Top MOS Choices?!

Hey there fellow Poolees and all Marines viewing this!

I took my oath and signed up as a reservist about 2 months ago (reserves because my parents wanted it and I'm still in school). However I quickly realized that being a Marine was what I wanted for my future more than any civillian job. School can be finished later! Anyways, this Friday my recruiter is FINALLY able to get me back to MEPS to switch over to an active-duty contract instead of reserves.

I'm not sure what my MOS will be. My recruiter says it changes so often and is limited right now with all the budget cuts and such. But I did score really high on my ASVAB so my recruiter said he would show me the job list as soon as a new one came out so I could hopefully have some choice in what I get. And so I ask.. Who has an MOS that they are really excited for and why?!

Any current Marines feel free to let me know your MOS and if you loved it or hated it!
I'm more than excited just to have a chance to become a Marine in general, but it couldn't hurt to try for a job I wanted too;)

As is the case with every time this sort of question is asked, what MOSs appeal to you? You are obviously not privy to what each and every one is nor do you know the daily missions associated, but you should none the less have an idea based, if anything, off MOS title alone.

We can all, ranging from infantryman to cook to intel to bulk fuel, tell you how much we enjoy our job and how it is the best job in the Marine Corps, but this means absolutely nothing to you. Look at the enlistment program options and pick some choices. Post those choices and it would be easier to possibly help you in making a decision.

Most likely, information in regards to any associated question has been answered here on Leatherneck already, so please make use of the search function in the upper left.

Hey, Jonathan, that's right. You have to ask yourself what your interests are, maybe what you would eventually like to do, but also what do you see yourself doing in the Marine Corps.

As we used to do, we'd create that "dream sheet" with out top 3 choices. Give that a try. Write down your top 3 interests, top 3 job interests, top 3 things you'd like to do in the Marine Corps, and then compare your lists and begin that narrowing-down process.

You can find out any Marine Corps MOS by googling and, of course, talking to your recruiter. I liked to work with my hands doing mechanical stuff before I went in, was a mechanic, so my recruiter suggested avionics electronics. Sounded good to me. But as I have posted before, I ended up in legal, which was by choice when given the option. Never envisioned myself in legal. But turned out it was a great field, worked with fantastic people, multiple opportunities for educational advancement, and a very tight-knit group.

Good luck, and if your ship date changes as a result of going active, PM me and let me know so I can revise your running program.

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Originally Posted by MOS4429

You can find out any Marine Corps MOS by googling and, of course, talking to your recruiter. I liked to work with my hands doing mechanical stuff before I went in, was a mechanic, so my recruiter suggested avionics electronics. Sounded good to me. But as I have posted before, I ended up in legal, which was by choice when given the option. Never envisioned myself in legal. But turned out it was a great field, worked with fantastic people, multiple opportunities for educational advancement, and a very tight-knit group.

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I actually was just assigned avionics electrician today. However, I am going back to MEPS (4th time :thumbdown!) to take the DLAB this Friday. If I pass that, there is an opening for Crypto Linguist that I can take. Both of these are fields I think I would enjoy. The linguist job is just one I will have to think about more to determine if years of more school is what I want right now! Although in the long haul I'm sure it would be very worth it.
If I don't do linguist I think I ultimately want to apply for MSG after being in for 2 years. Also plan to finish my BA and apply for OCS in time. Really just trying to make sure I like my job because I want to stay in the Marines for much longer than my first enlistment!

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Originally Posted by PooleeFuller

I actually was just assigned avionics electrician today. However, I am going back to MEPS (4th time :thumbdown!) to take the DLAB this Friday. If I pass that, there is an opening for Crypto Linguist that I can take. Both of these are fields I think I would enjoy. The linguist job is just one I will have to think about more to determine if years of more school is what I want right now! Although in the long haul I'm sure it would be very worth it.
If I don't do linguist I think I ultimately want to apply for MSG after being in for 2 years. Also plan to finish my BA and apply for OCS in time. Really just trying to make sure I like my job because I want to stay in the Marines for much longer than my first enlistment!

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My opinion, take advantage of everything that the Marine Corps will offer you. It will be worth it and benefit you in the long run!

The mind is a beautiful thing....don't waste it or the opportunities that may come your way!

If you want to become a Marine you need to 1st start making your own choices, rather her tell you your going to be a reservist....2nd go active!

Crypto linguist is a good MOS, and you could end up in some very fun units that way. The language skills will also serve you well in civilian life, depending on what language you get (obviously russian, chinese, and arabic would be the best for civilian jobs).

Don't get too far ahead of yourself though.

I do keep finding threads that explain the occ field a bit and suggest linguist as a good route to go. It does sound like something that can be very interesting and would obviously help me down the line.

I suppose I ask, though, because from my understanding it's very hard to do a lat move of any sorts from that field (since linguists take so much time and money to train). And with the long period of schooling, I'm sure it would be quite some time before I could enroll back in college and finish my degree (as becoming an officer is my goal).
So I guess I'm curious also if this implied information about becoming a linguist is correct or if there still would be a chance for me to do a lat move down the road in case I do still want to apply for MSG.

Radiofantry: when you say very fun units, can you elaborate more? Are linguists sent out very often (be it directly in the field or just some behind-the-scenes travel) or is it more a long-term desk job?
Thanks!

Depends on the unit. Like I mentioned in the other thread to another kid, when you're dealing with an MOS that works with pretty much all classified equipment and tactics, the information is a little more sparse.

Anyway, to answer your question, I have a couple very close friends who are in that field, and they have done everything from desk work, to being with grunt units in the world, to being stationed on tiny little COPs out in the middle of nowhere where they are also expected to go on patrol and pull security, etc.

It is a good MOS. And you get to spend a year or so in Monterey, which most people pay thousands a month to stay in. So, it's a good MOS.

But yeah, by the time you hit the fleet the Marine Corps will have spent close to, or more than, a million dollars getting you trained, you're not going to lat move, and you really wouldn't want to anyway. You'll have a lot more freedom and leeway in that field than you would as a grunt or something, and you'll get a lot more respect from SNCOs/Officers.

It shouldn't impact your ability to apply for MECEP down the road, or some other path to commissioning. It also won't lock you in to being an intel officer, your enlisted MOS has no bearing on your Officer MOS.

Thanks for the info, Marine.

I did pass the DLAB with a pretty high score and decided to go that route of Crypto Linguist. Now it's just a matter of getting TS security clearance and whether or not Gunny can get command to move the job to April for me! (Crypto is open for Feb/March but I don't leave for boot camp until April 9).
So, provided that all goes well with that, I should be set!