-
Please take a moment and update your account profile. If you have an updated account profile with basic information on why you are on Air Warriors it will help other people respond to your posts. How do you update your profile you ask?
Go here:
Edit Account Details and Profile
FY 2012 IDC Boards
- Thread starter JasonB
- Start date
I'll let you in on my experience here. When I was selected, I also been a state government employee for about 15 years and was 37. I applied three times before I was selected. I did two sets of panel format interviews with three INTEL officers, five O-6 interviews (3 IW, 1 IP, 1 SWO), one O-4 (IP), two O-7 (IW) interviews, and OIC endorsement — 5 of which were set up on my own, and 4 of which involved traveling across the country on my own dime. I got a better OIC endorsement — with the same OIC — each time and was NOT picked up until I had 100% confidence on the panel interviews and from the OIC, even though I was ultimately selected into IW. In fact, the selection letter from this board explicitly says "less than 100% confidence IDC OIC endorsement" as a trait non-selects shared. Go back and see this post for the details.
In your personal interviews, of course some subjectivity comes into it. Trust me, you are not being passed over because of your age or that you have kids. Yes, they will ask you about that, and what your family thinks. But at the board, in the "tank", all the board members see is your life flashed up on the big screen for a few minutes at most. They see your resume, your interview, and highlights from your package. It does not come down to like and dislike — it comes down to the fact that your competition is fierce, and whether or not you exceed the requirements for an IP officer is irrelevant. Others — in the eyes of the board — exceeded them more.
I had all of the interviews I described above, including the Admirals, using the same philosophy you had, which was, "I'll just pack my package with high ranking interviews — they'll have to select me then!" I had ALL of those interviews in my second package — and I was not selected. What I changed between the second and third tries was continuing to improve myself as an applicant. I was almost finished with my graduate program, I had started significant volunteer work, highlighted my leadership experience, got a much better LOR from my employer focusing on those areas, tailored my package in response to the prior results letters, and tried one more time...
The rest is history.
I know, just as an outside observer, sometimes some of the selections seem to not make sense. I don't suppose we'll ever know what those elements are exactly that just make one candidate seem better than another in the eyes of the board members. Ever since we have started the joint IDC boards, there have been some young selects with relatively limited experience that just don't seem to add up. Was it an LOR? Was it something the OIC or an interviewer said that particularly resonated with a board member? Was it their degree and a specific requirement? Who knows. But since people who are around the 40-year mark with PhDs are also getting picked up I don't think they're discriminating against the older guys just yet. ;-) Will be interesting to see if age limits change in the new Program Authorizations, though...
Well, it just so happens I was picked up this time around...I guess third time really is the charm! I am super excited about the selection but also have a big decision to make, since I was also selected to to the USAFR JAG. Besides the obvious differences between the two programs, I'm trying to determine where I'd be the better fit. Also, from a deployment perspective, would anyone know how long they are with the Intel? I know deployments are more or less guaranteed following the 3 years or so of training but how long are they on average? I am recently married (no kids yet) but am trying to get a better read on that situation. If anyone can provide me with some good color on that I would be most appreciative.
Finally, to all of those who did not get selected this time around, do not give up...I felt like giving up many times in the past and am so happy I stuck with it. The system does work and I do believe tenacity/persistence is key to the equation.
Chris
Finally, to all of those who did not get selected this time around, do not give up...I felt like giving up many times in the past and am so happy I stuck with it. The system does work and I do believe tenacity/persistence is key to the equation.
Chris
Congrats, cdb26! After you are fully qualified, you can be deployed — as far as the length of a "typical" deployment, plan on "about a year", but also with us drawing down forces, it's possible that it will turn back to more of an "if" than "when" scenario. There are also options to volunteer for mobilizations and orders that would count as "involuntary", thus allowing you to shape and schedule your career. As always, needs of the Navy come first.
As for which to pick, I don't think I have to tell you the storied history of Naval Intelligence — but I'd ask a question: does the postman want to take a walk on his day off? Seriously, though, congrats on your selection into both programs. I'm sure you'll end up making the right choice.
As for which to pick, I don't think I have to tell you the storied history of Naval Intelligence — but I'd ask a question: does the postman want to take a walk on his day off? Seriously, though, congrats on your selection into both programs. I'm sure you'll end up making the right choice.
Thanks, Das...I am really excited. I knew it would happen at some point, although the ride was definitely frustrating at times! I hear you on the postman analogy and that is what I am struggling with at the moment. I can't remember off hand, but am I right about the general length of training as being around 3 years in length, or is it only 2?
