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I'm considering conversion of my MOS to 79 R. I'm currently a year out from leaving recruiting. What are some pros cons or general good things to consider when thinking about this.
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Recruiting
Career Advice
Recruiting Career Advice
Posted 12 y ago
Responses: 12
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<p>SGT A, I have a lot of things that we could talk about, too much for on here. But here are a few to think about.</p><p>1. Do you like what your doing, recruiting?</p><p>2. Do you feel you have the skills to move to others places, adapt and still make mission?</p><p>3. Are you ready to take on a huge leadership challenge, I mean if you do convert you will pin on SSG because the cut off scores are low, but what about like me when I converted, I was a Seasoned SSG, took over a Large Station (center), with 7 SFC's working for me. That being said, can you hold your ground, get the mission accomplished, not allow them to run over you and not be disrespectful to them?</p><p>4. Have you been exposed to being a Center Commander, the paperwork, the meetings, the pressure of the mission? Remember when you convert, you most likely will put on 2 hats, Center Commander (small) and On production recruiter, plus teacher, coach and mentor to the other recruiters.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Feel free to ask anything you like I will answer, but I could go on and on.</p>
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SGT (Join to see)
Very good points, I have considered all of the above since my decision to stay has came up.
Yes i like recruiting (for the most part)
I do feel like i have the skills and know how to motivate others to accomplish the mission. When I started Recruiting, I was under legacy and I had to transition to SUR with 3 Stations converting to a Center. That being said we overcame a lot of obstacles and dealt with some challenging situations.
Being able to step up and be the Center commander of over 7-15 NCO's , I feel that will be something that I will have to prepare for. I know that I will have to deal with detailed recruiters that A. Dont want to be on recruiting or B. will try to run over me.
No i have never been Center Commander But As we were transitioning to a mega center, I had to be Future Soldier Leader (60 FS's) and RST member at the same time. It was a challenge but it taught me a lot about both aspects of recruiting. Now I am on the engagement team and have mastered all three under SUR. Thanks for your response. It is not a choice I am making lightly.
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MSG Tim Waychoff
If you haven't been brought into any of the market analysis part of it yet, you should ask your 79R (I guess they are Center Commanders now, not Station Commanders) boss about that. There is the Art of Recruiting - which you are already schooled up on, and the Science of Recruiting - which is what I'm talking about. Personally, I enjoyed the Art and loved the Science of it. Quite fascinating on many regards. That will help you learn more about the day to day life of a 79R also.
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ALWAYS consider Career progression when considering something like this. Is this going to be a Career " Blackhole" of sorts where you get stuck at a certain rank? Whatever choice you make, OWN it and be proud of it! Good Luck!
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SGT (Join to see)
Yes that is one of my main concerns. I can get promoted in my current MOS with more reward and less stress quite frankly. 79R world will promote quick but i will be stuck as a SFC and not have many options for assignments or progression. Whatever choice I make I will put my 110% into. Thanks for your response.
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MSG Tim Waychoff
Just going to chime in again, based on something that SGT Ayala mentioned in this thread of responses: You actually would have a great many options for assignments and some decent options for progression.
Consider that USAREC is EVERYWHERE in the USA. That really is a LOT of options. Progression wise, there is a lot of progression available but there is a lot of competition for those BN/BDE Master Trainer/Instructor/1SG positions. So the opportunity IS there for progression but that's once you prove that you can perform as a 79R E7, and get selected for E8 in all likelihood.
Consider that USAREC is EVERYWHERE in the USA. That really is a LOT of options. Progression wise, there is a lot of progression available but there is a lot of competition for those BN/BDE Master Trainer/Instructor/1SG positions. So the opportunity IS there for progression but that's once you prove that you can perform as a 79R E7, and get selected for E8 in all likelihood.
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Do you enjoy recruiting and near-automatic promotions to SFC?<br><br>If you like what you're doing and see how your superiors like their jobs (for the most part) and you're in an MOS that quickly promotes its Soldiers, why not stay?
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SGT (Join to see)
I do enjoy recruiting for the most part. Of course it has its days where it can be challenging but what doesn't. The most disconcerting thing is that my superiors don't like their job. I am weighing the pros and cons in my own way of course. Thanks for your advice.
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SFC Gannon covered a lot of what I was going to get into, but I will add this...<div><br></div><div>I left USAREC in 2009. A lot of things were changing for the better or they seemed to be, anyway. I weighed the conversion option very heavily because I really enjoyed the job. The conversion will give you a different job to some extent as SFC Gannon pointed out. For me, the life I had as a detailed recruiter serving as a team leader/small station commander gave me a lot of insight into the day to day lives of the 79Rs and ultimately, I didn't want their day to day lives. I had it great, SC perks without the extra pressures of the Chain of Command, because they wanted me to convert. As a result of that, I received some pretty decent treatment. </div><div><br></div><div>I got to lead and train some very excellent recruiters, and we really got rolling as I was getting ready to leave. They were incredibly successful from that point in, and I'm proud to this day of what we accomplished, and remain very good friends with them.</div><div><br></div><div>The key is to figure out the life of a 79R and decide if that is right for you and your family (if that applies).</div><div><br></div><div>Ultimately, it is your choice, and had I been able to not leave the Chicago BN ever, I probably would have converted but PCSing is part of that life.</div><div><br></div><div>Feel free to ask any questions, and best of luck.</div>
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SFC Rocky Gannon
MSG W good points and your right it is and can be the best times of your career. You get to help a lot of youngmen and women make life changes. I enjoyed it, and taking the good with the bad, long hours, early morning, late conference call, ect I really loved the job. As anyone wearing the pressure plate over there heart when you work your work SUPER hard, and when we played we played even harder.
