Anyone have Air Force job advice?

[msydnor]

Originally Posted by LS-Voodoo

The way it was explained is to help speed up the process of being shipped out. I wont head to boot camp until there is a job opening, so if I only list 1 then more than likely itll be a long wait. So the more I list the better my chances, Im ready to go today, ready to get everything goin.

If you want a specific job, it's best to wait it out. That whole 10 jobs thing is a crock. Yeah, you'll get one of the 10 most likely, but some of the ones on you list will not be all that attractive. The one you get is the one the AF needs to fill most, no the one you like best.

[CAMELEON]

Originally Posted by msydnor

I have a lot of good advice to give, not because I'm some genius, but because I fucked up a lot when I was young.

Too soon old and too late smart. Hopefully, some of the people starting out will at least listen to and evaluate our experiences and use that information to help them make better choices even if they choose to do other than what we suggest.

[speedsun]

3d, 1a, or 1n jobs. Stay away from anything 2a related.

[LS-Voodoo]

Originally Posted by msydnor

If you want a specific job, it's best to wait it out. That whole 10 jobs thing is a crock. Yeah, you'll get one of the 10 most likely, but some of the ones on you list will not be all that attractive. The one you get is the one the AF needs to fill most, no the one you like best.

Thats why im only listing jobs im intrested in, Iv got the so called "critical" list but was told its last months. I understand their purpose is to get jobs filled and not make the canadits happy but like I said it will be a list of jobs that im intrested in, not ones I use to fill in blank spaces. If I only find 5 that intrest me then they are only getting a list of 5 and those will be in my contract no more and no less. Yes im pushing to get the wheels rollin but not at the cost of opportunites that Im seeking. I dont sign things I dont agree with.

[Jlrj1985]

I am a 2A7X1 which pretty much boils down to a machinst/welder. We support just about anyone, from AGE to Crewchiefs. We pretty much are the ones that everyone calls when something is fucked and need it fixed. We don't work like crew chiefs but are maintainers. Machinist/Welders are easy jobs to know or fall back to when you get out of the military.

[idrv240]

I just went through BMT in Jul-Sep 2010. I had so much fun I stayed for 2 extra weeks (dehydration sent me to med hold because the resident doc was a tard). Msydnor has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the USAF so definitely pay attention to what he is telling you.

I do want to clarify a few things though. Things have changed with the way the economy went and they are still changing. Keep in mind that this is based off of how it was in 2010-11 and it very well may have changed in this short amount of time but I doubt it. The battlefield airman jobs (cct, sowt, pj, tacp) have a difficult tech school and many people drop out expecting to cross train. The USAF is going through a time of downsizing and has certain rules regarding the cross training. I am not sure what the official rules are but it is basically a case by case basis of whether or not they cross train you or kick you out (general discharge). I believe if you drop out of PJ indoc in the first 2 weeks then you are discharged. Medical DQ is case by case, can they keep you is the first question they ask.

Also, when I was doing the Recruiters Assistance Program, I was working at MEPS. The recruiters were having everyone sign up for an open aptitude. From how I understood it, they will try their hardest to get you a slot you want but they have a time limit as to which they have to get you in the door. If they can't get you within that limit then they have the open slot. I actually did what's called quick ship. My recruiter (used to be at the Raleigh office) called me up and asked if I was willing to quick ship. He would call me with a slot that someone else had and for whatever reason couldn't go at the last minute. The first 2 he offered me fell through and the person ended up going. The third was an open general position and I jumped on it because I was ready to go. You are given a list in the 3rd week with an unknown number of jobs. If they have 20 open jobs you will see 20... if they have 5 you see 5. You select 8 jobs that you would like but only 3 can require special processing (flight physical for a flying position, PAST test for a BA job, etc). You order them from 1-8 in the order you prefer and they fill the slots based off of ASVAB scores. The higher you score the more likely you are to get it. My list had all the BA jobs, 2 intel jobs, UAV system operator, paralegal (only offered through open general or cross training), photography, security forces, and a bunch of other random ones. I think it was around 20 jobs total. They will not just throw you in secfo like people seem to think. Secfo was 8th on my list and I have a BA in Criminal Justice but they put me in my 4th selection which is my current job now. The downside is you don't find out what you got until the last week you are there.

