Making my application more attractive to recruiters

[ken.w2402]

I was in a similar situation not too long ago during my application for Inf O. By May of this year only about 3-5 direct-entry positions opened up and needless to say, it got pretty competitive.

Anyway, at least from my experience with recruiters, the education level only gets you so far (I had the bare minimum: a McGill degree with rather average GPA); they are much more interested in your overall professional experience, maturity, aptitude for teamwork and genuine motivation.

Get yourself involved in the community, play team sports and strive to excel at your current profession. Demonstrate with real, actual examples that you have done, and are willing to do more than what is usually expected of you. However, remember to stay humble; know the difference between self-confidence and cockiness.

Combine the above-mentioned qualities with the required education level, plus a decent CFAT score and you’ll be a competitive candidate. Good luck!

 

[DAA]

I was told by a recruiter that at the beginning of the new fiscal year (April 1) the new information as to how many new recruits they need will be sent to them.

He also said that because there aren't many openings for Infantry and pretty much all combat trades, the recruiting process is very competitive. He mentioned I should think about post-secondary education to make my application more appealing and to increase my chances of being selected. He said, for instance,  I could get my Heavy Equipment Operator certificate because it relates to what Combat Engineers do. It didn't make sense to me to learn something I would be taught in the Forces anyway. ???

First off, they already know what the numbers are for next year....

Secondly, if your applying for Infantry and or any other Combat Arms occupation as an NCM, I wouldn't exactly be telling you that "post secondary education" is going to make you "more appealing", given the time it will take to achieve it.  :facepalm:  I would give you that kind of advice, if you had the intentions of applying as an Officer but as an NCM applicant, you can do more in the short term to make yourself more competitive just through additional work experience (eg; part time jobs, volunteering, etc), physical fitness and sports (eg; exercising, working out, gym, team sports, etc), activities and interests (eg; community involvement, chores at home, etc), leadership/supervisor experience (eg; coaching, referee, etc).

Post secondary education is always a great option and something everyone should consider, given the current employment climate.  It never hurts to go back to school!!!  But seriously, if your applying to the CF as an NCM, why would anyone recommend you embark on a 2-4 year educational experience when in the end, it may not have the desire outcome that you are seeking.....

 

[brihard]

First off, they already know what the numbers are for next year....

Secondly, if your applying for Infantry and or any other Combat Arms occupation as an NCM, I wouldn't exactly be telling you that "post secondary education" is going to make you "more appealing", given the time it will take to achieve it.  :facepalm:  I would give you that kind of advice, if you had the intentions of applying as an Officer but as an NCM applicant, you can do more in the short term to make yourself more competitive just through additional work experience (eg; part time jobs, volunteering, etc), physical fitness and sports (eg; exercising, working out, gym, team sports, etc), activities and interests (eg; community involvement, chores at home, etc), leadership/supervisor experience (eg; coaching, referee, etc).

Post secondary education is always a great option and something everyone should consider, given the current employment climate.  It never hurts to go back to school!!!  But seriously, if your applying to the CF as an NCM, why would anyone recommend you embark on a 2-4 year educational experience when in the end, it may not have the desire outcome that you are seeking.....

Respectfully, I have to disagree with this one. From the outset, the recruiters do have a very initial scoring matrix that they will sometimes use for high demand occupations to determine if an application gets processed at all. A cut off score (I believe out of 20) will be assigned, and the applicant must hit a certain number of points to move one. One file with which I'm personally familiar was applying for a support trade that requires high school only, and they had enough applicants that a score of I think it was 14 was needed to get the file considered. On the file in question, the applicant had a college diploma that was somewhat related to the trade and which boosted their score considerably, enough to get consideration. Now, I've not worked reg force recruiting, however when it comes time for merit boards to sit for a given trade, it would seem to me that at least *some* consideration is given to education. Not necessarily that you've gone and gotten a degree for the infantry- but at least that you have *some* studies past high school. There is a ton of anecdotal evidence here on this forum of people being told by the recruiters that they should get more education, or conversely that having more education was part of what got them skimmed.

All else being equal, when trades are in high demand, whether someone has been arsed to continue with school is an easy indicator that someone's more motivated in general. We do get a lot of applicants who try to get in for years on end- easily enough to rack up a diploma or degree.

 

[Ducimus BTC]

This may be a little off topic as far as taking courses related to trades you are applying for, however still along the lines of approving an application. I have been offered to volunteer with the local legion, they have asked if I would be interested in joining the colour party. Could anyone see this volunteer work as helping my application? Or would volunteering at a soup kitchen be more along the lines of volunteer work a recruiter is looking for?

 

[brihard]

This may be a little off topic as far as taking courses related to trades you are applying for, however still along the lines of approving an application. I have been offered to volunteer with the local legion, they have asked if I would be interested in joining the colour party. Could anyone see this volunteer work as helping my application? Or would volunteering at a soup kitchen be more along the lines of volunteer work a recruiter is looking for?

I can't see the nature of the volunteering mattering much. They're more concerned just to see that you're doing something.

 

[Jarnhamar]

This may be a little off topic as far as taking courses related to trades you are applying for, however still along the lines of approving an application. I have been offered to volunteer with the local legion, they have asked if I would be interested in joining the colour party. Could anyone see this volunteer work as helping my application? Or would volunteering at a soup kitchen be more along the lines of volunteer work a recruiter is looking for?

Volunteering at a soup kitchen contributes to society more than carrying a flag around for a couple of hours.

I can appreciate your desire to join the CF and seek an advantage but you're really approaching volunteering for all the wrong reasons man.

 

[Ducimus BTC]

Volunteering at a soup kitchen contributes to society more than carrying a flag around for a couple of hours.

I can appreciate your desire to join the CF and seek an advantage but you're really approaching volunteering for all the wrong reasons man.

Seen, thank you for your input.

Thanks for yours as well Brihard.

 

[Goodeman]

I volunteer for my local fire department. I hope that puts me on the radar.

 

[Mike92]

Goodeman,

Just my opinion, but that would seem like one of the best places to volunteer with. Especially in terms of references.

 

[JorgSlice]

Goodeman,

Just my opinion, but that would seem like one of the best places to volunteer with. Especially in terms of references.

Based on your extensive military experience and work in the Recruiting department, right?  :

 

[Remius]

Based on your extensive military experience and work in the Recruiting department, right?  :

Not sure why that was deserving of your response.  He stated it was his opinion and used the word "seem".  He's not necessarily wrong depending on what he is applying for and what type of volunteer work he did and how many hours he puts in.

 

[MikeL]

Based on your extensive military experience and work in the Recruiting department, right?  :

You don't have extensive military experience...  yet you post in numerous recruiting and other threads - cool it a bit.  What Mike92 said was just his opinion,  not like he said it like he knew for fact that it is a good thing, etc.