Poolie torn between Intelligence specialist and Linguist

[s4m222]

ASVAB score 87, all Lines above 120
DLAB 110
Enlisting 4years

Currently in a DEP open contract, leaving in 7 months give or take. 20100612

Ive been searching the forums, I cant say ive been through every page, but I have done some searching and was able to find some good information about 0231 Intelligence Specialist. However i have not been able to find much on 27xx Linguist other than what Googling "Marine Corps most / Linguist" gives me.

1. Which MOS transfer better to a civilian career?
2. Any contacts / Links for the above mos's ?
3. Anything else you would like to tell me/ advice/ warnings/ things you wish you were told?

[Rocky C]

Go Intel.
You'll be Glad you did when you EAS.

Good Luck to you.

[s4m222]

just to check, EAS means End of active service? (google)

[s4m222]

Also, I already speak Korean Fluently, Im wondering if i can apply that in anyway.

[haebyungdae]

1. Civilian career: Whether you go 0231 or the 267X route you would mostly likely be able to equally apply the analyst skillset you will acquire to transition to a job at the agency or some other contracting company.

2. Websites: I've found no better information when it comes to general job description then those found through About.com or Wiki. Lots of people can tell you lots of things, the nature of both fields (especially 267X) is that you have to pretty much wait and see, but you won't be disappointed.

3. Since I'm a linguist I would say go linguist, but I'm biased. There is a larger variety of things that you could be doing in a lot of different areas. And plus, the electronic warfare job is freaking awesome.

Just because you know Korean and are fluent now does not mean that you would automatically be placed as a 2673 Asian pacific crypto linguist, but it doesn't hurt you. Talk to your recruiter more about this option is you are considering it. Because if you can test high enough and display proficiency enough to not go to DLI then you save the Marine Corps money.

Another thing too, is that any 2600 job is a 5 year contract, not sure about the 0200 field but if you go linguist then you will have to serve 5 years active.

[s4m222]

the longer contract is okay. I guess i am a bit hesitant toward linguist as in, could i cut it and actually become proficient as that....

[haebyungdae]

It would all depend on how well you are able to learn the language that is assigned to you and beyond that if you work hard at it and take it seriously you will pass. The courses are difficult but it's not set up for you to horribly fail if you at least put forth a little effort, you don't have to be some language savant. Once you pass your course, I can attest to at least Korean, Russian, and Indonesian that you do not have to be hot stuff in order to do your job. In the end, a linguist with a DLPT score of listening 2, reading 2 can do the same tasks with the same accuracy as me as a 3, 3+.

Side-note: A cryptologic linguist is not an interpreter.

[TinDragon]

Seriously, why does nobody ever want to do SigInt?

We have no love. =(

[s4m222]

actually that was one of the 3 i was looking into... although when i searched signals intelligeance or ground electronic warfare on this forum... i got 0 results..

[haebyungdae]

You can't find anything cause nobody ever spells it out. Do a search for "SIGINT." That should give you some results, but I think most of the pages are pretty old.

@TinDragon: That's because everyone wants to be an intel specialist and make power points all day.

[Beltayn]

There was a neat quote for Gen. Mattis recently about how he thought "Power Point makes us stupid" and "When someone can figure out how to read these freakin power points, we'll have won the war."

[haebyungdae]

Is that before they started pushing for the "what's in it for me?" slides at the beginning of briefs?

[s4m222]

When i get a MOS assigned to me in my contract will it be an exact MOS. I.E. In the contract it will state i am a 0231? Or is it more along the lines of you are contracted as a 02xx, and then sort of place you within that field?

[TinDragon]

If you're a reservist you get to pick, otherwise you'll get a choice between Cryptolinguist (any language) or Intel (02xx, or 26xx that's not a cryptolinguist).

[rg2o3]

0231!!!