Seeking Advice: Enlist or Pursue OCS?

[Cane11]

Hello all, I've been reading through the various posts about OTS/Enlisted-Intel rating and I figured I'd post to see if someone would be willing to offer me some advice on intel.

Quick Bio:

Undergrad: University of Miami, B.A. - Poly Sci & Religious Studies (gpa – 3.3).

Post-Grad: University College Cork (Ireland), M.A. - International Relations (gpa - 3.6). Thesis: The implications of Pan-Islamism for the U.S. & Saudi alliance.

Work Experience Staff - (2012) Presidential & (2010) Congressional campaigns. Chairman - Local municipal volunteer board (5 years). Manager – University of Miami. Intern – Political consulting firm & Local Mayor.

Age – 25 Health – Physically fit. Waivers – One needed for a blood clotting disorder (factor V Leiden). I’ve never had a blood clot, so I’m not too concerned about getting a waiver for this.
Criminal History – Clean, outside of 1 speeding ticket (I was 16).
MJ Usage - A handful of times, not habitual.



So, I am highly interested in geospatial intelligence (and the other intell fields, too). It seems, from my research thus far, that if I was to go the enlisted route, I could wait for an intel spot to open up. Whereas, I'd have less leverage in job selection the officer route, thus potentially leading to a position outside of my long-term career goals. Is this accurate?

Thanks for reading!

 

[Flash]

...So, I am highly interested in geospatial intelligence (and the other intell fields, too). It seems, from my research thus far, that if I was to go the enlisted route, I could wait for an intel spot to open up. Whereas, I'd have less leverage in job selection the officer route, thus potentially leading to a position outside of my long-term career goals. Is this accurate?

Thanks for reading!

First piece of advice I have seen on this board countless times; If you want to become an officer don't enlist with the intention to become one.

Your interests are pretty specific though and as an officer you will be much more a generalist, you might get a single tour doing something with geospatial intelligence but you are more likely to get a tour doing something else. As an enlistee you could specialize but you also have a pretty high likelihood of not getting what you are interested in as well, needs of the Navy after all.

If you are specifically interested in geospatial intelligence have you considered civilian opportunities too? There is a whole agency that specializes in it after all.

 

[Cane11]

Thanks for the feedback! I have looked into the civilian world, but entry level jobs are a dime a dozen in intell. Also, the military is something that I've always been interested in pursuing. It just seems the enlisted route offers a bit more leverage when it comes to selecting a job like IS. However, i'm open to being corrected on this.

 

[squorch2]

Don't enlist. Don't.

You won't do the cool things you're looking to do when you're an IS3. You'll be relegated to shit work.

Look up NGA jobs.

https://erecruit.nga.mil/psp/EXPROD/EMPLOYEE/HRMS/h/?tab=NI_EXTERNAL_APPLICANT_HP

 

[Cane11]

Thanks for the link/feedback. Is it really that bad? Unfortunately, I don't have the technical expertise/experience to apply for any of these jobs, I'm fresh out of school. That's another reason I was considering the service - technical training/clearance/experience.

 

[Flash]

...It just seems the enlisted route offers a bit more leverage when it comes to selecting a job like IS. However, i'm open to being corrected on this.

Leverage really isn't something you have when enlisted. You can enlist on a contract for a certain rate but I doubt you can specify the specialty within the rating and you would likely be stuck doing whatever random job as an ISSN they assign you to.

You are way overqualified to be enlisting, there are certainly plenty of enlisted with grad degrees but they are small minority and often more senior NCO's who have gotten degrees during their military careers. I knew a handful of folks that had enlisted with grad degrees and they were either tricked into enlisting with fantastic promises or had done so for specific reasons, often not logical ones but at least they had one.

As for entry-level civilian intel jobs, you gotta to start out somewhere. You will likely be much happier as a GS-9 at a civilian intel agency sitting in a cubilcle farm learning your trade than as an ISSN on USS Boat cleaning out the intel spaces at 0400 in between trying to unjam the copier and reformatting the latest powerpoint presentation that the LT screwed up.

