Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
First, I don't know if this is the right place to ask such question or not but I hope to get some feedback from you folks. I also notice that there several recruiters here who will definitely deliver extremely useful feedback and for my case I deeply hope that one of them will adopt it and make it happen.
I'm a skilled person, I hold BSs in medical physics, two master degrees one in scientific computing with major in mathematics and the other master is in physics. I earned these two masters in Europe. I also hold a PhD degree in Electrical Engineering from Australia. After that I worked as a postdoctoral researcher in south Korea and Japan. Now I moved to USA, a year ago, because I got hired by one of the top universities in the world here in the Bay Area. I'm still a foreigner but as you can tell I'm legally staying in this beautiful land.
So as strongly motivated, I went to one of our recruiter offices to join the force and that was the moment where I realised that I'm a retarded old man. I exceeded the cut-off age by two years, I'm now 37 years and they only can take me if I was 35 years old. I felt pretty sad that all of my qualifications didn't make sense to the recruiters but I must admit they were very kind and promise to pass my application to the medical officer to see if I can fit there.
It is now almost two weeks and I haven't heard from them again, I contact the recruiter and he hasn't heard too from them. So shall I give up and find a company or something or just go back to my country? This doesn't mean I'm confused but it sores that I failed to make it at this point, just because of my age (37 years old ???).
Ok, before you tell me your opinion let's put what I carry on the table:
1- As mentioned above, highly educated and specialised with a unique set of skills.
- BSs, Two masters, a PhD, and held two postdoctoral positions.
2- Legally staying in the country.
3- Hight: 5'11''. Weight: 184.5 lb
4- And here what makes me a bit different candidate (I think!): I'm a professional martial artist, I hold blue belt in free style martial art, black belt in judo, and black belt in Taekowndow. I even started a program to play judo for my country in the olympiad before I move to USA but got busy with the university work. I think that makes me very fit and can survive the worse training ever they have in military.
I know, putting such details makes it as a spam or someone messing around, but this is a very real story and I will appreciate if you will take it serious and let me know whether I shall give it up and just walk away or it worse keep trying while time is ticking?
Dear recruiters, I hope you are reading this too.
My special thanks to whoever will help!
* Please, if you think you can help me then please send me a message to exchange my contact with you and arrange something.
I thought the air force raised its age limit from 37 to 39.
Your martial arts skills don't mean anything.
Why anyone with your education would want to enlist is beyond me. Have you considered being an officer in your native country's armed forces.
I admit, my martial art skill doesn't mean anything. I'm mentioning that just to show that I'm physically well prepared even if I'm 37 years old, nothing else.
Yes, I wanted to join the army in my country when I was 19, my mother wanted me to be a medical doctor. Then things went differently after I left my country, I got driven by science. If you asked me, I think my contribution will be more pronounced now, no?
As a foreigner, I will ask you one question, how many persons in this planet would like to settle in this great place?? Should I exclude myself and deny the fact that I'm getting a great and brilliant opportunity, right now between my hands, to call this place home and to serve in its army?
>> "Why anyone with your education would want to enlist is beyond me"
There are qualified persons in the army ways beyond your imagination. I would like to be one of them and be a scientist army, whats wrong with that? Until this moment, the lead in technology is mostly by army research. Army in my mind is development, or that how's oriented to me. Being enlisted in the army is not for uneducated persons alone, it is for who have that courage to make a decision and be qualified, including highly educated. People are different.
Hope I didn't interpret your comment in wrong way, apologies if I did.
But as an enlisted person, you are not going to be a scientist and, as a foreigner, you are not going to be an officer. And you need to be an officer if you want to be a scientist in the armed forces. I applaud that someone of your age wants to enlist, but I don't think you understand that you will be doing mundane work for low pay and, by and large, your education and ability will be wasted doing work that any 18 year old high school graduate can do.
Military testing, research and development is almost exclusively done by highly educated and trained civilians -- not members of the armed forces.
