Too good to be true?

[DarthFeder]

Hi Guys, I'm after a bit of advice, if anyone can assist i'd appreciate it.
I'm a 24 year old Electrical Engineering HNC student and the other day I recieved a phone call from a company called Navis Recruitment. The fella on the phone told me he had found my CV online and asked if i would be intrested in a job within the RFA as a Systems Engineer (officer). I didnt know anything about the RFA so he gave me a bit of information and ive been doing alot of research online since. I finish my HNC in may and he said that would not be a problem and that I would be sent for an interview when I finish my Qual, so I sent him my CV over and he said i will be cointacted with a week.
My worry is that it sounds a bit too good to be true, £27,000+ starting wage and straight in as officer? do the RFA recruit through recruitment agencies? does this sound right?
Cheers guys!

 

[Peebs]

The wage seems about right and you can join as an officer.
Not sure how they recruit though.

 

[Megalopteron]

1) £27,000+ starting wage and straight in as officer?
2) do the RFA recruit through recruitment agencies?
3) does this sound right?

1) Yes. Actually closer to £30k+
2) Yes.
3) Yes.

The RFA are desperately trying to recruit qualified Systems Engineers (i.e. electrical and electronic) as most of the department have been lost to more lucrative opportunities elsewhere. That they have agencies headhunting is no surprise.

 

[spooner]

Yup. There are a few people in training at the moment that have been employed in this way. There's a good chance you won't need to go through Dartmouth either.

 

[DarthFeder]

Awesome! Yeah he said I wouldnt need to go to dartmouth I Honestly cannot wait. Thanks for the replies guys, that has put me at ease

Rich

 

[Seadog]

Awesome! Yeah he said I wouldnt need to go to dartmouth

Rich

A poster in a position to know better than a representative of an external agency wrote recently that new entry officers would go to BRNC when places were available. Older more senior officers of which few had been tempted would not. If I understood correctly.

 

[DarthFeder]

Thanks for the replies guys. Does anyone know when that salary starts? during training or after the 3 years training?

Cheers

 

[Seadog]

Does anyone know when that salary starts? during training or after the 3 years training?

Cheers

What 3 years training? I thought you understood what is being proposed.

 

[Bluebird79]

If you're qualified then there are no 'three years of training'

 

[spooner]

For direct entry 3/O Systems Engineers, there doesn't seem to be any fixed training pipeline. You're looking at cadetships, aren't you?

I believe the preferred path is 2 months at BRNC then 4 months at HMS Sultan plus some mandatory short courses, but I know from direct experience that there is a fair amount of deviation from this. Your salary should start from the day you sign the contract, after you've sorted any prerequisites like ENG1 and vaccinations.

It'd be VERY worthwhile finding out exactly what you're signing up for - see if you can talk to someone in the Lateral Entry team at RFA HQ rather than a recruitment company.

 

[audiopixie]

are the RFA still looking for SE then? I applied a few years ago, screwed up the interview then got another job. thinking about applying again, but I have the fear over the interview, and the AIB/BRNC so not sure if I should apply for rating.

I would really appreciate some advice about paths of entry and likelihood of a job offer. I know I need to improve my interview technique, but anything outside of this would be great.

thanks

 

[spooner]

It depends.

If you have the necessary qualifications to join as a Third Officer (in theory a relevant HNC plus experience, but there seems to be some flexibility lately) you won't need to attend AIB, just an interview. You might attend BRNC.

If you want to go down the cadetship route then you will have to pass AIB and you will attend BRNC.

If you want to join as a rating you'll join as a Motorman, probably going down the apprenticeship route, with the option of specialising as an SE later in your career. You won't go to BRNC as a rating, you'll be ambling around HMS Sultan in a baseball cap instead.

This is the current status as I understand it, best to check. See http://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/careers/royal-fleet-auxiliary/how-to-join-the-rfa

 

[audiopixie]

it's complicated. I have a BEng in electronic and communication engineering, but haven't been working in that specific field. I had a brief live chat and they gave me an email address so I'll hit them up with some questions and take it from there.

are you in the RFA then, spooner?

 

[audiopixie]

actually I'm out. been living in the middle east for 3 years and at sea for 1, so I fail the eligibility test