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THE CANADIAN
FORCES APPLICATION PROCESS
January 2004
CdnMilitary.ca
was honoured to have an official Canadian Forces
recruiter stop by our forums to answer questions on
the recruiting process and providing advice to
interested parties. That officer provided this guide
to the application process for joining Canada's
military.
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This post is
designed to provide some useful information that may
help you prior to and during the application process
and to clear up some misgivings that exist on other
posts on this board. I have been working in
recruiting for the past three years as a processing
supervisor (in case you were wondering).
There are basically three types of people who
apply for jobs with the CF.
1. There are some applicants who have very little
knowledge of the military and are looking at the CF
for employment. “I want to join the military”;
2. There are some that see a significant news event
or a movie which sparks an interest in a career in
the military. “I want to be a peacekeeper”; and
3. There are those that have always had an interest
in the military and for the most part already know
which trade or career path they want.
So when you are in the recruiting centre and the
recruiter starts talking about other trades, he is
not trying to convince you to go into a trade
because they need to fill a quota. What the
recruiter is doing is showing you all the trades
available that share similarities to the trades that
you are looking at. Numbers 1 and 2 above make up
the majority of people who are applying and it is
the recruiter’s job to provide information. THE
DECISION IS ALWAYS YOURS.
The Process
The aptitude test is an indicator to the military as
to which trades you are most suitable. There is no
pass or fail and the test is not designed to
challenge your intellectual abilities. There are
example questions on the recruiting website that
will give you an idea of what the test is like. TIP
– brush up on your math.
The medical exam is to ensure that you meet the
requirements of the trade to which you are applying.
The fitness test is designed to ensure that you meet
the entry requirements for the military. TIP –
practice pushups, sit-ups, and handgrip.
Just like any other job interview, the career
counselor will want to know why you want join the
forces. TIP – Do your homework! Learn about the
trade that you are applying for. Where you could be
posted to, what the working conditions are like,
etc.
The entire application process can take anywhere
from as little as 14 days to 2 years. It all depends
on circumstances surrounding each applicant file and
the career choice you are applying for.
Misconceptions
All information, direction, standards, open/closed
trades, and processing are directed by Canadian
Forces Recruiting Group Headquarters. This
information is passed to all recruiting centres
across Canada so if you try phoning different
centres in an attempt to get different information,
you are wasting your time and ours.
Trades open and close depending on how many members
release or retire in a given period. As this
information is cannot be determined in anticipation,
it is impossible to know when a trade will open or
how long it will be open for.
Someone tells you that if you join the military and
if you don’t like the trade that you’re in, you can
change trades (re-muster). Changing trades while in
the military is possible but it is not an easy
process and normally is only entertained once you
have at least 4 years in the military, the trade
that you want is open, and the trade that you are
currently in is willing to let you go.
If you have any general questions regarding the
recruiting process, I encourage you to talk your
local recruiter and/or post your questions here and
I may be able to answer them or find the answer for
you. “The only stupid question is the one that is
not asked!”
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