I am a medical technician (4N0X1) working in flight medicine. My job is basically the do all be all of the med group. We can work in almost any clinic or ward. We are trained as EMTs and if you are stationed in the right location and work in the right ward you can challenge the LPN boards. For instance, ICU techs in California can become LPNs if they pass the test. It can be an extremely rewarding job but it can also be a very difficult job.

If you want to travel then go for a flying job. The medics on flight status and the IDMTs (basically a specialist in my field) go all over the world. Linguist is a good job but a really long tech school. One of my friends from BMT is still in there I think. Intel jobs are great and open doors for the outside. Whatever job you get, do it to the best of your abilities.

[idrv240]

Oh and one more thing, the day I left Sheppard when I graduated tech school 40 people were told they would be discharged for failing out of tech school. They failed the NREMT exam too many times and were not allowed to reclass. It's stupid but that's how things were done. I think only 2 people the whole time I was there were allowed to reclass and several went to the guard or reserve.

[msydnor]

Originally Posted by idrv240

I just went through BMT in Jul-Sep 2010. I had so much fun I stayed for 2 extra weeks (dehydration sent me to med hold because the resident doc was a tard). Msydnor has a wealth of knowledge when it comes to the USAF so definitely pay attention to what he is telling you.

I do want to clarify a few things though. Things have changed with the way the economy went and they are still changing. Keep in mind that this is based off of how it was in 2010-11 and it very well may have changed in this short amount of time but I doubt it. The battlefield airman jobs (cct, sowt, pj, tacp) have a difficult tech school and many people drop out expecting to cross train. The USAF is going through a time of downsizing and has certain rules regarding the cross training. I am not sure what the official rules are but it is basically a case by case basis of whether or not they cross train you or kick you out (general discharge). I believe if you drop out of PJ indoc in the first 2 weeks then you are discharged. Medical DQ is case by case, can they keep you is the first question they ask.

Also, when I was doing the Recruiters Assistance Program, I was working at MEPS. The recruiters were having everyone sign up for an open aptitude. From how I understood it, they will try their hardest to get you a slot you want but they have a time limit as to which they have to get you in the door. If they can't get you within that limit then they have the open slot. I actually did what's called quick ship. My recruiter (used to be at the Raleigh office) called me up and asked if I was willing to quick ship. He would call me with a slot that someone else had and for whatever reason couldn't go at the last minute. The first 2 he offered me fell through and the person ended up going. The third was an open general position and I jumped on it because I was ready to go. You are given a list in the 3rd week with an unknown number of jobs. If they have 20 open jobs you will see 20... if they have 5 you see 5. You select 8 jobs that you would like but only 3 can require special processing (flight physical for a flying position, PAST test for a BA job, etc). You order them from 1-8 in the order you prefer and they fill the slots based off of ASVAB scores. The higher you score the more likely you are to get it. My list had all the BA jobs, 2 intel jobs, UAV system operator, paralegal (only offered through open general or cross training), photography, security forces, and a bunch of other random ones. I think it was around 20 jobs total. They will not just throw you in secfo like people seem to think. Secfo was 8th on my list and I have a BA in Criminal Justice but they put me in my 4th selection which is my current job now. The downside is you don't find out what you got until the last week you are there.

I am a medical technician (4N0X1) working in flight medicine. My job is basically the do all be all of the med group. We can work in almost any clinic or ward. We are trained as EMTs and if you are stationed in the right location and work in the right ward you can challenge the LPN boards. For instance, ICU techs in California can become LPNs if they pass the test. It can be an extremely rewarding job but it can also be a very difficult job.