I admit, my martial art skill doesn't mean anything. I'm mentioning that just to show that I'm physically well prepared even if I'm 37 years old, nothing else.
Yes, I wanted to join the army in my country when I was 19, my mother wanted me to be a medical doctor. Then things went differently after I left my country, I got driven by science. If you asked me, I think my contribution will be more pronounced now, no?
As a foreigner, I will ask you one question, how many persons in this planet would like to settle in this great place?? Should I exclude myself and deny the fact that I'm getting a great and brilliant opportunity, right now between my hands, to call this place home and to serve in its army?
>> "Why anyone with your education would want to enlist is beyond me"
There are qualified persons in the army ways beyond your imagination. I would like to be one of them and be a scientist army, whats wrong with that? Until this moment, the lead in technology is mostly by army research. Army in my mind is development, or that how's oriented to me. Being enlisted in the army is not for uneducated persons alone, it is for who have that courage to make a decision and be qualified, including highly educated. People are different.
Hope I didn't interpret your comment in wrong way, apologies if I did.
Have you thought about applying for a faculty position at one of the military academies? You wouldn't be in the military so to speak, rather a civilian employee. But it would give you some good experience, intro to military life (in a way) and perhaps valuable contacts. Plus its a good career opportunity in itself. And it would make far better use of your background than enlisting would.
Naval Reserves - The general age requirement for the Navy Reserve is that you must be between the ages of 18 and 39 and be able to have 20 years of total service by age 60. You must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. naturalized citizen or a legal permanent resident alien of the United States. Foreign nationals and aliens must legally immigrate first and then apply for and receive a permanent resident alien card, also known as a green card, prior to enlistment. Qualifications & Commitment : Never Served : Ways to Join: NavyReserve.com
Coast Guard Reserves - I was told Age 39 but could not find it. You might call them: Enlisted Careers
But as an enlisted person, you are not going to be a scientist and, as a foreigner, you are not going to be an officer. And you need to be an officer if you want to be a scientist in the armed forces. I applaud that someone of your age wants to enlist, but I don't think you understand that you will be doing mundane work for low pay and, by and large, your education and ability will be wasted doing work that any 18 year old high school graduate can do.
Military testing, research and development is almost exclusively done by highly educated and trained civilians -- not members of the armed forces.
Now this is a good feedback, I actually would like to know more details about life as an officer, will my education be of an importance or make an impact as I expect or it will be different? I appreciate what you wrote above and I hope if I can find someone to put me in the research direction.
I was just thinking to get recruited first and then after they see what skills I have they will put me in a suitable branch.
Have you thought about applying for a faculty position at one of the military academies? You wouldn't be in the military so to speak, rather a civilian employee. But it would give you some good experience, intro to military life (in a way) and perhaps valuable contacts. Plus its a good career opportunity in itself. And it would make far better use of your background than enlisting would.
Thanks for the details, I don't know about military academies! Will I find any if I search google for example?
I will try that now, but my fear that it is pretty slim to find an open position now!
Thanks for the details, I don't know about military academies! Will I find any if I search google for example?
I will try that now, but my fear that it is pretty slim to find an open position now!
There are 5 of them. Look at them all. Should you find something you like, apply , can't hurt. Yes, google.
Naval Reserves - The general age requirement for the Navy Reserve is that you must be between the ages of 18 and 39 and be able to have 20 years of total service by age 60. You must be a U.S. citizen, U.S. naturalized citizen or a legal permanent resident alien of the United States. Foreign nationals and aliens must legally immigrate first and then apply for and receive a permanent resident alien card, also known as a green card, prior to enlistment. Qualifications & Commitment : Never Served : Ways to Join: NavyReserve.com
Coast Guard Reserves - I was told Age 39 but could not find it. You might call them: Enlisted Careers
I think I should contact the "Air National Guard" then, and I hope they will put me in the right place. I checked the link above but I noticed that in order to be an officer I must be a U.S. citizen, is there any waiver for those who are legally staying in the country?
I hope so ...
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
