My view...

[muffin]

Well - I am not one to ignore my indiscretions -
I spoke with one of the board members tonight re: cadets and was surprised to find out that his daughter's cadet experience is helping her not only get into University, but a scholarship as well . She has received several actual certifications as well. I will be the first to admit I was "un-educated" when it comes to cadets and what they are all about - thank you to that member for the information.
I felt that given the recent information provided to me, I should come back and state that I am now sure that cadet experience carries more merit than I had originally suggested.

I thought it was important to say as my original post seemed a little arrogant when I re-read it.



Take care -
muffin

 

[3rd Herd]

In a well-run cadet unit the cadets will gain intangible things like a sense of responsibility, care for one's appearance, ability to communicate, ability to lead, etc.  In these respects, to a civilian employer there mighn't be as large a difference between a former cadet and a reservist as we might at first think.  The reservist will obviously far exceed the cadet in military skills, but that's of much less interest to a civilian employer than the characteristics I've listed above.

Mind you, you wouldn't have a very hard time finding some civilian employers who didn't know the difference between cadets and reservists in the first place, so the weight carried by membership as a cadet or service in the reserves on a resume might be all the more similar to many.

Okay, first let us tackle the cadet experience verses valuable skills in employment. Air cadets pass MOT exams which qualify them to pilot various types of aircraft and allows for the start of building up the hour count. Add in the fact they understand weather, flight planning and radio communication skills all by the age of 17. I believe the age at which reservists are just starting the military experience. With naval cadets most are experienced sailors in various class boats and depending on location may also have significant open water time. Add in a diving ticket with a log book, knot skills, water rescue skills and practice again all accomplished by the 17 age cap. The aforementioned valid qualifications transfer directly over to the civilian world. Needless to say having obtained these skills through cadets instead of paying for them through a college is fiscally savvy.

Next lets discuss the possible medals some of the cadets may achieve. The Lord Srathcona's, Duke of Edinborough, Legion Medal of Excellence. Despite all having different criteria for obtaining they are medals. All of us in Canada know that unlike some countires awards of these types are few and far between. It definitely goes into a resume if only to open the employers eyes and have the "what are these medals for " dialogue to begin. At this point the cadet's excellent speaking skills and thought organization take over. There are very few medals in the reserve system and very little time is given in the reserve system to to teach effective speaking skills. This is not the fault of the reservists but an entirely different system with differnt outcomes.

Now to the "weekend warrior". In saying this I do not mean to minimize the reserves as I have a better than average understanding of their role. But to most people these days that is still the connotation attached. In most reserve units the first year or so is learning basic military skills, rank structure, saluting ,drill movements few of which are directly transfered over to the civilian world. As to resumes in the civilian word six, seven years of cadet time shows a commitment that few reserves can match. Here I am looking at the twenty year old age group. One of the big conundrums the Canadian Armed Forces is facing right now is the lack of movement of cadets into the regular forces. To be equal the reserves are in the same difficulty attracting new members. Why because based on their experience most cadets are finding easy access into the civilian world.

my two cents

Choo

 

[ryanmann356]

Cadets is an excellent resume pad.  When I applied for a job i put all my qualifications on the resume.  Medal of excellence, first aid etc.  The leadership experience is great and it demonstrates ones ability to lead and be lead.  Employers love people with cadet experience.  I cant believe more people arent enrolled in it.