Failed me AIB

Thought I'd post it in my favourite internet forum place.

Didn't fare too well on both PLT elements and received a fair bit of negative with regard to trying again. Mulling it over for a while until I get a fresh perspective on it and decide how to continue on.

I'm just happy I wasn't discriminated against for my face-licking tendencies.

 

Never mind, who the fcuk wants to be a Rupert anyway?

Be one of the depraved lower decks shagging your way around the world, sure beats seeing the world through polite small talk at the captains cocktail parties... :lol:

 

They didn't, rather they offer that I don't try again Fair enough, on the (PLT) day I was well and truly drawing blanks and couldn't focus very well but I feel I've given the complete wrong impression compared to what I am usually. I really exerted myself on the previous day for the MSFT and was absolutely gubbed come the following morning.

 

In all fairness, I utterly fluffed my first AIB. Did the old gawping fish routine on the PLT stand. Managed to pass second time around, only to get binned out of phase two at Darters. My advice would be, ask yourself very seriously why you want to be an officer. Not in the Navy, but why Officer?

If you want to be in the RN, but you're only applying to be an officer because you think you should, follow me and aim for the lower decks! If it's in you to lead, that'll come out in your career. If not, you still get the job, but without the responsibility.

If on the other hand, you want to be a leader, no messing around and that's all you want to do, retake the AIB. I promise it's a whole lot easier when you know exactly what's coming!

 

Cheers, I'll take on this and the wisdom from Wet_Blobby to my considering lounge

 

Not everyone has the ability to become an RN officer. In fact not everyone has the ability to join the RN.
If you still wish to become an occifer but have failed the AIB it may be worth considering joining as a rating, pushing yourself to the limit for promotion to senior rate at the earliest opportunity and then apply for a commission. It may be that when you have matured your prospects could be better.
Best of luck

 

Actually, I'd point out that not all the people who don't make it are bad at "leadership" and not all that make it are good. I know one person in particular from my time that I'd not trust to lead me anywhere, particularly not into action. On the other hand, I also knew a chap who got sent back to phase 1 and he was solid as a rock.

 

Come down with the steerage. It's much more fun!

 

All the best regardless of which way you decide to go.

 

Thanks gents, much appreciated :thumbleft:

 

Bad luck RO77, at least you can say you have tried it and know the score.

Do try and suck as much information out of your feedback report from your AFCO as possible and don't be afraid to ask their advice. Look at which branch was your first choice and why, identifying the elements of the job description that motivated you to apply will make it easier to identify a suitable branch should you decide to apply as a rating.

 

Hi RO77,

Commiserations - After all of your research and preps you must be at a real low but you have shown a good strength of character by telling us all about it.

For now - do nothing, better a thoughtful pause at this important crossroads than hastily embarking on the wrong route.

If, after consideration, you do decide to join as a rating there is always the option of the UY or SUY route later in your RN career.

Best of luck, amigo.

Bob

 

Commiserations on the AIB result - been there and done that myself so I know how you're feeling.

In my own case, joining the RN as an officer had been a childhood ambition only because of family connections to the RN and my lack of drive in achieving this ambition was apparent at the AIB. I initially wanted to reapply. motivated solely out of sheer bloody-mindedness. Five years later once I'd got my degree, my outlook had changed - I was engaged and I had a civilian engineering career in front of me. So instead of the RN, I joined the RNR to broaden my world view. In the end, I never did join the wardroom; I served 22 years in the RNR and rose to the dizzy heights of CPO in parallel with having a moderately successful and rewarding civvy job in engineering.

Best thing to do is take a long hard look at what you want out of life and why. Set yourself some realistic goals and work towards them, don't just wait for them to drop in your lap (like I initially did!). If you want something bad enough, you'll find a way of getting it!

Good luck for the future, wherever it may take you - my post-AIB life took me to places I'd never imagined, including my ultimate emigration to start a new life here in Canada.

 

Fantastic replies FlagWagger, BOOTWU, Lonestar et al. Really spot-on with regards to where I'm at at the moment. I am still leaning towards my initial route as I'm computing-based but I won't be re-attempting until I've had my debrief and some serious consideration.

When I failed I wasn't angry or saddened just a much softer kind of bereaved feeling (to put in a bit of melodrama). Having a goal set and followed for over a year and suddenly losing it was quite a knock and I've been a bit lisless about the place.

