army careers talk at school

[crisgal]

i need someone's help!

My 16 year old has come home from school and there's been a guy in from the Army, who's proper turned his head!!

Despite never mentioning a career in the forces, he now says he would really like to join.
With the state of the world as it is nowadays, me and his dad are a bit concerned that he will be sent to iraq or somewhere (ok, it's me more than his dad!)

The army guy told him that if you don't want to go to the frontline you don't go! I can't see that being true!

He fancies doing engineering and i know it can be an excellent career.
I would really appreciate any advice from someone who has done it, or has a son or daughter who has recently joined up.

[mollykins]

i was jsut telling crisgal, what i know about the army, geez they asked a question and i gave some information.

[boxtops]

Don't Geez at us molly. You don't have to know everything. Nor do I, the ones I can't answer, I leave alone.

[craft1948]

My friend's son joined the army and after his training he opted to train as a nurse. The army paid for him to do his degree course, (so he has no student debts) and he is currently in Afghanistan. Whilst the field hospital work is both frenetic and in some cases dangerous, he is loving it, and when he does come out he will no doubt be snapped up in civvy street.

[Prudie]

Molly I'm sure we all admire your thirst for knowledge but the point here is that sometims you are not really in a position to advise on particlar subjects, similarly the other day when you were giving your advice on employment law.

[mollykins]

i don't know about everything, else i would answer every question posted on ab, i jsut reply to the posts that i at least know a little about.

[mollykins]

maybe i've looked into jobs and looked at what they include and what you're entitled to . . . .

[mollykins]

i know a little bit about quite a few subjects, my quiz team does quite well.

[ummmm]

Molly....will you ever learn?

[mollykins]

i'd finished. Cris, if that's what he wants to do, you can try and talk him out of it, but if he's got his heart set on it, it might be futile.

Plus i'm 16, so i know what his mind might be like, and i've had one of these talks.

The representaive probably only showed the good side to it aswell, don't forget that a corporal only get less than £20k, and then there's the discipline, hard, dangerous work and possiblities of gettign seriously injured or killed.

there finished.

[boxtops]

molly - there aren't many jobs where you are brilliantly trained by professionals for a trade or professional which you can still use as and when you leave the forces, and £20K is what a lot of people are earning these days. Get real.

[Prudie]

And what job will you be getting that starts at over £20 K ?
There I've finished.

[boxtops]

I'm finished until there is something sensible which will help cris, I apologise that we digressed so much.

[mollykins]

Non of the jobs i've looked at for marine biology (in my area and other places) are less than about £25/6 k as i remember it.

[wiggal]

boxtops, I really hope for once she does.

And I am not one to comment on this thread myself, but been interested in reading through the replies.

[craft1948]

Good luck when you are applying for one of the very few jobs going in marine biology molly.............and even more good luck to the job interviewers.