Are the Recruiters giving the right info

[Laura Elena]

So I want to join through the OCS and asked to talked to a recruiter. They were only able to give me info through an email, told to study and I could not talk to a recruiter until I take the ASTB. That after I take the ASTB the recruiter WILL BE CONTACTING ME! Does this sound right? is this how the process work?

 

[markkyle66]

So I want to join through the OCS and asked to talked to a recruiter. They were only able to give me info through an email, told to study and I could not talk to a recruiter until I take the ASTB. That after I take the ASTB the recruiter WILL BE CONTACTING ME! Does this sound right? is this how the process work?

Well... sort of.

As with anything, sometimes if you want something done (contacting a recruiter) you have to do it yourself. I'd advise setting up a short appointment and driving to your OR's office for a chance to introduce yourself and express your interests. Right off the bat your Officer Recruiter should be able to atleast inform you of what will be required to get where you want to go. (i.e. OAR/ASTB scores and degree requirements for certain designators.) Finding the gouge for that test and making good use of it is in large part on you. Search it on this forum and you'll find all the help you need! Once you get that out of the way you'll have alot more to talk about with him/her. I'm guessing with the number of applicants they get nowadays they aren't thrilled about humoring someone who hasn't taken the exam yet. But anyways, carry out every visit to your OR's office with the same professionalism you would as a job interview. Don't be a tool, but be courteous and take the initiative to come with every document you think they may need! (SSN, Birth Cert., Transcripts, etc) Also, ask for the application documents and complete as much of this on your own time as possible. Always be proactive!

 

[Laura Elena]

Thanks for the info. I have been doing a lot of research into the ASBT and trying to get all the info to make my process easier. All I was confused about was the fact that I had called the OC's office to see if I could come in and talk to a recruiter and they told me no. That I had to take the ASBT first.

 

[markkyle66]

I'm not so sure about that part... they shouldn't take issue with you stopping by. Ask around until someone says YES.

 

[BigJeffray]

Every NRD seems to have their own policies. When I first contacted my NRD, they said they would put me into contact with an OR early the following week...Never happened so I called back, but was able to find an extension for an OR online, so that put me into direct contact with him. He told me kind of what they're telling you, study for the ASTB, then contact so-and-so when you're ready to take it so it can be scheduled. The first time I met my recruiter was the day I took the test, and he actually spent a good deal of time with me. It's getting to the point from a competitiveness standpoint (at least with most designators, I applied SNA) where I've been hearing they won't give you much of their time if you don't score well on the test. So at this point, the best advice I can give you is to study your butt off and nail the test. Good scores will get you noticed. IF you by chance don't do well on the test, make it known to your recruiter that you still want this, and that you're willing to do what it takes to make YOUR dream come true. Always keep that in mind when dealing with an OR, this is YOUR dream, not his/hers. Their job is not to make you become an officer, it's to facilitate you making yourself an officer, they won't/shouldn't hold your hand. Also, the test is not the only important part of your package, you can usually make up for a lower than you wanted score with other things, but nowadays, you probably can't make up for "low" scores (which is also a completley subjective term). Your OR should be able to help you determine how competitive your scores are when the time comes.
Aside from that, the process can move slowly sometimes, so just do your best to stay motivated, and help your OR by being proactive. There's lots of good gouge on the ASTB in the appropriate threads on this site, which should help you for now. Best of luck!

 

[Gus Gorilla]

To echo the above slightly I agree. You should be able to stop by. Don't be surprised if they aren't doting on you hand and foot so to speak. Study hard and nail the test then they'll likely be more interested in talking. I didn't meet my OR until the day I took the test either. All contact was professional yet brief and wasn't a guideline but more of a direction for me to be proactive with. I brought all papers, forms, etc. then did good on the test. When I came out of the testing room and they saw I was prepared, suddenly I stared getting calls back from the office when something was needed or a date had changed. My OR and the members of the office all explained that they get hundreds of contacts per week from "prospectives". Out of those hundreds very few even qualify (health, school, criminal record etc.). Out of those who qualify even less produce competitive scores. To go one deeper out of all the competitive scores a select few have enough history and experience to pull together a good package. On my test day there was a new Ensign passing through the office helping the Lt call back prospects. He had 200 e-mails and IIRC 50-ish phone calls to make. Of all that they expected maybe only one to really produce a candidate but they weren't holding their breath.
I guess what I'm getting at is that they're busy. If they don't know you from Adam you will be one of the masses until proven to be possibly competitive. So there you go, proactive, organized, and rock the test.

 

[Spekkio]

Taking and doing well on the ASTB is the first thing that will grab the recruiter's attention. Lots of people want in on the military in this economy, so having a show-me-the-mustard policy makes sense.