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What is a MARS officer...I NEED IT FOR MY INTERVIEW

navygravy

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Hello all,

I have my interview in a couple of days, and am finding it very difficult to research what it is exactly a MARS officer does. I am sure that the question will be posed in my interview, and I don't exactly want to just recite the little paragraph on the MARS info sheet I was given when I applied. Any information will help
 
Most people research what they are applying for before they actualy apply for it.

Good on you for taking the non-conformist approach.
 
BMackenzie said:
Hello all,

I have my interview in a couple of days, and am finding it very difficult to research what it is exactly a MARS officer does. I am sure that the question will be posed in my interview, and I don't exactly want to just recite the little paragraph on the MARS info sheet I was given when I applied. Any information will help

::)        :google:

http://www.forces.ca/html/maritimesurfaceandsubsurfaceofficer_reg_en.aspx
 
There are threads in the Navy boards about day-to-day life of MARS officers.  I can't seem to get the hyperlink button to work from my office, otherwise I would have linked it for you.  Go there and you should find what you are looking for.

 
He is posting in the Naval Trades Forum, but apparantly not reading any of them.  Not a good indicator. 
 
well for half of the posts, thanks for insulting rather than helping...for others that tried...seriously, thank you. FYI the search option on this site is not the greatest, and I have read most of the posts, however, I want to have a detailed understanding, someone who knows exactly what it is so I can IMPRESS the interviewer with my knowledge...I already know enough, I am a NCDT in the reserves now, however i am doing a ctransfer for ROTP, so I want to look as competitive as possible. AKA since I am a mere recruit right now, I dont know everything, and want to LEARN. I know everything on the Forces website about MARS, im just trying to take it that extra step....something half of the people who replied to this post obviously knows nothing about.
 
I want to have a detailed understanding, someone who knows exactly what it is so I can IMPRESS the interviewer with my knowledge.

So you want to impress someone, and we should fall all over ourselves so you don't have to do diddly except take credit......you will go far grasshopper.... ::)
 
BMackenzie said:
I am a NCDT in the reserves now,

Well NCDT, if you are at a NRD, dont you have your own naval officers to querry ?
 
GAP said:
So you want to impress someone, and we should fall all over ourselves so you don't have to do diddly except take credit......you will go far grasshopper.... ::)

Is knowledge not something learned from others?? is that not what i am trying to do??? seek the advice of experienced people who know something about the subject so I can make my own conclusions about it. I dont understand why people are so against helping on this website. I am asking for help so that I can better my knowledge on what EXACTLY a MARS officer is...I know the basics, I would like to know more....

 
CDN Aviator said:
Well NCDT, if you are at a NRD, dont you have your own naval officers to querry ?

Well, there is a long story here but to keep it short, the bottom line is that I was only enrolled in Jan, 2009. I applied to both ROTP and the RESERVES, but when my reserves application got accepted, they automatically stopped my ROTP file for some odd reason, even though it was the CFRC's recomendation to apply to both so that in case I did not get into ROTP, I would have something to fall back on.

So as you can tell, I really hardly know any MARS officers at my unit, on top of the fact that I am thrown in with the other recruits, and dont get a chance to get to know the MARS officers until after BOTC, so I don't know these people enough to just call them up and ask them their views....

why is it so hard to get help....
 
BMackenzie said:
Is knowledge not something learned from others?? is that not what i am trying to do??? seek the advice of experienced people who know something about the subject so I can make my own conclusions about it. I dont understand why people are so against helping on this website. I am asking for help so that I can better my knowledge on what EXACTLY a MARS officer is...I know the basics, I would like to know more....

And yet when people give you direction and points as to where to find your information, you crap all over them.  Sorry.  Lack of initiative on your part, is not a fault on our part.  You are a NRD and have officers whom you could have talked to face to face, yet you come on here wanting to be spoon fed your answers.

Just a hint:  You are going for an interview and may be asked about MARS.  I am sure that you already have more than enough knowledge of what the job entails; you don't need more.  You are over thinking the interview.  Relax.
 
BMackenzie said:
why is it so hard to get help....

You are running into resistance because, quite frankly, you could have done alot of it yourself. Initiative is something we look for after all.

It would do you wonders, regardless of any information that you get from this site, if you just talked to a MARS officer. You dont have to know them to ask them anything. A simple " excuse me sir, i have a few questions and was wondering if you have a few minutes to help me" would work.
 
I found two threads in this forum that have good info about MARS duties.

http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/threads/82013.0.html

http://forums.milnet.ca/forums/threads/80719.0.html

or may be your question is too general?

P.S.: I've started from ground zero about my knowledge on military, my English is not top level and everyone here have been open, honest and helpful to me. So I don't understand what are you talking about?
 
