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bushyredsocks wrote:[Would you ever wise up mate? I'v never said it has been easy to get promoted to Corporal, I've just made it aware to the potential recruit that it is possible with the minimum requirments. If I were to go into the ifs and buts' of what it takes I'd be here all day. All I've done is try and make it aware of the minumum recquirements. I'm sorry if you didnt meet these, no need to send treads off in a tangent with minor details!

What? Don't making yourself look even sillier trying to guess what kind of military careers people have had, and throwing out little barbs about what people have or haven't achieved. I

I never had any intention of going for corporal I was happy as an SAC in 1982 because I knew I'd be leaving very soon to go into the Met police. And I'd probably have left sooner if the Falklands hadn't happened.

wannabe_rock wrote:London Boy, Hyperlithe. Thanks very much I think I am looking at the Jan 09 intake realistically. Possibly even early 2010 depending on work!

Think I am one of the only ones on IOT 15 so far as I think they are still filling 14 up, so aiming for the January intake is possible depending how far along you are in the process.

I haven't applied yet mate. I am looking at Police Officer now, but when I apply is going to depend on work. I can go in as a student officer with 3 years civ police experience, or as an officer cadet ASAP.

So really when I apply depends on work and money, which is a bit pants, but I have a mortgage to pay.

I would wait to join as a student officer, the difference in pay is approx 7k per year during the course, you graduate at a higher rank, and if you should be unfortunate enough to get injured in training your time spent on med holding would count towards your seniority once you graduated.
Can't see any advantage for you in joining as an officer cadet personally.

Yeah, thats what I am thinking Hyperlithe. The only benefit I can see of going in as a cadet is just getting in sooner. But hey, it gives me an extra year of policing experience so that can onl be good.

There is one advantage of going in now and that is that they are taking a lot of officers at the moment. Recruiting has really opened up and if you meet the standard to be an officer you have a good chance of being offered a commission. In previous years, such as 2004-2005 they weren't recruiting that much and only had about three intakes in the year. So, people who were more than enough qualified to be an officer were being turned down as they could only take the best. If you wait three years, who knows what the recruiting situation will be like.

He's not talking about waiting 3 yrs, he's already done 2, as I understand it. Certainly when I joined up it was about 12 months from going into the AFCO with the intent to join, to the start date I was given when I passed OASC, so you could start the process in the next few months if you wanted. If you haven't already, get yourself up to Cranwell on the last Thursday of the month for one of the visits.

We're not about to suddenly stop recruiting at the end of this year, next year's recruitment will probably depend on how this year goes.