Posted by Mark Bossi (M.A. Bossi, Esquire) from Toronto Ontario Canada on July 05, 2021 at 10:36:45:
In Reply to: Canadian Militia Reserves posted by Brendan Derry on July 04, 2021 at 23:14:59:
First off, if you're considering RMC and the military as a career, you might want to consider a "test drive" - after all, if you were buying a car you wouldn't spend your life savings solely based on reading some brochures, right?
Once upon a time, I worked in recruiting - it was always a heartache to watch young people who gave up their civilian careers/education to join the military, only to discover that they didn't like it as much as they thought they would. Not only did they have to endure their own personal disappointment/sorrow, but then they had to return home to their friends and family and explain that it was not what they expected/too hard/they weren't tough enough/whatever.
For anybody thinking of going to RMC, it would really be frustrating if you ended up leaving in the middle of an academic year - you might not be able to get into another university right away, and could even end up "wasting" an entire academic year.
Thus, it's not the worst idea in the world to "try your career on for size" before making the leap.
Furthermore, before becoming an officer, it wouldn't hurt to be a soldier for a while - it will help you understand what it's like to be a soldier, which will pay dividends later on when you are an officer commanding troops (sort of like starting out at the beginning of the "corporate ladder"). I've known many good officers over the years who attribute their success partially to their experiences in the reserves, or in the ranks.
And, who knows? You might even decide that you like the concept of being a "citizen soldier" - it's not the worst part-time job in the world, and can pay off in the most unusual circumstances in your future (I've heard of lots of examples where somebody applied for a job, and were hired because of their military experience).
Finally, if you don't like it, you've avoided a considerable amount of turmoil in your life.
"Time spent in recce is seldom wasted."
P.S. (if you're not already in good physical fitness, you'd better start working on it NOW)