SNCO ATC? Advice please.

[stevokinevo1]

Hi,
After previously serving in the armed forces, REME to be exact, I find myself with the desire to rejoin.

I am currently 32 and work in a management role in civilian street with a very good salary and benefits. I am proficient in PowerPoint, excel, managing teams, presentations and delivering results.

Why rejoin? I miss wholeheartedly the camaraderie team ethic and adventure opportunities not to mention the travel.

After a visit to the careers office I came away none the wiser. It was a very unenthused experience to be honest. Hopefully you can help.

I would like to join at a management level. I originally wished to join in the officer capacity but fell foul of the 2 A level standard although I have extensive management and organisational skills within blue chip companies this did not seem to be considered appropriate.

Therefore I would like to look towards entering at SNCO level then working towards my two A levels one of which would definitely have to be English. Would I be right in commenting that the only trade or role that allows you a senior position on entry other than officer would be that of Air Traffic Controller?

Also salary is important I would need to enter @ the 30 K mark. Are there other roles again apart from officer, which would offer me this after initial training?

I have a point to prove to myself. I left the military 10 years ago joining for all the wrong reasons and joining the wrong force due to a relative.
I believe I have something to offer and I can lead and provide positive management to younger people. I have worked hard in civvy street and climbed the ladder. I want to do the same in the RAF although I don’t fancy starting at the bottom of the ladder.

Your advice or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Oh, and do I have a choice of postings? I would like Germany. Certainly not Scotland as I am Scottish and cant stand the place!


Regards

Stevie

 

[Talk Wrench]

Have you considered SNCO aircrew? I don't know what your past military experience is (you say REME but need to elaborate). The RAF seem to be short of rearcrew at the moment and might just be what you are looking for.

TW

 

[stevokinevo1]

Hi TW,

Yes after reading through the website and the forums and getting to grips with all the abbreviations Aircrew does seem like a viable option for me especially the linguistic side of this role.

I was a mechanic in the REME reaching L/Cpl rank and obtaining a BTEC in Engineering while attending a Military college.

I have a high level of physical fitness which I have maintained from serving as an airborne soldier as well as an interest in current affairs and politics.
I would not like to return to a mechanical role as it was not a role that reflected my strengths which I feel are leadership and enthusiasm among others.

Hope with this little bit extra information others may help point me in the right direction.

 

[Krusty_Crab]

http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/jobs/sncoairtrafficcontroller.cfm £32K

http://www.raf.mod.uk/careers/jobs/weaponsystemsoperatorelectronicwarfare.cfm £34K

To start off with you'll have to learn your trade and you won't be managing much more than yourself and your equipment. Both jobs have a huge amount of responsibility though (hence the pay). You'll pretty much be told what to do and when to do it for your first couple of tours (4-6 years). Both jobs employ a lot of people in Scotland so EXPECT to go there especially if you go Weapons System Operator, even as ATC you stand a good chance of posting to Scotland with 3 major airfields and the Scottish Air Traffic Control Centre.

 

[Talk Wrench]

Then, get back in touch with your local AFCO and get some solid information about SNCO aircrew and research it like your life depends on it.

Maybe you walked away dissapointed after the last visit because you weren't forthcoming enough with what you expected of them. They need to know what you want so that you can be steered in the right direction.

Once the AFCO know you are committed to a particular role, the will put you through the relevant test process.

TW

 

[The Stig A.D.I.]

Suffice to say that neither SNCO ATC or any SNCO aircrew roles involve man management of any kind for at least the first couple of tours. All direct-entry SNCO roles are 'Producer' jobs, not management. These posts, for instance, are open to 18 year olds! It's like me stating that I'd like to become a police officer, not a PC though, oh no, I'd much sooner go straight in as a Sgt or an Inspector... Obviously it doesn't work like that in the police & neither does it in the RAF - we only consider time-served personnel (i.e. ex-Cpls) as SNCO level managers, unless, of course, you wanted to consider the commissioned route...

From what you've said, I think you need to look purely at comissioning - stick it out in your civvy job, fire into some nightschool action & get the A-levels!

Hope this helps...

DT_Xtremez_30:

 

[stevokinevo1]

TW,

Yes I believe you are correct. Stuttering through the RAF website has left me none the wiser which in turn left the chap at the careers officer none the wiser as to actually what I wanted.

After reading through posts in this forum I now have a much clearer idea on the roles that would suit me which is WSOp and not as I first believed ATC.

So the forum has served its purpose and I shall return to the AFCO with more direct questioning.

But please WSOp's give me some feedback, especially if your linguistic branch, or for that fact anyone with information on these roles.

I am fully aware of the initial steps but I wouldn’t mind a feel for operational feedback on all roles and linguistics specific training as the others are pretty well covered.

 

[stevokinevo1]

I now understand that I will not be in the leadership category as an NCA.
But I don’t mind taking orders for 34K a year then studying towards some A Levels in the process.

This is similar to my salary at the minute and I have a lot of management responsibilities. I manage Scotland and N.I. and work from home. I totally rely on my own drive to get me going.

Being told what to do and following orders will not be a problem while working towards A Levels and maybe a degree.

DT_Xtremez_26:

 

[The Stig A.D.I.]

I now understand that I will not be in the leadership category as an NCA.
But I don’t mind taking orders for 34K a year then studying towards some A Levels in the process.

This is similar to my salary at the minute and I have a lot of management responsibilities. I manage Scotland and N.I. and work from home. I totally rely on my own drive to get me going.

Being told what to do and following orders will not be a problem while working towards A Levels and maybe a degree.

DT_Xtremez_26:

Sounds like a plan then m8!

Bear in mind though, junior officers especially are more akin to taking orders and being told what to do than most - they've got to start somewhere afterall...

 

[vim_fuego]

Plenty of WSOp linguists seem to be going through the sausage factory at the moment...They're away a fair bit of the year and mostly all based in Lincolnshire...Where they go and for how long I won't comment on but if one of them see's this they'll know how much they can tell you...It's a secretive world at the best of times...

The responsibility side of things is a little different but you still have it...it's just honed towards not f*cking up as lots of people on the ground depend, sometimes, on the results of your efforts...

The WSOp (EW) and (ACO) side of things is slowing down for the next 18 months as they ease the new Nimrod into ISK...They are still needing crewmen although at 32 I wouldn't personally want to go down that route myself...