Questions regarding the recruiting process

[Dire]

Questions regarding the recruiting process


When you hand in your papers it takes anywhere from a day to 6 months for them to call you right?


How does the processing work? You hand in your application, they review it and call you. If they accept you, you come in for an interview or CFAT first?

* I went to an info session a month ago and I quite remember the sergeant saying they do the interview last. So it goes like this

- Hand in your application
- you write CFAT
- you come in for a medical
- you do physical
- you come in for the interview

If I’ am wrong please correct me.

I would also like to know how long it takes *roughly* between each process.


Reason why I’m asking is because I’ am concerned about the drug test. Yes I used to smoke a little Marijuana (a lot of BCers do the same) and have totally quit when I made the decision to join the Military. I know THC takes roughly 1-4 months to get completely out of your system (up to 6 months with a hair test but depends on some stuff)

I really don’t want to do the test with a hint of THC in my system and I ‘am going to do a clinic test before I do the CF medical.

Reason why Im somewhat concern is I don’t want to wait too long. As of right now im doing conditioning and been working out everyday. So I gave myself a month or two before I even hand in my application to where the processing begins so that’s why I want to know somewhat how much time for each test is.

Also say if you hand in your application they choose you, you right the CFAT and they ask you too come in for the medical do they set a date for you or can you pick a date? If so, can you pick it a month or too away?

Thanks everyone who has helped me

I also know that alot of people are somewhat in the same boat as me. When you are an early adult you do stupid stuff (even know I believe marijuana shouldnt be illegal but since it is, eh, thats life..)

 

[Genesis]

When I handed in the papers it took a couple of weeks for them to phone me back and set up an appointment time. The appointment was the aptitude test, then the interview, then the medical. They then said phone the physical fitness tester in about a month because they will have recieved all the information back from wherever they send the interview, medical, and aptitude information. Everyone I was with did the aptitude test first and then only if you pass do you go on to the medical and interview. Some people had the medical first while others had the interview first though. I don‘t think the order of those two is written in stone. Just to make it clear as I ramble on the aptitude, medical, and interview are all on the same day.

 

[Bert]

I had a similar experience. My CFAT, medical, and interview were on the same day. The fitness test is last and had to wait until the CF finished equating my civilian education. Verifying the civilian education took about 2 months. After, the fitness test was scheduled.

The medical and educational processing may take some time.

 

[Illucigen]

Depends which process you are doing.. ROTP acceptance is entirely different, since they only accept once a year, so Im not sure about others, but I was a one day thing for the CFAT, interview and medical.

We all did the CFAT, then I did Interview then Med. Others idd Med then interview....

 

[Tyrnagog]

I am going in DEO and the procedure for me was teh same as the last 2 posts. After they accepted my app., they booked me for a time to do my tests, et. al. There were about 6 of us, we all wrote the CFAT, and one of them was asked politely to leave, as she did poorly on the test.

After that was the medical tests and interview.

I was todl that once my application has been reviewed and accepted by the officer selection board, I will get a job offer. If I accept, I do my physical test, and if (when) I pass that, then I am off to BOTP.

In terms of drug testing, well, I had to pee in a cup, and they dropped a strip of paper in to test for various things, such as electrolytes, etc. I am unsure if THC was one of the things they were measuring.

 

[Joel85]

I did everything on the same day. First I did the aptitude, then the physical, interview and then the medical. I went to the recruiting center at 8:00 AM, and was done everything by 2:00 PM. They gave me specific times for all of the tests, but I just did everything as soon as the other was done.

 

[iamcanadian3885]

Well for me it was a relatively long process. However the order it went in was the CFAT test followed by the PT test on the same day. A while later I was contacted and had my interview then Medical. I‘m joining as a reservist and noticed while getting all my testing that it varied from person to person on what exact order the different tests went in. Hope it goes alright for you.

 

[JDG]

Here‘s my personal timeline (MARS Officer, Navy):

September, 2002 -- Brought my application down to the recruiting center. This included letters of reference and the "at-home" fitness test declaration.

