junior Officers: ROTP Compared to Direct Entry

[albud289]

Lets say there are two junior officers; it is their first day. They just finished their training. They both have the same job in the Canadian Forces. I'll call them "person A" and "person B." Person A is 23 and graduated from RMC last year, under the ROTP. Person B is 27, and studied in a civilian university, and paid for it himself. Person B graduated 5 years ago and during the years between graduation and military training, he has had a civilian job. How differently would they be viewed by other officers/NCMs?

 

[aesop081]

They will be seen the same as no one will care about their education and when/how they got it. An officer's leadership and competence is what will determine how he/she is viewed by others. The degree is just paper.

 

[Wookilar]

Having been on both sides of the fence, I have to agree.

No one will even know where you are from our where you went to school. It's not like we go "oh the new Lt's from XX## and is probably a dork."

We generally wait for new Lt's to prove it first ;D

Just don't prove it and you'll be fine.

Wook

 

[jeffb]

No one has either asked me, or cared I suspect, where I went to school. Even if they did, their opinion of you based on any schooling will be quickly overshadowed by how you lead.

 

[Canadian.Trucker]

Agree to the above posts.  In my experience NCO's are jokingly wary of RMC grads, but in the end your performance and competence is what matters, not where you went to school or your previous life experience.  Life experience always helps and can help shape you into a better leader, but it too is not the end all and be all.

 

[Pusser]

In the long run, where you went to school is irrelevant; however, consider the following:

ROTP:  salary while attending school, medical and dental benefits, no tuition worries, books and supplies paid for, pensionable time, hopefully graduate debt free (unless you do something stupid on your own time)

DEO:  none of the above