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My journey to where I am today, begins way back when I was in high school (2003-2005). It seems so long ago, but it certainly doesn't feel that long. To be honest, I didn't know what I wanted to do with my life. By grade 11 most of my friends and classmates knew where they wanted to go after high school. They knew what careers they wanted to pursue. They had an action plan. They had their whole life planned out. Meanwhile I was uncertain. I didn't know what I wanted to be. So my final years of high school I took only the courses I need to graduate. I had no direction. Even looking at my high school transcript, my courses were all over the place.
I can ever remember at the career fairs my school held, I didn't know what interested me more. I at one point wanted to be a Vet Technician until I realized how hard their job really is. I love animals, but seeing them suffering or having to be put down...I just couldn't handle that. Any ways, back to the career fair, one booth always caught my attention. The booth for the Canadian Forces. But I always shied away from it. I honestly don't know why I was so scared to approach them. I wanted to but I was afraid of what other would think of me. I did my own research in secret, keeping it all to myself. I was drawn to the Canadian Forces and I wish then and there I just had to courage to go for it. I may have saved myself 10 years of not knowing what to do with my life!
I didn't pursue the forces then. I put it on the back burner. I instead did what people expected of me. I went to college for Fashion Merchandising, in hopes of being able to become a visual merchandiser. I like working with my hands and doing unconventional work. Well after graduation jobs were few and far between. A lot of places wouldn't even look at my resume because I didn't have enough work experience. They wanted someone with 3+ yrs of actual work experience. 2 years of college apparently means diddly-squat. It was depressing because I worked my butt off in college. I paid for it myself, working a part-time job as well. And it was all for naught. And again, as all colleges do, they had career fairs and I was cautiously walk by the CF booth. Never once actually stopping to talk to them. Instead I would stand at a nearby booth and listen in as they spoke to other students. God I wish I wasn't so afraid of what others would think of me!
I got one job, a summer position that I had hoped would be a permanent one. I did my co-op there so I knew the Visual Manager and the rest of the Visual Team. But I was set up for failure. And I really should have reported them to the labour board about health&safety issues. It kinda of difficult to do your job quickly and efficiently when the ladder they want you to use is not tall enough for the job. But the only ladder they have that is, is broken and wobbles like hell. Just days before my probation would have been up, I was given the boot.
I was at a loss. Again, I didn't know what to do with myself. Until I could figure that out I went back to school. I signed up for a few high school courses at an adult education school. I spent 4 months there taking courses and trying to figure out my future. The next year I went back to college, this time for photography. Oh that was a very trying experience. It was brutal and hard, mainly because a lot of your marks were opinion based. If your teacher didn't like you work, you got a poor mark. But I completed the program and graduated. But then what was next? I figured I'd start my own photography business doing weddings as I was led to believe that was the easiest thing to do to assert yourself, to build your name and business. Maybe that was the case 5 years ago but now, no. Not when people think that by purchasing a big fancy camera they can call themselves a photographer. The market was over-saturated with would-be photographers offering their services for ridiculously cheap. I just couldn't compete.
And I would think back to those career fairs, maybe I should have spoken to the person representing the CF. But I was afraid. I was afraid that no one would support me. No one would take me serious. So I just worked retail jobs, hoping to get my photography business off the ground, but that never happened. I came to realize that I preferred to photograph aircraft and you can't make a living off of that, unless you are lucky enough to get a job with a magazine or something like that.
It wasn't until October 2012 that I began to seriously consider joining the Canadian Forces. There were a few factors in play as to why I made the decision to take the CF off the back-burner. First, my work was closing. That was my second store-closure in a year. December 2011, the store I Worked at closed it's door and I was left jobless and had to go on EI. Luckily with this closure it wasn't really a closure. The store was being changed to a sister-company brand. But I had my worries. I began doing more research on the CF and then my brother announced he was applying to be a pilot for the CF. When I saw how accepting my family was about it, it gave me hope. I dropped the ball about my secret desire to join. I was so surprised by my family's reaction. My mom actually said she'd never been so proud of me. She was so happy that I made the choice on my own, that I wasn't pressured into to it.
I began the online application in November 2012 and left it there. I had so much going on in my life. I was getting married in April 2013 and I got so caught up in planning that the CF had to go on the back burner again. My file expired and I'd have to start all over again. It put a damper on things. Fast-forward to October 2013 and I got the news that my store was going to be closing. 3 closings in 3 years, it was a sign. I've learned the harsh truth that I don't want to work retail anymore. It's not stable enough. I'm 28, married and would like to start a family in the next 5 years. I can't do that if I don't have a stable job. My husband luckily doesn't have to worry about his job, but I don't want him to be the only income we live off of.
February/March 2014 I made the decision. I'm applying to the Canadian Forces and I'm going to see it through to the end. No more excuses or delays. I'm doing what I should have done 10 years ago. I completed my application mid-March, got an e-mail 2 days later (Felt like the longest 2 days), called my recruiting centre and scheduled my CFAT, which I'm writing tomorrow! I'm excited and nervous. I had to brush up on my math, as it's been a very long time since I've had to do they type of math they require. I'm hopeful about everything now. Ideally I'd like to get in this summer. I just want to finally start my life, start my career. I'm not looking for something temporary. I'm planning on committing my life to the CF.
It's been a long road, that's for sure. And I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and tell my younger self to just go after the CF right away, save myself some suffering. But that's life, c'est la vie!
