So you’re thinking about a career in the military? Don’t know where to start or what career in the military could hold for you? If your answer to these questions is yes, then luckily you are in the right place! Here in Getting in’s careers section, our guides will take you through some basics that we think will be mighty helpful for you!
Firstly, don’t think this is an easy way into a job! If there is any career that is commonly misconceived, it is a career in the military. The decision to join must be taken seriously as once you are in, in most cases it is not as easy to leave if you change your mind as other jobs might be. Having said this, if the decision to join the military is right for you then it could be the best decision you’ll make in your life – there are great benefits to counteract the obvious drawbacks of a career in the military.
What choices are there with a career in the military?
First of all, it is not just as simple as making the decision to join the Army. There is a vast array of career paths available within the Army: there are more than 220 different roles. The application process will help you to some extent decide which role will best suit your existing skills as well as develop new ones. There are a number of decisions for you to make about your career once you have decided you would be suited to a military career. These decisions include between a full-time role or Territorial role and joining as an officer or as a soldier. Generally speaking, graduates are eligible to apply to join as an officer, whereas if you have not graduated from university then the more suitable option may be to join as a soldier (although as with most things this is not always the case!).
How do I join?
So, you’ve heeded all of the warnings found all over careers guides on the Internet and are convinced a career in the military is for you after all! The initial application process to join as a soldier is relatively simple – it can be completed online. However, after that the hard work will start! If successful at this stage, you will then be invited to an interview with a Careers Advisor, who will generally check that a military career is suitable for you (we hope by this stage that you will have worked this one out for yourself!). To join as an officer, after your interview you will be put through a set of selection processes to test if you have what it takes to make a fine officer in the British Army. Success at this stage will then lead to your initial training and the start of your exciting career.
How do I prepare?
Research. Research. And, you’ve got it, research. A career in the regular military is not just a choice about your career but also about your lifestyle. For most soldiers and officers, it inevitably becomes a way of life. Researching what life in the Army is actually like (rather than taking films and TV programmes as your information source) is an invaluable way to prepare yourself not only for the application process but also for after you’ve begun your career in the military.
If you decide that perhaps the military might not be right for you, take a look at our other careers guides to see alternative choices that are available for you.