Why is it that MOSQ for 35F and 35N is shorter than their AIT? Which MOS has a better civilian job outlook?

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 23:09:01 -0500

I am supposed to ETS this year but I am trying to stay in if I can reclass. My retention NCO told me that the accelerated course for 35f is 6 weeks and the one for 35n is 4 weeks. Since the AITs for these are actually relatively long, why is it that MOSQ is shorter? Also, which of these MOS had a better civilian job outlook?

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 10 at 2021 11:16 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 10 Jan 2021 23:16:43 -0500

I’ve never heard of an accelerated 35N course. I’ve only heard of 35F accelerated course for NG.

No bias here, but take 35F

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2021 2:27 AM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 02:27:57 -0500

The NG has accelerated courses for some MOS's that's why some schools are shorter. Sometimes that means a compressed time line sometimes that means they cover less content.

Your ARNG MOS isn't going to equate to a civilian career. Your 15 days of active duty a year doesn't add up to any real experience for several years. 35F is the largest 35 series MOS and there are thousands of them leaving AD every year. Your compressed training and zero experience will not make you competitive to those who are hiring, not even against the initial term Soldiers who have served just one enlistment.

If you want your MOS to translate to civilian employment you need experience. The best way to get experience is on active duty. Otherwise you should focus on your civilian education if you want to break into it on the RC side

Response by CSM Chuck Stafford made Jan 11 at 2021 10:07 AM

CSM Chuck Stafford — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 10:07:11 -0500

I'm biased towards favoring 35N -- truth in advertising (I've been doing this for 35+ years) -- that said, way back when I was in AIT, if one failed out of 98C (35N) school -- they could become a 96B (35F). A simple enough reason. Both are great opportunities - I've seen more mundane jobs with 35Fs, but there are adminitrivial jobs as a 35N also. Good Luck with your choice

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2021 2:02 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 14:02:36 -0500

Some time ago, big Army worked a plan to get prior svc (ie, MOS-Ts) qualified and returned to the force quicker. This plam included a reduction in school time as well as eliminating exposure to initial entry trainees, which historically had been a huge headache for the Army. So, now a MOS-T simply goes to an auxiliary site with a shortened training period to get these newly trained SMs to the force.
Hope this helps

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2021 3:01 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 15:01:10 -0500

I recommend 35F unless you want to work SIGINT at the NSA. 35F will open more doors, but you need years of experience to be competitive for entry level jobs. If you decide to go the 35F route, then I implore you to get onto Tour of Duty on the MOBCOP website and pursue analyst positions to (1) gain experience, (2) develop professional networks in the contractor and DoD Civilian worth, and (3) build your knowledge on the job to make up for the shorter AIT.

SFC Private RallyPoint Member already hit the key points on experience and competitive assignments, but another alternative is to take an entry level contractor job in Afghanistan if you can't get a Tour of Duty position.

Hope this helps.

-SFC Mullet

Response by SGT Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 11 at 2021 9:05 PM

SGT Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 11 Jan 2021 21:05:10 -0500

All Active MOS-T take the full 35F course at Fort Huachuca. Reserve/ Guard 35F have their own reclass course for prior service.

I’m a Reserve 35F. Our AIT alone holds no bearing on getting a job in the private sector. You pretty much need to have a decent bachelors degree and a few years of full time intelligence experience to get a job in the private sector.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Jan 12 at 2021 9:33 AM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 12 Jan 2021 09:33:56 -0500

For what it’s worth, I reclassified in the national guard to 35F and went through the accelerated/abbreviated course. My advice, don’t do it. The course at Huachuca is so much more extensive and you will be so far behind your peers, especially as an NCO reclass. Other than that, I agree with everyone else about experience, I thought the analyst route would be fine because all I wanted was the clearance. Even with my degree , that didn’t mean shit. You need deployments or go to as many schools and certifications in 35F stuff as you can. 35N is pretty sweet because it has a solid mission and your authority comes straight from the NSA, my personal opinion seems like they have way more technical skills and qualifications right off the bat , compared to 35F.

Response by SSG William Sizemore made Jun 5 at 2021 6:40 PM

SSG William Sizemore — Sat, 05 Jun 2021 18:40:45 -0400

Job outlook for 35F with few years of experience is not good. I had 8, even have a 4 year degree in Intelligence Operations Studies. If you don't want to be deployed as an unarmed contractor, you choices are further limited. Positions at the school are dwindling and the contract has a hard time keeping qualified personnel. I only earned $25 an hour to start, and I left to drive Uber (double the pay). My buddies in DC are somewhat happy but I can't do SCIFs anymore. I like.my 1freedom too much.