If you want to travel then go for a flying job. The medics on flight status and the IDMTs (basically a specialist in my field) go all over the world. Linguist is a good job but a really long tech school. One of my friends from BMT is still in there I think. Intel jobs are great and open doors for the outside. Whatever job you get, do it to the best of your abilities.

Glad you posted up man. Haven't heard from you in a while. Sounds like things worked out pretty well. Are you in Joke a nawa (Okinawa)

[adamsgto2004]

I'm a crew chief for fighters, don't do it a lot of hours and time away from family...

[THNKTWCE]

What are the better intel jobs, and what are the ones to avoid?

[idrv240]

Originally Posted by msydnor

Glad you posted up man. Haven't heard from you in a while. Sounds like things worked out pretty well. Are you in Joke a nawa (Okinawa)

Yeah I don't get on here much anymore. I've been on Okinawa since the end of March. Usually if I'm online I'm on Facebook keeping in touch with the family. I try to get out and make the most of the island with all the stuff there is to do around here. It's too easy to get island fever if you stay in the dorm room all weekend.

[msydnor]

Originally Posted by THNKTWCE

What are the better intel jobs, and what are the ones to avoid?

Intel is the career field (MOS). If you chose Intel you could be doing any number of things. At some point, depending on how long you stay in, you will do most everything there is to do for the career field. I know several intel people if you ever want to chat with one.

[msydnor]

Originally Posted by idrv240

Yeah I don't get on here much anymore. I've been on Okinawa since the end of March. Usually if I'm online I'm on Facebook keeping in touch with the family. I try to get out and make the most of the island with all the stuff there is to do around here. It's too easy to get island fever if you stay in the dorm room all weekend.

I take it you have not seen the snake lady and the chick shooting bananas out of her twat. I'm assuming that stuff is still there on the island somewhere. If you get to bored look into catching a hop to Korea for a few days. We use to hit the Phillipines also.

[idrv240]

Yeah the banana show is still here... right outside the gate actually haha. The night I went there were a couple of Marines celebrating one of them turning 20. She pulled him on stage and his buddies held his legs down while she had her way with him and then dropped a banana on his face. It was the grossest thing I've ever watched but I was crying from laughing the whole time.

[msydnor]

Originally Posted by idrv240

Yeah the banana show is still here... right outside the gate actually haha. The night I went there were a couple of Marines celebrating one of them turning 20. She pulled him on stage and his buddies held his legs down while she had her way with him and then dropped a banana on his face. It was the grossest thing I've ever watched but I was crying from laughing the whole time.

Wow, nothing has changed since the 80s.

[LS-Voodoo]

Thanks for the info guys, I got thru MEPS and have sworn in but am in the DEP untill I get a call that a job opening has come along. I failed the depth perception test so alot of the jobs that I wanted were off limits such as imagery analaysis. I was shocked at how many kids didnt have a clue about what jobs they wanted. Guy sittin next to me had no clue what the job titles ment, just shocking.

[idrv240]

Originally Posted by LS-Voodoo

Thanks for the info guys, I got thru MEPS and have sworn in but am in the DEP untill I get a call that a job opening has come along. I failed the depth perception test so alot of the jobs that I wanted were off limits such as imagery analaysis. I was shocked at how many kids didnt have a clue about what jobs they wanted. Guy sittin next to me had no clue what the job titles ment, just shocking.

How bad did you fail depth perception? A lot of jobs say they require it but they'll take waivers if you ever try to cross train into it. I don't think you can get a waiver coming in as a civilian. You might be able to if you pass at MEPS and then fail it at BMT.

[melo yelo]

Originally Posted by LS-Voodoo

Thanks for the info guys, I got thru MEPS and have sworn in but am in the DEP untill I get a call that a job opening has come along. I failed the depth perception test so alot of the jobs that I wanted were off limits such as imagery analaysis. I was shocked at how many kids didnt have a clue about what jobs they wanted. Guy sittin next to me had no clue what the job titles ment, just shocking.

You signed a contract w/o a job locked in!?