Cadetship

monosharp

Hey lads, made up my mind lately that i want to try a cadetship in the next couple of years. I will have a 4 year degree by then hopefully and i have several years service in the FCA behind me.

I'm just wondering is it really as impossible to get into as people make it sound ?

I know there are only very very few places each year but the way people are telling me, you need to be a super athlete and fit a very specific personality etc etc to even get close to being considered.

I hear numbers like 1100 applicants for 30 places. Surely to god it can't be that impossible ?

If its really as bad as that then theres nearly no point in even thinking about applying is there ?

neilled

Well the defence forces 2005 report stated that there 55 cadetships granted in that year. It also notes that cadetship applications went up by about 9%......

monosharp

So basically figures of 1100 for 35 places is not an exaggeration ?

It sounds fairly impossible to be honest.

Anyone got any info on Direct Entry ? I hear that people with certain qualifications can get straight through the interviewing process.

Alkers

I know that a level 8 degree is +10% in the selection process so it's worth your while going for it anyway.

neilled

monosharp wrote:

So basically figures of 1100 for 35 places is not an exaggeration ?

It sounds fairly impossible to be honest.

Anyone got any info on Direct Entry ? I hear that people with certain qualifications can get straight through the interviewing process.

Well bearing in mind that competition for general service seems to be quite high it wouldn't surprise me. I previously worked out the ration was something like 13 applicants to a place but it seems to be more like 20 now. The 2005 report noted that applications went up by 9% or so. The last competition booklet did state that there was a 10% bonus for holders of a third level degree at final interview. I suppose the other thing is there might be a rake of those applications from school leavers who you'd have an academic (not counting the 10%) and maturity edge on....

The number of cadetship places does seem to vary from year to year... i think it was as high as 80 or so one time. Would need to browse through the annual reports to work it out. In addittion to that i've a lot of work to do on fitness in the next two years and would need a change on the defence forces policy on getting your eyes lasered......... :-(

Failing that i was looking on the raf website the other night and i see that the RAF Regiment urgently needs officers..... with pay starting at £26K its certainly something i'm thinking of for the future.

Direct entry seems to be restricted from what i can tell to the likes of engineers, doctors, dentists, chaplins and the like, the non combat arms of the defence forces.

Again any one out there who would like to shed a bit of light on the process? My digging and picking through the information available online continues......

monosharp

neilled, why would their stance on laser surgery disqualify you ? have u had it done ? Or are the requirements too much without having laser done ?

neilled

monosharp wrote:

neilled, why would their stance on laser surgery disqualify you ? have u had it done ? Or are the requirements too much without having laser done ?

As it stands i would currently fail the eyesight requirements as laid down by the df. Assuming i can get the necessary treatment done i am within the range of optical correction permitted by the british armed forces and others. According to the last cadetship booklet the current policy is to turf out any candidates who have had any kind of incisional or laser eye surgery are automatically disqualified from the competition.

Nothingcompares

neilled wrote:

As it stands i would currently fail the eyesight requirements as laid down by the df. Assuming i can get the necessary treatment done i am within the range of optical correction permitted by the british armed forces and others. Currently any candidates who have had any kind of incisional or laser eye surgery are automatically disqualified from the competition.

I'm in the same boat. Presuming there are 20 candidates for every position, I presume anyone that failed the eye sight requirements would be immediatly discarded? Is this true? So should i just forget about it?

Tabnabs

neilled wrote:

Direct entry seems to be restricted from what i can tell to the likes of engineers, doctors, dentists, chaplins and the like, the non combat arms of the defence forces.

Not necessarily, the INS often advertise for officers through the Merchant Navy trade newspapers. A deck officer is presumably the person who gives the order to open fire. :eek:

neilled

Nothingcompares wrote:

I'm in the same boat. Presuming there are 20 candidates for every position, I presume anyone that failed the eye sight requirements would be immediatly discarded? Is this true? So should i just forget about it?

Thats exactly what I'm wondering! I intend having the surgery done anyway, i'm into hillwalking and the likes and glasses and contacts are just a pain in wet or bright conditions.

neilled

Dyflin wrote:

Not necessarily, the INS often advertise for officers through the Merchant Navy trade newspapers. A deck officer is presumably the person who gives the order to open fire. :eek:

Thanks for the heads up:D ... i was going on the basis of the information that i'd seen in the hazy past on the miltary.ie website....

monosharp

neilled wrote:

Thats exactly what I'm wondering! I intend having the surgery done anyway, i'm into hillwalking and the likes and glasses and contacts are just a pain in wet or bright conditions.

I find the dailys or the weeklys very good for outdoor activities.

There are new ones that u can wear for a week (and a month) without ever taking them out if your just lazy like me

I plan to get the weekly ones for FCA/PDF activities.

jaydigity

I' going to ressurect this thread!
I was thinking about entering the army next year if I don't get my chosen course after my Leaving cert. , but reading this has really changed my mind. Is it truly that tough?I doubt in that case that I'd be accepted, I haven't been in the FCA, and thoyugh I'd pass the entrance tests without too much difficulty, I'm not extrardinarily fit.
Would a candidate like me ever make it?
Also, How do you go about applying, would dates clash with important Leaving cert times? For eg, If you were accepted and cadetship started in august, you wouldn't know whether or not you'd got your college courses etc. Anyone ble to shed some light on this?

Alkers

jaydigity wrote:

I' going to ressurect this thread!
I was thinking about entering the army next year if I don't get my chosen course after my Leaving cert. , but reading this has really changed my mind. Is it truly that tough?

You can enter the army as a recruit rather than a cadet... Then you would be a private when you finished training as opposed to being an officer. Are you sure you want to do a cadetship?

jaydigity

Simona1986 wrote:

You can enter the army as a recruit rather than a cadet... Then you would be a private when you finished training as opposed to being an officer. Are you sure you want to do a cadetship?

Sorry for my ignorance, I didn't realise there ws a distinction! So is applying as recruit easier than a cadetship?Whats the difference between a private and an officer, can you progress to being an officer even if you enter as a recruitApologies for all the questions!

Alkers

Yeah, applying as a recruit is easier. I think basic training lasts around 16weeks before you get your 2 star but then you've to do further training.

jaydigity

Okay, thnks a mil for clarifying that Simona. does anyone know what the stats are for entry as a recruit, what're your odds for acceptance?
Also anyone know about applying and if It will clash with Leaving Cert? (the question asked in my first post?)

Bam Bam

Get your leaving cert first, then apply if you still want to.

The army can be very picky about who they choose and having the leaving will look good with you rapplication.