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SGT (Join to see)
Having a hard roadblock apply to be a recruiter. Had aisjudged doc at behavioral heatlh cpl years back wrote i have to many colorful tattoos that suggest ant social and gang affiliation. need advice on how to get a second opinion because it is the only thing stopping me from submitting it
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SGT (Join to see)
Having a hard roadblock apply to be a recruiter. Had aisjudged doc at behavioral heatlh cpl years back wrote i have to many colorful tattoos that suggest ant social and gang affiliation. need advice on how to get a second opinion because it is the only thing stopping me from submitting it
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SGT (Join to see)
Having a hard roadblock apply to be a recruiter. Had aisjudged doc at behavioral heatlh cpl years back wrote i have to many colorful tattoos that suggest ant social and gang affiliation. need advice on how to get a second opinion because it is the only thing stopping me from submitting it
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I have converted. I was already a Staff Sergeant when I converted. You have to convert for the right reasons. If rank is your only purpose for recruiting then I wouldn't do it. Also when you convert what you do on a daily basis changes pretty drastically. Just like SFC Gannon stated meetings analizing reports and other 79R tasks are being done. Another issue is it is very hard to be a good leader as a 79R. I currently have 2 SFC's that work for me. You have to conduct yourself in such a way that they want to make the mission for you. Feel free to message me any questions you have.
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SFC Rocky Gannon
SSG Wiley, your correct, I had a station of SFC's and day one I locked the door, pulled the shades and said look, we are in a failing station, none of us want to fail, let make mission and I will take care of you. I listened to them and they were tired of the other station commanders telling them well make your 100 phone calls and go home, just to be told ohh no you only made 1 apt today, get back on the phone. I stood behind everything I told them I would do to make us better and damn it they rose to the top carrying me on their shoulders. You can be a E1 or O10 and be a leader, you just have to show people that you care. Which I did, they seen me and the 1SG on several phone calls and in person having a heated discussing and heard me tell him things that in a normal unit might have gotten me relieved, but I stood up for them, not me, and guess what we did it and never looked back.
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SFC (Join to see)
Like stated before, it has to be for the right reasons. All to often, I have witnessed decent Recruiters convert to 79R because they couldnt make points or because they didnt want to go back to the line, and it back fired on them. They were overcome with the reality of being a Center Commander is USAREC. Good Soldiers that convert, succeed most of the time.
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You already know the pros and cons of being a recruiter.
To be successful as a 79R is dependent upon the area you are assigned and the NCOs in your center. The Army teaches you to be successful in everything you do. I'm gathering that you are still a SGT due to points of your MOS and not due to competence or proficiency. If your command is asking you to convert then they recognize that you have the necessary skills to be a successful 79R.
The center I am assigned to is currently #1 in the brigade as of right now. Historically, the center was always mediocre but productive. The reason we became so successful is largely due to placement of personnel. Identify your NCOs' strengths and weaknesses and assign them accordingly. Also consider your MOS. With the drawdown and budget cuts, it's only a matter of time before you may be "forced" out. Reclassing to 79R will put that possibility to rest.
Progression wise, you will not be stuck as a SFC 79R unless you are a mediocre 79R. However, staying past 20 yrs is inadvisable if you are planning on working a second job. Making 1SG/MSG before 20 yrs will be more difficult Army wide thanks to the changes SMA Chandler plans to implement.
To be successful as a 79R is dependent upon the area you are assigned and the NCOs in your center. The Army teaches you to be successful in everything you do. I'm gathering that you are still a SGT due to points of your MOS and not due to competence or proficiency. If your command is asking you to convert then they recognize that you have the necessary skills to be a successful 79R.
The center I am assigned to is currently #1 in the brigade as of right now. Historically, the center was always mediocre but productive. The reason we became so successful is largely due to placement of personnel. Identify your NCOs' strengths and weaknesses and assign them accordingly. Also consider your MOS. With the drawdown and budget cuts, it's only a matter of time before you may be "forced" out. Reclassing to 79R will put that possibility to rest.
Progression wise, you will not be stuck as a SFC 79R unless you are a mediocre 79R. However, staying past 20 yrs is inadvisable if you are planning on working a second job. Making 1SG/MSG before 20 yrs will be more difficult Army wide thanks to the changes SMA Chandler plans to implement.
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Weight your options, don't get me wrong i think recruiting is a very easy job BUT recruiting is one thing and being ACC an CC is another type of beast. If you do , you better start doing the packet now cause it takes ALOT of months to get it trought
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If you want to be on production for the rest of your career then it may be a good idea. If your current MOS doesn't allow you to get promoted to SSG due to high cut-off scores and bottlenecking of the senior ranks, then too, it would be a good idea. I too am 1 year out from departing USAREC And I would not consider conversion even if there was a substantial bonus. Don't get me wrong, there are some benefits to remaining in USAREC but probably not enough. If you had 15 plus years of AFS then I would say yes but if you have less than 10 years in, it's a beck of a commitment. Also, if USAREC goes back to legacy recruiting -as is the rumor for quite some time now- you may not like it one bit.
Consider Career Counselor instead. That is what I am doing. Research it, you may like that opportunity better. NO BOX TO MAINTAIN A WEEKLY PLANNER. LOL! Hope this helps.
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SGT (Join to see)
That is also something i have been considering. I can get promoted to SSG and SFC in my current MOS...AND I love my MOS. I see the benefits of being a 79R but at the same time I know what i have in store for me as soon as i convert. As you know, Tampa has a very high tempo mission and I would be put under a ton of pressure even as a newly converted 79. It's kind of like walking the plank or going to the dark side. I will consider Career Counselor that is something to think about. Thanks for your response!
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