BMackenzie,

What unit are you at?  If I know any of the MARS officers there I will make a call and make the introductions if that is the issue.

We only eat our young - not the young of other occupations.  Any MARS officer would be happy to tell you about the job.

But hoist in the good advice - even if you don't see it as such - from the others here.  Your life as an officer in the MARS MOS will be difficult if you don't immediately hoist in the wisdom of others and then action it.  If you think the sarcasm and grilling you are getting from people here is bad - none of whom are actually MARS officers - then we (the MARS community) are going to have a field day with you once we own you.

Cheers,

MARS
 
BMackenzie,
Just relax man, getting grilled and taught a lesson everytime you try to inquire about something is not always how its going to be. Some people are just more apt to burn you first to ensure their experience and wealth of knowledge is forced onto you. Remember to just let it go, some people in this force just need to talk sometimes.

Send me your email and i'll give you some examples from the course handbooks.
They're looking for leadership, confidence, safety oriented, honest, responsible, etc.
decks
 
Sorry BMackenzie, I wanted to answer to your question earlier, I hope it is not too late.

My interview was last week for MARS officer. However, it was the interview at CFRC and not the last one at the reserve unit.

It was exactly as decko said, more about who you are than what you know.

Many questions about problem solving and leadership on situations taken from your life experience.

Be honest, don't try to impress, if you have to talk about some failures in your life, then make a point to explain what you learn from it.

My interviewer didn't expect me that I knew more on MARS officer than what you can found on the CF web sites, and from other civilian information sources (TV shows, papers,...). From there, you can answer questions related to MARS officer duties and you.

Many threads on interview that you can find on this forum were exactly like my interview.

Keep in mind that it was my perception of the interview, I am not a recruiter or an active member of the CF.

Hope it can helps you or any prospective candidate.

I have to add to this post: I give credit to the captain that interview me, he was polite, respectfull, professional, and patient as my English is still a work in progress.

Cheers
 
My understanding is that the interview at CFRC is the 'last one' and the one at the unit is before this no?

Antoine said:
My interview was last week for MARS officer. However, it was the interview at CFRC and not the last one at the reserve unit.
 
I've got only the interview at CFRC, but I'm applying for the reserve. From the forum thread link below, it seems that a final interview might be done at the unit.

http://forums.navy.ca/forums/threads/82013.15.html

Sorry for the confusion BMackenzie, if you were talking about MARS officer in the regular CF, then search for NOAB on this forum.

Cheers,
 
hmm interesting, back when I did it I had an interview with the unit recruiting officer, then CFRC then nothing else.  Maybe things have changed.  Of course each unit will do things differently, the commonality is that generally, if you've passed your CFRC interview, you've passed the major hurdle and you should be good to go.
 
That all sounds about right from my experience.  In my time at my current unit, I have seen the process go from: interview with the CO; no interview; and recently back to interview with the CO.

CFRC's response to my latest query about this was: while the Unit CO has no authority to decline enrolment based on the interview (only the CFRC determines who meets/does not meet enrolment standards) we must still conduct the interview (for officer applicants only) and this must be done before medical processing commences. It might be different at other locations, but that was the direction from CFRC Toronto. Not wanting to waste my CO's time having him conduct interviews if his recommendations have no bearing, I was assured that it would at least be looked at and considered with the rest of the file.

Our interviews are more or less for the applicant to meet the XO and CO and any other relevent players.  We discuss expectations, the training regime, what life is like around the Unit and, perhaps most importantly, the pay.  We have a copy of the Naval Reserve Course Schedule for the coming year (it lists start/end dates for every single course in the Naval Reserve from BMQ onward) and we can give the applicant a timeline for completion of training based on their availability over the upcoming 12-24 months.  I have been seeing more and more mature candidates apply, who already have well-paying civilian careers.  Some will have not yet fully considered the training timeline for MARS and the subsequent pay-cut they will receive compared to their civilian employment, either of which are show stoppers in some cases.

So, the interviews at my Unit basically allow the member to really get a feel for what is in store for them, and for the MARS candidates, a meeting with me will sometimes be the first time they have had a chance to speak with a MARS officer throughout the recruiting process.  It gives them a chance to ask whatever questions they have yet to receive answers to and it permits us to ask questions of the canddiate that may not have been asked before.  It is not an interview that someone either passes or fails.  If I ask "what do you know about MARS?" there is no right or wrong answer.  The answer given will help tailor my follow-on questions, again, with the intent to make sure the candidate is aware of what he or she is getting into.  I have had candidates who, during the interview, realize for the first time that perhaps MARS is not an ideal choice (maybe they can't get 4 months off each summer for the next three years) and we then discuss other occupations to determine the best fit for the individual.

Hope this helps.

MARS
 
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