I can ever remember at the career fairs my school held, I didn't know what interested me more. I at one point wanted to be a Vet Technician until I realized how hard their job really is. I love animals, but seeing them suffering or having to be put down...I just couldn't handle that. Any ways, back to the career fair, one booth always caught my attention. The booth for the Canadian Forces. But I always shied away from it. I honestly don't know why I was so scared to approach them. I wanted to but I was afraid of what other would think of me. I did my own research in secret, keeping it all to myself. I was drawn to the Canadian Forces and I wish then and there I just had to courage to go for it. I may have saved myself 10 years of not knowing what to do with my life!
I didn't pursue the forces then. I put it on the back burner. I instead did what people expected of me. I went to college for Fashion Merchandising, in hopes of being able to become a visual merchandiser. I like working with my hands and doing unconventional work. Well after graduation jobs were few and far between. A lot of places wouldn't even look at my resume because I didn't have enough work experience. They wanted someone with 3+ yrs of actual work experience. 2 years of college apparently means diddly-squat. It was depressing because I worked my butt off in college. I paid for it myself, working a part-time job as well. And it was all for naught. And again, as all colleges do, they had career fairs and I was cautiously walk by the CF booth. Never once actually stopping to talk to them. Instead I would stand at a nearby booth and listen in as they spoke to other students. God I wish I wasn't so afraid of what others would think of me!
I got one job, a summer position that I had hoped would be a permanent one. I did my co-op there so I knew the Visual Manager and the rest of the Visual Team. But I was set up for failure. And I really should have reported them to the labour board about health&safety issues. It kinda of difficult to do your job quickly and efficiently when the ladder they want you to use is not tall enough for the job. But the only ladder they have that is, is broken and wobbles like hell. Just days before my probation would have been up, I was given the boot.
I was at a loss. Again, I didn't know what to do with myself. Until I could figure that out I went back to school. I signed up for a few high school courses at an adult education school. I spent 4 months there taking courses and trying to figure out my future. The next year I went back to college, this time for photography. Oh that was a very trying experience. It was brutal and hard, mainly because a lot of your marks were opinion based. If your teacher didn't like you work, you got a poor mark. But I completed the program and graduated. But then what was next? I figured I'd start my own photography business doing weddings as I was led to believe that was the easiest thing to do to assert yourself, to build your name and business. Maybe that was the case 5 years ago but now, no. Not when people think that by purchasing a big fancy camera they can call themselves a photographer. The market was over-saturated with would-be photographers offering their services for ridiculously cheap. I just couldn't compete.
And I would think back to those career fairs, maybe I should have spoken to the person representing the CF. But I was afraid. I was afraid that no one would support me. No one would take me serious. So I just worked retail jobs, hoping to get my photography business off the ground, but that never happened. I came to realize that I preferred to photograph aircraft and you can't make a living off of that, unless you are lucky enough to get a job with a magazine or something like that.
It wasn't until October 2012 that I began to seriously consider joining the Canadian Forces. There were a few factors in play as to why I made the decision to take the CF off the back-burner. First, my work was closing. That was my second store-closure in a year. December 2011, the store I Worked at closed it's door and I was left jobless and had to go on EI. Luckily with this closure it wasn't really a closure. The store was being changed to a sister-company brand. But I had my worries. I began doing more research on the CF and then my brother announced he was applying to be a pilot for the CF. When I saw how accepting my family was about it, it gave me hope. I dropped the ball about my secret desire to join. I was so surprised by my family's reaction. My mom actually said she'd never been so proud of me. She was so happy that I made the choice on my own, that I wasn't pressured into to it.
I began the online application in November 2012 and left it there. I had so much going on in my life. I was getting married in April 2013 and I got so caught up in planning that the CF had to go on the back burner again. My file expired and I'd have to start all over again. It put a damper on things. Fast-forward to October 2013 and I got the news that my store was going to be closing. 3 closings in 3 years, it was a sign. I've learned the harsh truth that I don't want to work retail anymore. It's not stable enough. I'm 28, married and would like to start a family in the next 5 years. I can't do that if I don't have a stable job. My husband luckily doesn't have to worry about his job, but I don't want him to be the only income we live off of.
February/March 2014 I made the decision. I'm applying to the Canadian Forces and I'm going to see it through to the end. No more excuses or delays. I'm doing what I should have done 10 years ago. I completed my application mid-March, got an e-mail 2 days later (Felt like the longest 2 days), called my recruiting centre and scheduled my CFAT, which I'm writing tomorrow! I'm excited and nervous. I had to brush up on my math, as it's been a very long time since I've had to do they type of math they require. I'm hopeful about everything now. Ideally I'd like to get in this summer. I just want to finally start my life, start my career. I'm not looking for something temporary. I'm planning on committing my life to the CF.
It's been a long road, that's for sure. And I wish I had a time machine so I could go back and tell my younger self to just go after the CF right away, save myself some suffering. But that's life, c'est la vie!
It really is a long process for some people. The first half of my wait went pretty quick. Application in, withing 5 months, I had my cfat, medical and interview done. Then had another interview, 3 months after that to discuss my trades, then another 4 months to get my offer. Each time they contacted me was one of the most exciting moments of my life lol. Nothing can compare to my reaction when I opened my email to see " offer of employment". Almost a year of waiting for me, but finally got in. Leaving at the end of the month for bmq 
