Hi everyone, I know I have posted a lot of questions, but I just want to have my ducks in a row. My recruiter asked me which job field I was into, and i advised him that I was looking into the medical field. He advised me that I probably would not be able to enlist under this rating, because there are so many women currently in this field. He pretty much told me if i was a man that i could probably get it. This is my number one choice. I am open to other fields and looking into a couple others, but my heart has always been in the medical field. Is what he told me true, and can anyone give me any advise as to how to be able to enlist with this rating.

Yes it is true. If you really want to enlist with HM then be open to the possibility of waiting 1-2 years or more or shipping yesterday.
You could always go EN or MM, that is just like a corpsman only you get to take care of the medical needs of the engines Seriously though admin and medical fields are very tough to get into for women. YOu are better off looking at non-traditional fields such as electronics, engineer, construction, or aviation.

Thank you William for the information. I was wondering if you possibly new of any other sites or sources that I could find more detailed information on the different jobs in the navy. I have been to Navy.com, but that only gives a breif description. Obviously I am going to have HM as my first choice, but I am wanting to do some research on the other fields for back up.

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Originally posted by Mnichole88:
Thank you William for the information. I was wondering if you possibly new of any other sites or sources that I could find more detailed information on the different jobs in the navy. I have been to Navy.com, but that only gives a breif description. Obviously I am going to have HM as my first choice, but I am wanting to do some research on the other fields for back up.

It is probably best that you don't look at these sites - they're out there and no one can stop you - because you may end up falling in love with a particular job, then find out that you don't qualify or it's not available. Focus on what you want from the Navy as a whole - whether it's traval, education, benefits - and let the classifier take it from there.

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Originally posted by Yggdrasil:
It is probably best that you don't look at these sites - they're out there and no one can stop you - because you may end up falling in love with a particular job, then find out that you don't qualify or it's not available. Focus on what you want from the Navy as a whole - whether it's traval, education, benefits - and let the classifier take it from there.

I will have to disagree here. We have been encouraging people to do as much research as they can and be the most informed as they can to make a decision. For far too long we have fielded like minded questions from people posting on here with such generalizations as "tell me about xxxx rating" etc. It is time people do the homework and research themselves and that means getting informed and using different sites.

Yes, someone could fall in love with a rating, but along with that homework, they would find out that they may not actually qualify. It is best for someone to get as much information as possible and when they do come on here they will have a better understanding of what they are asking and will pose a question to get the answers they want.

Not sure why someone would tell you not to do your research on different ratings. I may have my heart set on something but I also realize that it might not happen and if that is the case I'm familiar enough with others to know what I don't want to do.

Anyways- here is a site I've found quite helpful. Make sure to read all the fine print as some of the things such as manning status are out of date- and it says so.

NO unofficial outside links (.mil,.gov are ok). The website you linked to is EXTREMELY out of date, by the way.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: catherine0830,

There doesn't seem to be a really good site out there with information about navy ratings. Which is a shame because I think there is a big need for it. The about.com site Mandy gave you the link to is one of the better ones, but it's outdated. Disregard any info that site tells you about undermanned/overmanned and promotion trends, because chances are that it is off.

I have another site for you it's cnrc.navy.mil

It looks like the webpage I need to get to to give you the direct link to the specific page that has all the good info is down. But I'll check back in a little while and give you the link when it's up.

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Originally posted by DC2crabby:
Yes, someone could fall in love with a rating, but along with that homework, they would find out that they may not actually qualify. It is best for someone to get as much information as possible and when they do come on here they will have a better understanding of what they are asking and will pose a question to get the answers they want.

Okay, here's why I have to disagree - what you said in the last sentence is something that that every recruiter and classifier knows to not be the case. This is what we're trained out, and this is our experience.

Think about this: Little Johnny is 22, lives at home with mom and dad, and flips burgers at McDonald's full time. To this applicant, ANYTHING in the Navy should be better than what he's doing now. Operative word is "should." But Little Johnny goes on the internet and looks up all the ratings. He wants to be a CTR. Unfortunately, Little Johnny has maxed out three credit cards, and hasn't made a payment on any of them in six months. Oops, he can't be a CTR! But you know what? I can make him an AE, an HM, a CE - all kinds of ratings. Whether it's a career in the Navy, or taking the skill earned while in the Navy to the civilian sector, Little Johnny would be doing a helluva lot better than staying at McDonald's.

