Posted on May 20, 2016
Why would USMC recruiters avoid a candidate?
Suspended Profile
240K
355
128
When I got out of the Guard in 2015, I immediately contacted the USMC. I wanted to join a disciplined environment, because I needed it (and still need it).
My first recruiter expressed interest and said I met all of the qualifications to join. I shook hands with him, then departed. I followed up with emails and phone calls. He was ignoring me.
A friend of a 'senior' USMC recruiter said he would help. This senior recruiter said that it was weird that a recruiter would fall off the face of the earth like that, and that he would help. 3 months later, after realizing he wasn't responding to calls/emails either, I lost patience and joined the Reserves.
Of course, THE DAY AFTER I signed for the Reserves, he calls me back.
What gives? What could possibly distract recruiters months at a time from actually recruiting? I ask because I'm thinking about inquire again in 2018.
Apologies if I sound like a nagging hag, it's been a chip on my shoulder for a while.
My first recruiter expressed interest and said I met all of the qualifications to join. I shook hands with him, then departed. I followed up with emails and phone calls. He was ignoring me.
A friend of a 'senior' USMC recruiter said he would help. This senior recruiter said that it was weird that a recruiter would fall off the face of the earth like that, and that he would help. 3 months later, after realizing he wasn't responding to calls/emails either, I lost patience and joined the Reserves.
Of course, THE DAY AFTER I signed for the Reserves, he calls me back.
What gives? What could possibly distract recruiters months at a time from actually recruiting? I ask because I'm thinking about inquire again in 2018.
Apologies if I sound like a nagging hag, it's been a chip on my shoulder for a while.
Posted in these groups: 
Recruiting
Marine Corps Reserve
Marine Corps Basic Training
Boot Camp
Marines
Recruiting Marine Corps Reserve Marine Corps Basic Training Boot Camp Marines
Posted >1 y ago
Responses: 66
I had a similar experience when I first enlisted except it was an Army recruiter. All the communication was on my end and I wasn't getting any responses, so I went to a Marine recruiter and signed my name on the dotted line. Sure as hell, that very next day the Army recruiter was calling me to see if I was still interested.
Suspended Profile
Probably for the better, I'm sure.
Cpl Justin Goolsby
I've got no regrets.
Sgt David Hesser
Cpl Justin Goolsby, in 1973 the Army did the same to me , then told me that I needed to reapply in 6 months but the recruiter who swam to be mad at the Army admin told me I would make a better Marine than a soilder anyway and he was right.
recruiters don't get credit for an enlistment until after you graduate from bootcamp.. Maybe he had strong feelings that you wouldn't make it..
Suspended Profile
That's interesting. There's no indication that I would fail Boot, clean record, decent shape (just suck at running), etc.
Bringing up an old email, he did ask if there was anything else on my record that would prevent me from enlisting that I had not disclosed. The answer is no, but it's a question that made me sweat a little.
Bringing up an old email, he did ask if there was anything else on my record that would prevent me from enlisting that I had not disclosed. The answer is no, but it's a question that made me sweat a little.
GySgt Steven Hedges
I just threw that out as A possibility. Did you know that Audie Murphy tried to join the Marines and they (the recruiters) rejected him, and look that the moxie, grit and backbone he had.. yeah, don't sweat the small stuff, if you are part of the big military machine that defends the US of A, pat yourself on the back and take pride in the part that you play..
CW4 (Join to see)
Must be a change in regulations since I was recruiting (2002-2004). It certainly looked better if your enlistees shipped to and returned from Initial Entry Training, but we were considered to have "made mission" the moment they swore in and signed their contract.
Sandbagging, Marine Recruiters just like all realize that we have to do a SPF from Guard to Marines, Moo5, and Moo6, FL 142, then when all that comes back build your packet, possible physical, and then enlist, this process for one contract will take possibly around a few weeks to a month, so they were probably trying to go for a clean packet
Suspended Profile
SSG (Join to see), sandbagging? Hah! Silly term but it makes perfect sense. They could at least whisper to the sandbag. I guess prospects are in the need-to-know.
SPC Corbin Sayi - Wouldn't let it bother you too much. That recruiter already had met mission. You were likely a number he didn't need. I guarantee you that it wasn't personal. Just bad timing for both of you.
I would've just gone to the office instead of waiting for a return call or email. It's a lot harder to ignore you when you're standing right there.
They may have been stringing you along for the next quota period. Possible, but I would think they would want to maintain rapport, and therefore should respond to you. More likely, the Marines consider you to be prior service. They have very limited slots for prior service applicants and they were waiting for a slot to open up. I would have been open with you about that, but some recruiters don't operate that way. Prior service candidates are also a pain to work with and, at least in the Army, aren't as valuable as non-prior service candidates.
Sandbagging, Marine Recruiters just like all realize that we have to do a SPF from Guard to Marines, Moo5, and Moo6, FL 142, then when all that comes back build your packet, possible physical, and then enlist, this process for one contract will take possibly around a feww weeks to a month, so they were probably trying to go for a clean packet
So one of the things that actually got me to join was my recruiter's brute honesty. He straight up told me, "Kyle, I work on a quota system. If you join now, I'm already stacked. But if you give me until next quarter, it'll help both of us out." I respected that, so I did. Great decision; I avoided Basic Training during the middle of summer in Texas, and he got a guaranteed contract before his next quota period.
Read This Next
Continue with Facebook 
Continue with Google