So far I’ve prepared answers for:
Why do you want to join the Royal Navy?
Be honest. None of this 'because I'm not afraid to die for my country and kiss a picture of Brenda every night before turning in in my White Ensign duvet cover'. You want a decent job from an employer with a proven track record to develop the skills you know you think you have, and know that the pay and opportunities are excellent. Also, you want to be part of the team, learn something and see the world.
What is the role/purpose of the RN?
Careful. Avoid 'flying the flag' and other jingoistic claptrap. The Navy exists to support the government's wider defence policy and can extend in three maritime directions - strike (kill the bad people), littoral (park off bad people's costs and launch even badder people at the bad people) or humanitarian ops (hurricanes and ting) We also have mine warfare and patrol commitments, don't forget
Bitesized and bulleted. Hit the major switchpoints when shit changed and mention the big hitters. And smile when you mention Nelson as though he means something to you, because he does for us. Spend one minute on startup to WWI, cover WWII in the next minute and the last minute bullet point since WWII. Do not forget the three bolt-ons the surface fleet has (without whom we would not be in existence) that are: The Submarine Service, The Fleet Air Arm and the Royal Marines, and not necessarily in that order.
Where is the RN currently operationally active?
Scan and copy the Navy News article or better still print off an A3 Mercator and pull it out of your pocket and point to the places
In depth description of training, pay etc.
Find out where you'll be trained and for how long and what the outcome of that training is regarding qualification
Tell me when you’ve been a leader, failed, proudest least proud etc etc.
Don't forget, the Navy exists on Command, Leadership and Management. Buy this book
Royal Navy Way of Leadership
Greatest strength weakness.
Make your strengths look strong. Don't come over, 'well, I think I'm good at … ' and 'people have told me I am good at this … ' ******* well know you are good at it and be prepared to be questioned and challenged. Temper 'over confidence' and 'arrogance' with 'assurance' and 'determination'. If you are single minded, say so. If you are collegiate, say so. But always come over that there's a decision to be made and a path to take and it's your job at the end of it to decide the best way. Your weaknesses - make them sound trivial and pathetic and able to be overcome at the nod of a head. Do not say 'well, I like a drink' and 'I sometimes doubt myself' We all do both. But the best of us don't broadcast it.
Also, make your pitch sound and smell like CCDRIL - the Navy's Core Values.
I’ve written out how many of each ship that are currently commissioned, and one sentence describing what that type of ship does. And have been looking at pictures of each. Is this enough to do with ships?
Don't labour too much on detail here. Type 45s carry Sea Viper to kill aircraft and Harpoon to kill ships, they also have a Merlin and 4.5 gun. Some T23 have Sea Wolf, Harpoon and a 4.5/Merlin too. They form a layered defence bubble round a task group with Astutes underneath and F35B overhead, to take one or more landing craft ships to foreign shores to disgorge bootnecks, because they are far more artful at slotting nasty people than us. See what I did there? Surface, FAA, Subs, Bootnecks. It's how we roll.
How much are weapons going to come up? I have no experience with weapons so trying to memorise all the different names is hard.
Sea Viper - long range aircraft killer
Sea Wolf/Sea Ceptor - short range aircraft killer
Harpoon - Medium/long range ship killer
4.5 in gun - general purpose brick thrower
Merlin - Anti Sub/Troop Carrier
Lynx Wildcat - Death from above
F35B - Fifth generation flying deathmobile
Good luck. See you in the service.
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