Even my casual racism and long-winded enthusiastic rants against religion and handicapped children ebbed away.. :cry:

But I'd be hard pushed to give up on the Navy, I swear to God in my life I've never met as friendly and genuine a bunch of people I'd be happy to call friends in such a short space of time. :wink:

 

The best of luck in whatever path you choose mucker.

 

Hi 77. I actually turned down being an orifice 3 times! The only good thing about it is the pension when you get outside! Sadly, by the time I'd realised that, I only had weeks left to try for an orifice job before I was too old. Still, no regrets, apart from my 'not as good as it could have been' pension. Being on the lower decks was and still is I imagine, a wheeze. And as has been said, you may still get a chance at SD or whatever they are calling it this week. GO FOR IT!

Plus, the Senior Rates do nearly all the work that used to be done by orifices (orificii?) anyway, ie DOs, Ship Control etc. Gives them more time for pink gins :lol:

 

Did my AIB in Feb 1991 and failed miserably in the academics pissed the PLTs but I'd probably already failed then anyway. Me CPO since 1986 WTF would I have gone grunter??? just to test the system really and I really do believe if your'e good enough they will take you and me the council house kid probably would never have fit in with the wardroom anyay. but the path is open to everyone, not the same in civvie street. All equal but prefered getting batfaced and sleeping in my 3 berth CPO cabin with no brown hatter steward to grass me up for it

 

Pink Gins? Old Hat:

<<True Dit:

Joined RNC Greenwich early and first at (empty) bar on day Zero.

Sez I: Pink Gin please.

Sez old-timer bar steward (ex-RN): Certainly sir, but all of the younger officers are drinking horses necks these days.

So I immediately became younger, after that very first Pink Gin in the bunhouse, of course!! >>

:twisted:

 

RO77,

You're not the first and certainly won't be the last and now is certainly not the time to make any hasty decisions that you may later regret. As has already been said, sit on your hands for a few marching paces and then sort out the next step.

You've seen the AIB now, so a second attempt would be far less daunting. You will be able to better prepare yourself and would obviously demonstrate your determination by having another 'go'.

The good thing is PLTs can be practiced. Now you've seen what they want it is very easy to get things organised in your mind and that's more than half of the problem solved. You can practice the brief:

1. What is it you need to achieve and in what timeframe
2. What equipment do you have
3. Ask for suggestions
4. Decide your course of action and brief the group
5. Allocate tasks
6. Check understanding and any questions
7. Crack on
8. Review, review, review (and change the plan if required)
9. Debrief and see how you could have done it better

Many people think they need to come up with a plan themselves but this is not the case. You may well have an idea of what you're going to do but it is important that you to listen to the suggestions from the others in your group before no.4 and implement the good bits into your plan.

During the task it is important to remember that you're there to manage, not necessarily lead. You should not be first across the shark-infested custard but in the middle of the group, that way you can manage the trail blazers in your plan and then just supervise the rear party because they've already seen what's got to be done.

I'm sure you've heard it all before but I would say that almost always, simple is better. When I did the AIB, ahem, some time ago one of the guys in our group was determined to use every bit of rope in our kit list to lash bits of wood together. He was adamant his plan was the best and that was the way he wanted it done. Fair enough, so we all gave it our best shot but the whole thing was so convoluted that we ran out of time and never got anywhere near achieving his aim. Mine was a similar task but instead of bits of string everywhere I just used cantilevers (using group members to balance the one walking the plank) and instead of constructing complicated pulleys etc to shift barrels I just had the biggest lad in the group carry them. The task was over very quickly and with no fuss. I'm not trumpet-blowing but just trying to demonstrate that simple is good when it comes to these exercise.

Finally, it is important to remember that it is not necessarily what you do but how you do it. It doesn't really matter that much if you complete the task. It's great if you can but they are looking at how you conducted the brief, formulated the plan and, very importantly, how you managed the task whilst it was being carried out. Leadership is certainly not about knowing all the answers and being Superman and doing everything yourself. It is about recognising the strengths available to you in the different group members, using those resources to the best effect and, often forgotten, cajouling the 'weaker' ones to ensure (a)they are not left out and (b)contribute to the group's effort.

If RN Officer is what you really want then you'll find yourself back at the AIB soon. Use the time in the interim to get the basics of briefing etc weighed off and show them that you have learned from your previous attempt and improved as a result of it.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

PS: the cocktail parties were (are) an excellent source of 'entertainment' for the duration of the ship's stay

 

Sorry Ross, feel bad for ya!
There's some great advice and support on here from people, dust yourself down and chin-up!