 

[Cane11]

haha fair enough. I'm assuming the chances of getting a non-rated slot in OCS are slime to none this year? I know I know, if I don't apply, I wont find out.

 

[Flash]

haha fair enough. I'm assuming the chances of getting a non-rated slot in OCS are slime to none this year? I know I know, if I don't apply, I wont find out.

I'll defer to the recruiters on that, Intel prefers technical degrees now but your grades to my amateur eye look decent enough. At this point I would contact an officer recruiter and go from there, at least if no OCS slots are there this year then the next one is around the corner.

 

[Uncle Fester]

Something to consider as well, since you're young and healthy enough: go to OCS and go into an unrestricted line designator (i.e., aviation, surface, subs, etc). After you've done that for a few years, there are plenty of opportunities to lateral into the IC, either in uniform or as a civvie. In my experience having operational experience is valued by the intel community, in many ways more so than someone who's an intel generalist and never worked outside a cube farm. Or you may find you like driving boats or airplanes better...you wouldn't be the first guy to come in to the Navy as a way to pay the bills and wind up as an Admiral. Or there's Foreign Area Officer, which sounds like it'd be up your professional alley.

Point is, go into the world and earn a warfare pin and some operational expertise, while you're young and have fully functional knees and eyes. You'll never be too old to be an intel weenie.

 

[Cane11]

hahah fair enough, I do have 30 or so hours flying a single engine Cessna under instruction....It was honestly just too slow/boring for me to enjoy. I'll definitely reach out to an officer recruiter. Thanks all.

 

[FormerRecruitingGuru]

Like everyone said reach out to an OR. There are so many factors you haven't mention and or shouldn't mention here (personal, medical, legal, etc) that should be address and brought up with your OR. From there they'll set up a game plan to include what programs you should pursue.

 

[exNavyOffRec]

Hello all, I've been reading through the various posts about OTS/Enlisted-Intel rating and I figured I'd post to see if someone would be willing to offer me some advice on intel.

Quick Bio:

Undergrad: University of Miami, B.A. - Poly Sci & Religious Studies (gpa – 3.3).

Post-Grad: University College Cork (Ireland), M.A. - International Relations (gpa - 3.6). Thesis: The implications of Pan-Islamism for the U.S. & Saudi alliance.

Work Experience Staff - (2012) Presidential & (2010) Congressional campaigns. Chairman - Local municipal volunteer board (5 years). Manager – University of Miami. Intern – Political consulting firm & Local Mayor.

Age – 25 Health – Physically fit. Waivers – One needed for a blood clotting disorder (factor V Leiden). I’ve never had a blood clot, so I’m not too concerned about getting a waiver for this.
Criminal History – Clean, outside of 1 speeding ticket (I was 16).
MJ Usage - A handful of times, not habitual.



So, I am highly interested in geospatial intelligence (and the other intell fields, too). It seems, from my research thus far, that if I was to go the enlisted route, I could wait for an intel spot to open up. Whereas, I'd have less leverage in job selection the officer route, thus potentially leading to a position outside of my long-term career goals. Is this accurate?

Thanks for reading!

first you need to see a recruiter and get a MEPS physical, just because you have not had an issue does not mean it isn't an issue, many items all you have to have is a diagnosis and that can be disqualifying, in your case a simple search on the MEDMAN says "any current or history of coagulation defects to include but not limited to .............. is disqualifying" that leads me to believe that medical will shut you down, but the only way to find out for sure is to have a recruiter submit documents.

IF you get passed the medical hurdle then your next hurdle is what you want to go for, very tough and you have nothing that really makes you stand out compared to all the others we have seen apply for Intel, this doesn't mean for other designators you wouldn't be a top candidate.

 

[Renegade One]

haha fair enough. ..

hahah fair enough...

As you reach out to your local OR, quit saying this ^^^