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| Sub-lieutenant goldfish? |
| Yes - NZ Navy |
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| Yes - UK Navy |
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| Total Votes : 4 |
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goldfish
Flogged
Joined: May 17, 2005
Posts: 2,604
Location: Londinium
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 Posted: Mon 14th Jul 7:15am Post subject: Talk To Me About... Joining The Navy |
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That's right, I'm almost 28 and still don't have a career. And yeah, I've had plenty of jobs; I really do want a Career. One of my thousands of 'oh I would like to give that a go one day' daydream musing jobs is joining the navy. I would be going for "Hydrographic Officer". Here's a rough list of pro's and con's so far:
1) I love the sea.
2) Great job security
3) Great training and qualifications that would be 100% relevant to me later on
4) Some SWEET perks - 17% super, anyone?
5) Getting paid to be fit
6) Doing hands-on work; I hate being a cube-farm drone
Cons:
1) This is a biggie - having a partner I love to pieces and hopefully one day, a family
2) Being a chick in the Navy 
3) Being in the military. How can I be a conscientious-objecting willing recruit? (Being in the NZ Navy wouldn't be so bad, but what if I join the UK one? I might actually have to do stuff!)
4) NZ or UK?? UK pays way more, but will being accruing massive Student Loan interest. (Think the GDP several small countries)
5) Big commitment. Looks hard to get out of 
6) Distinct lack of MTB opportunities on board a boat....
Getting in would be TOUGH (especially UK) - would take me ages to get up to the required level on the Beep test.
Keen to here from millitary families etc - what are your thoughts, callers?
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jeremyb
BRAP BRAP BRAP BRAP
Joined: Jan 12, 2003
Posts: 32,882
Location: Derailled
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 8:08am Post subject: |
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How good are you at handling Seamen?
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goldfish
Flogged
Joined: May 17, 2005
Posts: 2,604
Location: Londinium
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 8:16am Post subject: |
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Handling short-man syndrome is a specialty of mine.... 
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ThingOne
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Joined: Mar 05, 2007
Posts: 2,160
Location: 172.20.0.151
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 8:18am Post subject: |
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Once in how easy is it to quit ?. But I reckon a great idea
Last edited by ThingOne on Mon 14th Jul 8:23am; edited 2 times in total |
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goldfish
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Joined: May 17, 2005
Posts: 2,604
Location: Londinium
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 8:21am Post subject: |
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Looks pretty hard, especially if you're an officer  I couldn't do 12 years straight... I have Things To Do before I'm 40 (like babies and stuff  ). All important things to bear in mind...
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ThingOne
Flogged
Joined: Mar 05, 2007
Posts: 2,160
Location: 172.20.0.151
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 8:23am Post subject: |
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| goldfish wrote: | | Looks pretty hard, especially if you're an officer I couldn't do 12 years straight... I have Things To Do before I'm 40 (like babies and stuff ). All important things to bear in mind... |
I have a friend who is Commander (As far as you can go on a NZ ship) of the Te-Kaha, and his wife is a lieutenant commander as well. They have 2 kids, he has just got back from 8 months overseas and shes off now for 6 months. They just work family life around it all.
But they seem to love it.
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j2hyde
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Joined: Sep 23, 2005
Posts: 3,527
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 9:54am Post subject: |
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Going for a particular job with the military doesn't mean you'll get what you want (hydrographic officer). You join them, then they decide what job you'll do.
Do you have any experience with military culture? It's not for everyone, but it suits some people very well.
Also, if you tell them you want a family they probably wont take you, being that you're already 28.
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turbopete
Ridden
Joined: Jun 17, 2005
Posts: 222
Location: London
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 10:32am Post subject: |
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if you can ride over a bit of a hill you should be able to pass a beep test with a bit of 3 runs/week.
I think you'd join because you want to fight rather than object, you'd have to be conscientious in those little quarters (bedrooms)
If you got on a boat you'd be sent away for months at a time I think, that'd be tough on relationships. But you should be able to keep in touch fairly well while you're away.
I know a couple of guys who left the army for navy and love it.
A communications tech type of job would give you an interesting job when you leave if you're into IT telecoms jobs (career)
They should be able to put you in a desk job if you have babies.
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phunk
Mangled
Joined: Feb 28, 2004
Posts: 12,113
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 10:54am Post subject: |
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jnumbaz
Flogged
Joined: Aug 24, 2007
Posts: 2,471
Location: Whiter than a Snowman with a Bukkake fatish
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 11:44am Post subject: |
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Who sold you the 17 Percent super? For all new enlistments into the armed forces kiwi saver is the only super option. (I found out the hardway)
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jo
Windy
Joined: Jun 20, 2003
Posts: 3,816
Location: Melbourne
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 11:56am Post subject: |
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Just because you're in the navy, doesnt mean that you have to go to sea. I know of someone who was in the Navy Band in the UK. That was his job. He married a kiwi girl, and changed to the Kiwi Navy Band, and as far as I know lived happily ever after.  Maybe theres a scientific/oceanographic section on one of the survey or research ships within the navy that would suit you down to the ground. Less of the icky war stuff as you'd be on a scientific vessel, more time at home.
Alternatively, does NIWA or the UK equivalent have any vacancies on their research vessel? Thats one cool boat.
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jnumbaz
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Joined: Aug 24, 2007
Posts: 2,471
Location: Whiter than a Snowman with a Bukkake fatish
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 12:16pm Post subject: |
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| j2hyde wrote: | Going for a particular job with the military doesn't mean you'll get what you want (hydrographic officer). You join them, then they decide what job you'll do.
Incorrect. You apply for a specific position. It's not Full Metal Jacket.
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neels
Slightly below average
Joined: Sep 05, 2007
Posts: 1,174
Location: Waiting for the great leap forward
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 1:30pm Post subject: |
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| j1015642 wrote: | | j2hyde wrote: | Going for a particular job with the military doesn't mean you'll get what you want (hydrographic officer). You join them, then they decide what job you'll do.
Incorrect. You apply for a specific position. It's not Full Metal Jacket.
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I think that's correct, they usually recruit for particular job, which can mean you have to wait until they do an intake for that trade.
Things might have changed a bit since I left the air force, then you were contracted for a set period but you hadn't sold your soul to the devil, and could leave after a set period of notice.
As for kiwi vs UK navy, have you considered that the odds of the UK navy going to an actual war are probably reasonably good, whereas the kiwi navy the chance is likely to be about nil!
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CrustyMTB
Wrecked
Joined: Jun 20, 2004
Posts: 4,583
Location: Back in the Hood
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 1:40pm Post subject: |
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Once you've trained as an officer in the UK navy you are a naval reserve and can be called up if there's a war until you're in your 40's, not sure if NZ runs the same system..?
UK navy see action too, they've only just left Iraq.
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scatter
More beige than usual
Joined: Jan 19, 2003
Posts: 9,317
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| Posted: Mon 14th Jul 2:09pm Post subject: |
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| neels wrote: | | I think that's correct, they usually recruit for particular job, which can mean you have to wait until they do an intake for that trade. |
If I recall correctly, there's only one intake each year for officers so they run selection boards for all trades at once. There were 8 of us on the Weapons/Electical board (but only 5 on the MechEng board) and they took 3 from each.
Well, that's the way it used to be
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