But unfortunately, Little Johnny is stuck on CTR. He came to MEPS with a closed mind. The classifier is trying to help him - show him other opportunities to improve his situation. But Little Johnny isn't hearing it. He doesn't want to hear anything unless it's CTR. He doesn't sign, and he goes back home to a life of flipping burgers and living with mom and dad at the age of 22.

Now, when Little Johnny goes to MEPS - doesn't "research" the ratings (which means that he's letting the classifier do his job), the classifier can show him the ratings that he is qualified for and are available. Out of those ratings, Little Johnny can pick one to fall in love with. And now Little Johnny is on to a better life.

Bottom line is this: you to go MEPS "job locked", the classifier can't help you.

Not everyone who looks to enlist is 22, clueless, and only job experience that of flipping burgers.

I don't see where the harm would be in getting a general idea of what is out there. Especially if you have worked for years in the civilian world and know what does and does not fit with you.

Yes it is the classifiers job, but I would think that if you tell them, "hey look, I know I scored well enough to go nuke or engineering or fill in the blank, but I really do not excel in nor enjoy those lines of work" that you are saying, I've got my heart set on blank and you can't talk me out of it.

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you to go MEPS "job locked", the classifier can't help you.

I'll agree with that.

But I do disagree that someone go blindly to MEPS and not have a clue as to what some of the ratings are and the jobs they entail.

I think that is where these discussion boards can help little Johnny types understand the process of enlisting. We have a bunch of experienced people on here who can put out some good information. The trouble is getting everyone who wants to enlist in the Navy on here, reading these posts and asking questions. If we could do that, William and Yggdrasil MAY be out of a job.

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Originally posted by mandybr:
Not everyone who looks to enlist is 22, Especially if you have worked for years in the civilian world and know what does and does not fit with you.

A majority of people people (especially women) who are against "engineering" ratings even after entering the work force have not even worked in engineering, but observed it from afar and they have their own ideas about what it is without ever doing it. It is a frankly uneducated opinion of the field and very closed-minded.

I wasn't interested in engineering, wanted to be a cook, was told I was too smart for that and went nuke. Figured it was a chance to learn something I may not have been comfortable with at the time, at no real cost to me (too many people in school waste tons of money switching degrees every few years). I learned a LOT about myself and the engineering world, and if nothing else emerged on the other side with experience in a field that is in high demand and a solid career to fall back on.

Those who go to the classifier thinking they want only one thing waste time and taxpayer money. The military is not there to constantly accomodate wants, especially if the want can not be met because of scores or background check. Too many people say, "oh, I want CTI", only to find out that the little DUI they got a few years back won't let them get the clearance required for it, or that they can't get the required exam scores, and then are no longer interested in the service. How much time and money is wasted with these people and how much better would it be if people realized that wants do not always equate to qualifications? How much better would it be if someone said, give me a job I am qualified to do?

Do I think some research should be done? Absolutely. Go there knowing as much as you can about everything. But, also don't close yourself off to everything but those top choices, as you may not meet the requirements. Go there with a completely open mind.

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Originally posted by mandybr:
Not everyone who looks to enlist is 22, clueless, and only job experience that of flipping burgers.

You're right. I've had people in their 30's, married with children, yet they, their spouse, and their children all live with the parents of one of the spouses... and their work experience was still something unskilled.

I would say that about half of the applicants are joining right out of high school. Now about that other half:

About 75% of them fit a profile similar to the one I described. I've been classifying for two years, and can count on my hands the number of applicants who have a skill whose gross income exceeds the amount necessary to meet or exceed the net pay of an E1 with BAH (about 32K/year). Out of those, NOT ONE could ever hope to still be doing that job four years from now, and make what they'd be making in the Navy four years from now as an E5.

For the most part, if you've already got a highly valuable skill and making good money (or are otherwise content with your life and what you're doing), you wouldn't be looking to join the Navy - unless you're joining for the sole purpose of "serving your country," in which case, the job would be unimportant to you.

