Joining up and more set backs

hello everyone,

Its been a while since I have been on RR let alone post somthing so here I go.

I sat my first rt test back in June 2012 to join as a WS with a start date of the 1st of feb 2015, during that time I changed my branch to CIS so my start date moved to march 21st 2015. My entry date has now been removed as I have had to go infront of the Capita doctor due to health anxiety issues follwoing testing for some sort of auto immune dissoroder. All tests were negative and I am completly fine and healthy but its still looking like I will have to wait another year now for my entry date because of the anxiety, which in all honesty I am willing to do. The issue is I am hearing an increasing number of service personel leaving. For example, I know a WE CPO who is in the process of leaving who says its not at all like it used to be, even 5 years ago, all the skilled engineers are leaving too and standardas are dropping. He says its not a way of life any more its a job.

Anyways, due to the anxiety I now have to one year symptom free. I'm in a good job with good prospecs and I will be getting married soon also. Joining the navy has been at the top of my list for the past 6 years but I feel dissheartend from the information I have gatherd and from the medical set back. If any of you can advise on my situation it would be most apprectiated.

Matt

 

Sorry to hear of your circumstances Matt, hope all goes your way as soon as practical.

With regard the WE CPO leaving the service, there is a constant stream of people leaving & joining and I'd agree the job does evolve. The "average" person serves about 6 years & everyone re-evaluates their priorities throughout their working career - when the personal disadvantages outweigh the personal advantages for the individual, they usually change jobs.

Individuals serving evolve probably quicker than their job does and their personal priorities change over time, particularly if they have a partner & kids. As a single person with no ties joining today, you will not know what it was like previously, but in 5 years you will have noticed a change in the job and indeed your own priorities.

When I joined my first ship, everyone in my mess told me the fun had gone, the job was changing and that a huge number were leaving. "Good" I thought, "that frees-up the promotion ladder".

It's always been a job, that's why the service pays you a wage. With regard it being a "way of life" it does take-up a disproportionate amount of your life outside of the core working day - when that no longer suits, it's time to move-on.

 

Thanks Ninja, very well put. He has been in the navy for 10 years now so that would explain why he is leaving. I guess the navy has to evolve as do its sailors. I hope I only get 1 year tmu, my doctor has sent a report explaining the circumstances and they have called me be back in on the 12th March to decide if its jsut one year or if its for life. Fingers crossed, it sucks knowing I should be heading to basic next month though :/

 

Sorry to hear your woes Matt. I think those set backs/stalling issues are what affects a large number of potential recruits and probably cause a lot of people to dip their toe out of the water to then only wonder "what if?" later on. Probably better to find out yourself if it's worthwhile - I'm sure along the way on your career you'll find you do a lot more than thought possible, particularly in civvie street.

Ninja,

Can you elaborate on what the "disproportionate amount of your life outside of the working day" consists of? I appreciate that time on deployment is largely responsible for taking up a lot of your time, but does this also extend to life when not on deployment?

 

Unlike civilian jobs, unless you buy or rent locally, you very often find yourself living on the same ship or shore establishment where you actually work.

 

Thanks dude i will post when i get my results

 

And if you live in or onboard, expect to be involved in cleaning, standing for rounds, doing fire exercises etc outside core working hours most days. There are rounds every night.

As a SR I also have plenty of compulsory social events I have to attend each month. Though a lot of that is down to the Army run camp.

The navy is not 0900-1700, and never will be.

 

Face both palms.

 

At about my 18 year in service I applied for redundancy, at my redundancy interview I was asked do I not like the navy. My answer was not any more, I used to but it was not the same navy I joined, and I think that could be said for anyone that spends a few years in service. NS put it better but nothing stays the same, the navy changes all the time and so will you.
As for disturbed life, most navy personnel do duties which require you to stay on-board all night or all weekend if duty weekend, no going home, no going ashore, even though some have tried both in the past.
If the navy is your dream, I would say go for it if you do not like it then leave, but would you have regrets if you walked away?