I agree with you that the drawdown of forces could in fact make the scenario more of an "if" instead of when...based on the commitment time of 8 years, I think 1 or 2 deployments would be pretty neat anyway. How is everything going on your end?
I agree with you that the drawdown of forces could in fact make the scenario more of an "if" instead of when...based on the commitment time of 8 years, I think 1 or 2 deployments would be pretty neat anyway. How is everything going on your end?
Your Naval Intelligence Officer Basic Course (NIOBC) is about 18 months worth of drill weekends once you start it. DCOIC will be your first 2-week AT the first year. You also have five years to complete your IDWO PQS (the IDC qualification). Some IDC Reserve Regions seem to have taken the tack that until you're completely qualified, including IDWO, you won't be deployed, even though you're technically deployable after your INTEL school and quails are done. You have some control over your training pipeline and thus your deployability. That said, yes, it's probably not a bad idea to plan for at least 1 and perhaps 2 mobilizations over the course of your 8 year commitment. And who knows, you may decide to stay longer. There are also people who have volunteered for activations and as long as it's over 30 days and counts as "involuntary", it still resets your dwell time clock.
Wait a minute, you were selected by the AFR as well? I was told I couldn't apply to the AFR while applying to the Navy.
Devil Duck
Member
Chris, glad you made it. Congrats, Mark
As for intel deployments, they're typically one year. Reality is the war is winding down. Without having a crystal ball I wouldn't expect to see too many involuntary deployments after 2013 - until the next war at least.
PapaK, don't quote me on this but I don't think there should be a conflict, especially since I fully disclosed that fact on my application and did not see or hear from anyone that doing so was prohibited. Then again, my application was between applications for the Navy so that may have had something to do with it? Either way, who informed you that you were not able to do so? I find it strange that you wouldn't be allowed...what were you looking to apply for?
Mark, thanks for the message...much appreciated. How are things on your end? You've been in for over a year now, right?
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
You can apply to any or all services at the same time, there are no restrictions in the Officer Recruiting Manual I have known OR's to say they won't work with a person applying to multiple services but if the issue was pushed the OR would look bad, I view it as you are looking for a job, being selected is no guarantee, just like if you were going for a job in the civilian sector, so if going for a civilian job would you only apply to one company for one or two jobs? I hope not and that is why I don't hold it against a person for trying to get in to any service, of course I think the USN is the best one to go for.
Will we ever know why we didn't get selected? Certain things can be changed, leadership experiences, interviews, etc. Age, family, military experience (or lack thereof), inability to get a security clearance (just rounding off possibilities here) certainly/likely cannot. It would really help to know. Hard to fix something when you're not sure what's broken.
exNavyOffRec
Well-Known Member
Unfortunately no, many of the comments the board puts like "those selected had..." or "those not selected did not have...." are standard statements that don't change from one board to the other, I have seen some statements that were actually way off from the actual board results.
I finally had a long talk with my recruiter on Friday. I think I got dumped. As I mentioned a few posts back, my original plan was to join the IDC on the enlisted side. Now my recruiter is saying that is probably my only bet at getting into the Navy at all. Her reasoning is it will stop the clock on me, age-wise, and let me do things like pursue a graduate degree without such a rush. Then once I'm in on the enlisted side I could pursue a commission from the inside. She had been very optimistic and such a hard charger, I had expected her to have a gameplan for the September boards, but instead all but said she was done with me.
It's disappointing of course, since if I decide not to take her advice I need to find another recruiter. But I can also see where she's coming from. There is a definite shift in her attitude. She had quite a few applicants in for this board. I met most of them and I can say they were all qualified. Not one got picked up though. So she's basically worked hard for 6 months with zero return, plus she's feeling just as dismayed and confused by the selections as everyone else. Not to mention I don't think the recruiters get any more guidance than we do, so she doesn't know how to groom the upcoming candidates she's going to find next.
I hate to give up without trying for at least one more board, but it looks like it will be like starting from scratch again, if I can even find another officer recruiter who's willing to work with me.
Blah. I have some thinking to do.
It's disappointing of course, since if I decide not to take her advice I need to find another recruiter. But I can also see where she's coming from. There is a definite shift in her attitude. She had quite a few applicants in for this board. I met most of them and I can say they were all qualified. Not one got picked up though. So she's basically worked hard for 6 months with zero return, plus she's feeling just as dismayed and confused by the selections as everyone else. Not to mention I don't think the recruiters get any more guidance than we do, so she doesn't know how to groom the upcoming candidates she's going to find next.
I hate to give up without trying for at least one more board, but it looks like it will be like starting from scratch again, if I can even find another officer recruiter who's willing to work with me.
Blah. I have some thinking to do.