Selection Interview

[skyfifi]

Hi there

My husband has his selection interview next wednesday, after passing his aptitude test, and he is very nervous about it, as he reckons he not any good at interviews

He knows he will have to "sell himself" but can any of you give him some ideas of what they may ask or any good tips on what to say, they did mention to read up about the raf regiment, which he has been doing, but does he need to know things from years ago or mainly just what they do etc,

any info would be greatly appriciated.

Plus i need to attend as well incase i have any questions, any tips on what i should be saying as well

Thanks

skyfifi

[chrispob]

not only will they ask him about the job he wants, they will ask alot about his personal life i.e. what activities he is into, keeping fit, family life etc just to get an incite into if he is a 'military' person meaning is he a team player and doesnt just sit at home in front the tv!

they will ask lots about where, how long, what and why the initial recruit training will be. what his job will entale and why he wants to do it.

also what the notice engagements are i.e. how long he would sign up for, how and when is it possible to leave if its not his thing, what noitce is given if you want to leave.

they should have given some booklets with most of this in and the raf carers site will provide most info.

ive been through all this myself and am of to Halton very soon, its not all that difficult, just a bit of reading up and revising and being yourself, by all means sell yourself but dont worry about that loads.

a tip - they love active people who like to meet new people and work well in teams

[skyfifi]

Hi chrispob

You have been a great help thanks,

He's been reading up on allsorts, but he wasnt sure what were the main bits that he would really need to know,

As he is already 28, his age is one of his downfalls, as if he fails this time round he hasnt got much longer to try and get in

Thanks again for your reply and good luck with your training at Halton, bet you cant wait,

skyfifi

[Hostage_Negotiator]

skyfifi'

Firstly, allow me to welcome you to the site! I hope it provides the help, assistance and reassurance that you need. On the subject of hubby's interview: He will be expected to have a well rounded overview of the role and history of the service and in particular the RAF Regt if that is his chosen career path. Things like location and duration of training, types of employment, specialist roles and locations of individual Sqns and a good grasp of the history including things such as formation dates etc. All this information is is widely available in the Public Domain and can be accessed via such places as the official RAF Website. (you'll find links to it on this forums home page)
With regards your attending the AFCO with him, this should not pose a great problem however he should inform his Recruiter that this is required and request this out of courtesy. It may seem petty but at this stage in the process courtesy will be noted and will go a long way towards assuring them that he is indeed the person they want! Any recruiter worth his salt will take the time answer as best he can any queries you have about your role in service life and will hopefully allay any fears you have about the massive transition that you and your partner will go through.
I hope this helps in some way to reassure you both that you are making the right choice! The Service family may be reducing in size everyday but is still a great family and the support you will be freely offered by others in the same position as yourself will astound you and hopefully serve to convince you that it is indeed the right thing for you and your family!

Best wishes
H_N

[skyfifi]

Hi H_N

Thanks for your reply, this is a great help as well, ill be getting hubby to read through these later once he back from work.

Ill get him to register on here as well, then he can post any questions that mite be bothering him, dont think it will look well if he posts under my name,

Thanks again, im keeping everything crossed for him, my younger years were in the life of the RAF, and im sure our kids would love it as well

Skyfifi

[Hostage_Negotiator]

Glad to help!
I'm sure SittingStress, TJD, Biggles, aes69, Devils Advocate and myself amongst others will help and advise as best we can.

[skyfifi]

Skyfifi - .

As for you - as HN suggests your hubby should phone the AFCO first just to let them know you will be attending.

Hi there

when he was given his interview date, they told him it would be best to bring me along, so that they could answer any questions i had.

He has always thought about joining the RAF but because we had a young baby at the time, he didnt want to miss out on that as well, so put it to the back of his mind, we ended up talking again about it recently and i said if that is what he wanted to do then to go for it, as he would probably regret not doing it later in life.
His choices because of his age, were very limited, his main choices were firefighter, (which would take longer to get in, and age restrictions), Rag Regt, and aircrewman, (but he hasnt got any qualifications for that).

When he was chatting to RAF careers person he was staying that his age may help on the training as he would have more stamina than the younger ones, as they tend to give in easier.

My dad used to be in the RAF REGT, so he has heard alot from him as well, even tho lots of things have changed since

Skyfifi

[djmarkmclachlan]

Firstly, I wish you both the very best of luck (seems you are both actively involved in his application ). From what Ive read, he sounds like the kind of person I would like on my side.

I haven't heard of spouses being invited along to the interview before, however, its a good chance for you both to put forward your case as to how you will get through this, as it can be very difficult on relationshps whilst your hubby is away for long times, the interviewer may want to see what you have to say on this.

When he was chatting to RAF careers person he was staying that his age may help on the training as he would have more stamina than the younger ones, as they tend to give in easier.

From my experience, this is not true; it tends to be the old timers that can't make it round the track in time, and get disheartened by it, the young en's tend to push and push till they get there (this obviously doesn't always apply, just from my experience).

I really do wish you both all the best, however the fact he is older doesn't mean he'll automatically be put forward for the class/team leader whilst in training. Whilst going through basic training, I was I/C of 6 25+er's, 3 of which were 29, and I was 18. And again when I went to my trade training, I was I/C of my team, where 2 of the 29'ers were in my class. So although he does have a better chance of that role, and with it the extra responsibility, it is a little presumptuous to talk about being the lead at this stage.

Regard, Mark.