thought

[Contrail1958]

I agree with Contrail1958 that applying to become an Officer would be a good move. However, I am not sure about the second comment.
Anyone leaving the Services should find employment if they are prepared to adapt to their new environment.

Losers are Losers no matter what rank they achieved.
Promotion requires Luck, Contacts, Hardwork & an expanding Service and more luck. Just a thought

I agree with your last line but I feel you may have failed to grab the overall message I was making.
The PR factor, and no matter what rank you came out at you could retire without needing a job to live (with-in reason)
Promotion does not come into the debate.

[C24]

You are correct that I misinterpreted your message, sorry.

On reading it again, I can see that you meant something else which you have clarified in the post above.

My ref to promotion really should have been kinked to Dan's comment, not yours.

So, has he applied yet Andy?

[welshandy]

Thanks for all the replies guys. His IT skills are great(build his own PC & one for our neighbour). He's just not sure whether to do uni 1st then RAF or the other way round.

[C24]

Well, I see no reason not to attempt both simultaneously & do a course on IT while they are being processed.

Talk to the school careers officer, apply for a uni grant as a student via the Services. See if he can get a holiday job with a local IT firm.
Put an ad in the wanted section on FC. There are now 13000 members, most of the Mods are involved with IT.
Keep trying

[welshandy]

Update. My Son decided to do 6th form then decide. Finished that & decided to look for an IT job. Cut a long story short no one recruiting locally, so ended up working in a Warehouse. Got made redundant 2 weeks ago. Persuaded him to at least go & speak to the RAF careers, to see if a life in the services would suit him. Had his appointment last Thursday, & the outcome Of the meeting, is that he wants to join up. As the RAF are desperate for IT technicians(now called "Cyberspace Communication Specialist"). He's been told for this role he can be fast tracked through the selection/interview process as he has A & A*'s in the subjects required & as he was also in "Air Cadets" he is what the RAF are looking for & could be at RAF Halton for basic training by end April. Has his Aptitude test next Tuesday & as long as he passes that a Interview within a week. We are paying for him to go to the Gym twice a week to be able to pass the fitness test.

[tm74sqn]

Well done to you both. Hope everything works out.
Regards TM74

[C24]

Excellent news

Best wishes to The Lad.
Please keep us informed of his progress.

[welshandy]

Excellent news

Best wishes to The Lad.
Please keep us informed of his progress.

Will do

[Thunder]

He's been told for this role he can be fast tracked through the selection/interview process as he has A & A*'s in the subjects required & as he was also in "Air Cadets" he is what the RAF are looking for & could be at RAF Halton for basic training by end April.

Usual waffle then . Bit of advice don't go into basic training thinking that because you were in the cadets it'll be any easier, if anything it'll be the opposite, that goes for any of the services. At the BTC's everyone is the same until the Instructors can see the potential or lack of in each person, however first impressions last. Eyes and ears open and keep his nose clean and he'll be fine. Good idea to up the fitness before commencing BT, not only in the gym but running too.

Good luck to him.

[welshandy]

Had his AST tests today his Group A/B/C/D scores were 84/81/88/91 & his VR/NR/WR/EC/MC/SR were 9/8/8/9/9/8.For the Cyberspace specialist role, he needed a group D score of at least 58 & VR/NR/EC/MC of at least 5. Just now waiting on a interview date,hopefully should be within 2 weeks. Very pleased with those results

[John flightpath]

Hope all goes well for him. Reckon he'll be alright by the sounds of it. Wish him good luck from all on FC. If all else fails on the job, you can always switch it off, and then switch it back on again. !!

Best Wishes
John 'flightpath'.