October, 2002 -- I get a call. They set up a single day for my aptitude test, medical, physical and interview.

October, 2002 (two weeks later) -- I go down to do my tests. Wrote the aptitude test, but the other stuff was pushed back another week because they were short-staffed.

October, 2002 (one week later) -- Complete my medical, physical and interview. Am told that I‘ll have to wait until spring to find out if I qualify for the MARS officer selection board in Halifax.

November, 2002 - April, 2003 -- WAITING. Called them three times during this period to check on status. No concrete information.

Late April, 2003 -- I get a call. I have been selected to attend the selection board on May 3rd which turns out to be in Victoria, not Halifax.

May 3rd - 10th, 2003 -- Selection board. I pass and get an offer (woohoo!).

Present - September, 2003 -- Formal offers come out in June. I have until then to decide whether or not I really want to do this. If I sign on the dotted line in June, then I will be going away to BOTP in September.


So basically, it will be one complete year from the time I first handed in my application until I go off to Basic Training.

 

[Dire]

JDG:

Did your application take long because you were going for Officer and maybe you live in Newfoundland?

Reason im askin is because when I hand in my application I don‘t want to wait that long because I‘ve already decided that I want to do this and I only got limited money left for bills/rent and expenses. If I was to find another job, maybe something in the lines of Computer Networking I might as well stick with it.

One of the reasons why I want to join the army is because the IT industry in BC is pretty ****ty and it‘s very hard to find a job but If I get a food in the door with an IT company, I might as well stick too it right?

I was hopin to hand in my application (just getting my referances done now) at the end of may since Im somewhat still training for the fitness test.

 

[JDG]

Dire,

The MARS selection board meets only twice per year, and I just barely missed the previous one. That‘s why it took a while. Nothing to do with living in Newfoundland.

 

[Dire]

Oh sorry, the only reason I asked was because you said they were short staffed and thats why I said maybe because you live in Newfoundland..

 

[30 for 30]

JDG:

Man, I envy your situation. I applied the same month as you, for the same position, but I have one big problem: prior service.

While I wrote the apptitude test in January, my file has ground to a halt until my verification of former service is performed, so here I wait. I‘ve heard nightmare accounts of VFS taking 12 or more months. I can only prey that it gets sorted out for the next Naval Board. Do you know when that will be? I assume fall. Plus, if I got through it then, when would I start training?

 

[JDG]

Dire,

I think they were only short-staffed that day because some people called in sick. The St. John‘s recruiting center is usually pretty busy.

RNW,

I‘m pretty sure that the next MARS assessment board will be in November. I heard that they will be looking to take approximately the same number of candidates as the last one, which is about 35. I have no idea when you would be going away to Basic; January, perhaps?

It‘s too bad about the VFS slowing things down for you. However, the demand for MARS officers is very high, so you should still have a good opportunity to get in by the time your stuff is processed. Myself, I‘m just a plain old DEO candidate with a BA and no previous military affiliation at all.

Good luck.

 

[30 for 30]

Cheers, JDG. You‘ve given me a much-needed burst of optimism. I actually just read on the verification thread of one guy who wrote a letter to the CF Ombudsman that resulted in a very hasty completion of his VFS. That‘s an option, I suppose.

If and when I‘m sent to the Board, I‘d like to touch base with you about your experience. Perhaps by that time you could fill me in on Basic/MARS training as well. I hear 50% fail MARS training the first time around.

 

[gozonuts]

What is this physical fitness test? Is it the one I did at Nautilus Plus at the beginning of my application process, where I did the step, pushups, situps etc.?
And the aptitude test, that can‘t be the entrance exam that only a complete idiot would fail? Or is this all some more **** I have to look forward too? I mean, I‘m at the security clearance part, isn‘t that near the bloody end?

 

[newfoundlander]

In Newfoundland it is considered patriotic to join the military espically the infantry. We have shown that we are willing to do our part. You dont just join the military for the pay benifits, you join for the pride.

 

[gozonuts]

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