A Career in the Armed Forces – is it for me?

Military Exercise by Soldiers on Armed Forces Day at Wollaton Park, Nottingham, UK – Photo Courtesy: ian.plumb

Joining the armed forces can be an incredibly rewarding and exciting career opportunity for those with a passion to serve the country. Joining the army, however, isn’t for everyone, but how do you know if it’s for you?

If you’ve hit a fork in the road regarding your decision to join the army then here are a few factors to consider before making the crucial decision.

Reasons to Join the Army

There are a lot of incentives in place to make joining the army more attractive to potential new recruits. If you’re looking to study to gain a qualification, you may receive financial bursaries and grants to help you gain your army-related qualification. This can be attractive to many young people with the current university tuition fees being relatively high. Army positions also boast more paid holidays than a typical civilian job, with a minimum of 38 days’ leave a year.

Many people join the armed forces to feel a sense of self-worth; protecting your country can fill you with pride and can be incredibly rewarding. Helping the most vulnerable people in the world can give you an overwhelming sense of achievement and selflessness.

Skill Requirement

In order to be a member of the armed forces you have to possess a certain skill-set. Army recruiters will look for certain personal qualities, achievements and, in some roles, technical skills.

Physical fitness:

Although you don’t need to be boasting a pristine physique, you need to be able to run on command and squeeze into awkward positions.

Ability to empathize:

As a member of the armed forces, you’ll have to work with people from some of the world’s most deprived countries, so sensitivity is a necessity. If you’ve worked as a carer before or volunteered for a charity which helps vulnerable people then make sure it’s on your CV.

Be a team player:

Most jobs ask for this quality but it’s particularly important if you’re looking to start a military career. You have to be able to obey commands and work together with others.

Patriotism:

An army recruiter will look for passion for serving the Queen and country in potential soldiers and officers.

Assess Yourself

Although the army can be a fantastic career path, it isn’t suitable for everyone. Leaving the army isn’t so easy; military law means your contract is legally binding. Simply going AWOL can land you with a criminal record at the very least, so you need to be sure you really want to do it before signing up. You can ask military solicitors for help, but getting yourself into this situation in the first place isn’t a good idea! You can speak to a career adviser or request an information pack to find out more information and decide whether it’s the right career path for you.

This guest post was written by Stephanie Staszko.