View Full Version : What Should I Do?
I graduated from Lock Haven University in 2008 with a bachelors degree in Criminal Justice. From there I took a job as a security/loss prevention officer at a hotel. In 2009 I was accepted to the Mercer County Police Academy as an alternate route candidate for their Basic Course for Police Officer. The alternate route program allows you to attend the academy without being hired by a police department in advance. You pay a tuition fee and receive the training. In July of 2009 I graduated from the police academy. From there an alternate route candidate has 3 years to find a job. Shortly after I graduated the state of NJ quickly fell into the financial toilet. Due to the overwhelming number of alternate route candidates, laid off officers, and declining budgets the competition is steep.
I do not like how the situation is looking in this state and I need to seek out other opportunities. I am very interested in becoming a Marine Officer as well as going the Enlisted route. As of right now I am a baggage handler at the same hotel I started at when I graduated from college. When I left the hotel to attend the academy they were nice enough to keep me employed. However, they had to fill the void that I left. When I returned there was no room for me in security. I took the baggage handler job as it was the only available position at the time. I was thinking of just enlisting and seeing where that takes me. One of my co-workers who is a Marine (she is no longer active duty) urged me to become an officer instead.
The thing is I am 25 going on 26 in July and I feel like I am going no where. I also feel like time is running out for me if I want to join the Marines I need to do it now. I tried to contact my local OSO but the email was sent back to me with a failed delivery notice. I do plan on contacting them by phone. I was just wondering if anyone on here had some advice for me. Thank you for your time and service to our country.
- Ian
About profiles being filled out here should be first thing then the replies should come pretty quickly after that. Jus sayin ! good luck and perhaps you might be a good candidate MP's don't know for sure? Moz
Old Marine
02-20-11, 03:37 PM
Profile Up.
Profile updated. My apologies.
What is the testing that is done for entry into the Marines Called, I'm thinking it will show up big time you being a former police Academy grad ???
Wyoming
02-20-11, 04:13 PM
G o S E E a R e c r u i t e r !
G o S E E a R e c r u i t e r !
I tried to contact the OSO from the information I received off of MarineOfficer.com. The email address they provided resulted in a failure to deliver notice. I'm going to see if I can get in touch with them on the phone tomorrow. I am just slightly confused on whether I should go officer or enlisted. My SAT scores are slightly under whats acceptable and I didn't exactly help that many old ladies across the street in my younger days. On the other hand I don't wanna be the token old guy if I go enlisted.
Lisa 23
02-20-11, 07:21 PM
You'll get more accomplished if you go talk with a recruiter face-to-face!!!
You'll get more accomplished if you go talk with a recruiter face-to-face!!!
I do plan on doing that. I was just throwing my story out there to see if I could get pointed in the right direction.
As mentioned above, only you can decide which route is best for you. That being said, I would suggest that you take a step back and figure out:
What it is you are looking for?
What do you want to do?
Why you want to do it?
The answers to these questions can help you figure out which route to follow. They can also help us figure out what advice to give you.
Leading Marines, whether as a commissioned officer or a non-commissioned officer is a huge responsibility not to be take lightly.
So, give some thought to what I've said above. You can post your conclusions here or you can PM me if you don't want to share it with the world. Based on that, I can offer some advice based upon my experiences. In the end, it's your decision to make and your's alone. My goal is to help you make that a well informed decision.
Ana Ortiz
02-22-11, 02:10 AM
I was only 16 when I went 2 see the recruiter. I didn't hesitate. As you shouldn't either if u really are Marine material. Sign up enlisted and once u'r a Marine find out about becoming an officer.
josephd
02-22-11, 12:58 PM
here is my $.02..
Go talk to an OSO before talking with an enlisted recruiter. A recruiters job is to sell you on joining/enlisting in the Marine Corps. Other than giving out the OSO's information, they really have no knowledge of becoming an officer, the process, and the training pipeline.
If you are already going on 26 years old and you enlist first, you are at risk of not being accepted into a commissioning program once you are 30+ years old after your first enlistment.
Talk to your OSO and get a feel for what being an officer involves. If you decide it is not what you want then go to a regular recruiters office and enlist.
afraziaaaa
02-23-11, 05:52 PM
Stop procrastinating and do something about it. See both an enlisted recruiter and an OSO. Make your decision based on the information both give you. They are your best source of current information.
Honestly, its unlikely that you will even be selected for a spot at one of the three annual Officer Candidates Courses for college graduates, and any OSO would tell you the same thing unless you are a highly qualified applicant which is statistically unlikely. I don't mean to offend you, but I do like to call a spade a spade. If you do apply, good luck.
Don't listen to anyone who tells you that Marine recruiters know little about officer selection/pipeline because it's untrue. Yes, it is our job to find qualified prospects and enlist them in the Marine Corps, but the bottom line is that the majority of us could care less if YOU enlist because if you don't, someone else will and the Corps will live on with or without you.
Even if you do enlist, you are REQUIRED to talk to the OSO before you do so because you have a degree.
Contrary to popular belief (including the belief of some Marines who have never been on recruiting duty), recruiters will not say just ANYTHING to get people to enlist. It does no good for our service to create Marines on false pretenses. I don't want disgruntled Marines stuck in my Marine Corps. All it does it create problems within the ranks.
You guys will be happy to know I have contacted my local OSO and got some information. We shall see what happens.
Lisa 23
02-24-11, 09:23 PM
How about Marines, not you guys.
Sgt Leprechaun
02-24-11, 11:29 PM
OUTStanding! Keep us in the loop.
Phantom Blooper
02-25-11, 06:29 AM
When ALL else fails.....PUNT!
You guys will be happy to know I have contacted my local OSO and got some information. We shall see what happens.
So.....
Status report