Getting the job i want

[Sethsonian]

So I am a Poolee with a ship date of 2016/11/28. I told my recruiter that I wanted the job Air Traffic Controller and she told me that surprisingly the job is open but its for Poolee's shipping in January. She told me she would see if i could still get it but I think she just told me that knowing that she wouldn't work something out because she'd probably have to find a replacement to go on my ship date. I just felt it in her voice. I really want this job. Is there anyway I can get this job? I need some advice on what I should do or say. My brother, a former marine, tells me to not sign unless I get the job I want because i'm gonna be stuck with it for 4 years. Thanks in advance.

P.S. If you don't have anything helpful to say then please go on to the next post.:thumbup:

[Tennessee Top]

I agree with your brother. Just tell your recruiter you won't ship unless you get the job you want. Understand, this may mean waiting around for awhile. But, if that's what it takes, you should be OK with it. Poolees can remain in their DEP for 365 days so you could possibly be looking at hanging around for months (not knowing how long you've been in the DEP already).

[Kegler300]

The ship dates for that particular MOS may be based on the MOS school training dates. They may only run that school twice a year, so you have to ship in a window that allows you to get through boot camp and MCT, then on to the MOS school.

[Sethsonian]

Thank you. I wasn't actually sure I could do that because she didn't give me that option. I'm definably going to stand my ground on this one. One more question for you, Do you mind telling me your MOS and how well you liked it?

[Tennessee Top]

You have to understand. Recruiters don't just come up with this stuff on their own. She is steering you in the direction she needs to, based on the directions she gets from her recruiting district headquarters. The district headquarters get their direction from the Manpower Management folks at Headquarters Marine Corps (based on the needs of the Marine Corps). How flexible she can be with you, is not up to her. Whether you get the job you want or not depends on someone else's call not her's. Like Kegler300 said - certain things are set in concrete and she must stay within those lines. Don't misunderstand. I'm not saying, just because you tell her you won't ship unless you get the Air Traffic Controller MOS, does not mean she can get that MOS for you. You may never be offered that MOS - so you need to have a plan B and C just in case. Playing hardball with a recruiter is a gamble. Sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn't.

My primary MOS was 0193 (admin chief) but I only spent half my time actually doing that job. I enjoyed it, because it meant I could help a lot of Marines (with pay problems, getting promoted on time, maintaining their service records accurately, etc).

My secondary MOS was 8156 (embassy guard). I did that for 6 years and then went back to the embassy duty school In Quantico, VA for a couple years. I enjoyed that because I got to travel to and live in countries I never would've otherwise. Also got to work alongside the Department of State and see first hand how our foreign policies are carried out abroad.

My tertiary MOS was 8015 (enlisted Marine with a 4 year degree). That's just a MOS designator. One doesn't actually work in that MOS obviously.

[Sethsonian]

Embassy Guard sounds pretty nice! Thank you for all the knowledge. Im going to try to make her work something out. If nothing comes of it and she tells me I will have to get an Aviation Support General MOS then I might just pick Embassy Guard or Intel Specialist.

[Tennessee Top]

You cannot enlist for embassy guard. One needs to demonstrate maturity, excellent judgement, and integrity before being entrusted with the security of a foreign service post overseas. So, you'll have to wait till you're a Lance Corporal to be eligible to even apply to that program.

Anything in intel is a good choice. If you can get one, 0211, 0689, 0651, 0241 are all critical MOS's meaning they need bodies (and pay big reenlistment bonuses if you decide to stay in - 0211 and 0689 both pay $56,000.00 reenlistment bonuses). Talk to your recruiter about these,

[Zulu 36]

Can't enlist for 0211 either.

[USMC 2571]

Oh for the old days when the Corps handed out MOSs and we had no choices in the matter. We joined to become Marines, first and foremost. If we liked our jobs, so much the better. If we hated them, we did them and got out upon the expiration of our enlistment. But the Corps does things differently nowadays, naturally, we all change for the sake of change. So good luck to the OP, I hope he gets what he wants and needs.

[USMC 2571]

Understand, OP, that this is not directed to you. You are only asking questions. My statement is about the way the Corps does things nowadays, none of my business, but we all have opinions about things, and they vary tremendously. What one person dislikes, ten others just love. So take it with a grain of salt, which is all any one particular opinion is, after all.

[USMC 2571]

One thing that might come in handy, OP, is to keep us updated here on this thread. It might help others asking questions down the line. Good luck!

[Tennessee Top]

Read an interesting article this week about the military dealing with the millennial generation. There is no choice - that is the population they must recruit from. Millennials are more apt to ask "why" and want to be involved in the decision making process. Some indications on how the military is adjusting to millennials is the easing of tattoo policies amongst all the services. Nearly 1/3 of all applicants have some sort of body ink today. One point of the article is a reminder that millennials are just now beginning to show up in leadership positions throughout the military and that number will obviously continue to grow.

[USMC 2571]

Exactly, Top, and as society goes, so goes the Marine Corps, only more slowly, thank goodness.

Where was that article??

[USMC 2571]

After all, the Corps is composed of "society", entirely, except for its hardware and physical things.

[Tennessee Top]

Exactly, Top, and as society goes, so goes the Marine Corps, only more slowly, thank goodness.

Where was that article??

Marine Corps Times

[Tennessee Top]

^^^August 8th issue

[Sethsonian]

One thing that might come in handy, OP, is to keep us updated here on this thread. It might help others asking questions down the line. Good luck!
I will definitely give an update when everything settles or if anything changes. Thank you sir!

[USMC 2571]

You're welcome! We all wish you the best of luck. This thread might drop down a little bit into the archives, but just bring it back up again.