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Originally posted by mandybr:
I don't see where the harm would be in getting a general idea of what is out there.

I agree. However, the recruiter is your source for that information. That's what he gets paid to do. That's why he makes the extra $450 a month. Put him to work!

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Originally posted by mandybr:
Especially if you have worked for years in the civilian world and know what does and does not fit with you.

Let's go back to the married 30 year old with children who has his family living with his parents or his wife's. This guy is in a pretty bad situation, and he has to do what's best for his family. Now, if I show this guy, say, Machinist's Mate, and it doesn't "fit with him", he still needs to look at why he's joining the Navy in the first place. Sometimes, we do things that we don't want to, because we know we have to. It's called "responsibility". Keep in mind, the Navy isn't just giving you a "job" - it's giving you a new way of life, security, it's taking care of you and your family. This is why someone in this person's position is looking at the Navy in the first place, and he needs to keep that in mind.

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Originally posted by mandybr:
Yes it is the classifiers job, but I would think that if you tell them, "hey look, I know I scored well enough to go nuke or engineering or fill in the blank, but I really do not excel in nor enjoy those lines of work" that you are saying, I've got my heart set on blank and you can't talk me out of it.

I'm aware, but at the same time, at least this person is only ruling out one or two jobs. It when some only wants this job or that job when it becomes a problem.

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Originally posted by Yggdrasil:
Okay, here's why I have to disagree - what you said in the last sentence is something that that every recruiter and classifier knows to not be the case. This is what we're trained out, and this is our experience.

Bottom line is this: you to go MEPS "job locked", the classifier can't help you.

I understand where you are coming from. My reason for disagreeing is you were telling the OP to stay away from other sites to prevent getting "job locked". Since your "vacation" we have fielded many like worded posts which are very vague like the "Tell me which rating to choose".

Point is we have seen way too many people coming on here basically expecting other posters to do the homework for them. That is the reason for the "Read before posting" thread at the top of the forums. We encourage people to do as much research on their own and to decide on what does interest them and be able to look at jobs that they may like to do. Along with that research there should be qualifications necessary and they should find that out. Many questions have been answered by using the FIND feature. We encourage people to do that before posting something so general that we really can't help.

Basically, when someone does their own homework, they know what their interests are and they can find a field or even ratings which they may like to do. If someone comes on and says they are interested in mechanics, there are many ratings falling into that from engineering to aviation. They can look at the jobs and get more information, it is then up to a recruiter to help them through the process.

I'm not for telling someone to get "job-locked". I'm telling people to do their homework before coming on here and asking such generalized questions. If they want better answers, they can ask more specific questions. It is up to the recruiter to find out their interests and help the person decide on a field they may want to go into. It is the recruiter to inform them of the qualifications necessary.

These forums are quite different than a person enlisting. There are many points of views provided and a number of different experiences. As such, people can get an idea of the Navy and can get questions answered. If there are questions, then make the question more specific if you want an answer, we can not read minds to know what someone really wants to know. That is why I tell people to get as much information as possible.

I'll try to help someone with their questions however, if they ask a vague question then there is no point answering it because there is much more we don't know. Nobody here is telling anyone of which rating to choose or even making it that they get "job locked". The more informed someone is though the better off they could choose a job which fits them if they are qualified for. An open mind is fine, but it does help to know what is offered before going to a recruiter.

In a sense, the recruiter is a salesman. Yet, if I was thinking about buying a car, I would go to the lot when it is closed, research the net, and find something that interests me, without having someone watching your moves. I'm more relaxed and narrow down my interests instead of looking at every vehicle. When I do go back and talk to a salesman, I'm more informed. It is up to the salesman to show me other options and what else I may be interested in. By doing my research I would have a better idea of what questions to ask and may actually end up going away in a vehicle I didn't intend to buy.

Being informed with an open mind, is better than going in without any information. In this analogy I may be happier with the choice the salesman helped me with, than what I researched, but I was informed to ask questions vs driving off and saying I got screwed over. Same thing here, the more informed about the Navy the better chance a person finds what they want, vs getting in and saying they were screwed over.