Seeking Advice
Good morning, I am just posting here because I am kind of new to here and been applying everywhere. Of course, since I have applied everywhere, I have gotten a lot of No's. Recently I applied to a Guard Base and they were super nice and even requested some additional documents regarding my military career, but then they invited me to visit and rush their squadron. I do plan on going but this is the first time a squadron has invited me to visit. Usually they just post the POC information for you to coordinate. Just wanted to know if this a good sign or if they send this to everyone. I just don't want to get my hopes up but also excited for the opportunity.
Just wanted to see if anyone else has experienced this and if they have, did yall get invited to an interview after or got selected. Thank you!
miguel-irizarry : First off, welcome to the BogiDope team! It's great to see new members getting into the mix and starting some valuable cross talk. Pumped to have you.
Nearest alligators first: Congrats on the rush invite! Honestly a huge step in the process and absolutely a milestone worth noting in your journey. Up front, every squadron hires differently but you must have checked enough boxes to warrant a second look; which is really good feedback on its own. Without knowing exactly which squadron you are talking about I do not know if the rush is a large step or small step. What I can say is that most national boards do not allow for all applicants to rush. Very generally, you can rush about the top 1/3rd of applicants. Either way, the invite is a positive sign.
Going back to the beginning of your post: Getting a lot of "thanks but no thanks" is a common story for many applicants. It is also a common story for a lot of folks who got hired. Bottom line: it's pretty common and should not deter you. At the end of the day, even a "no" provides some valuable feedback on yourself as a candidate.
To sum it up: Use the positive and negative feedback you receive from units to leverage your way to an optimized applicant package. Keep pushing and pressing yourself to get better, and we will be here to help when you need it! Congrats on the rush invite; let me know if you want to dive deeper.
Smack-Meier Thank you for the info! and I am excited to visit. I applied to the 188th Rescue squadron out of New Mexico for C-130s
To follow up about the no's, like you mentioned I have used the feedback to my advantage. Some squadrons have told me what I needed to fix to make my application better.
Thank you so much for the insight and the information as well. I am excited to see how the rush goes and hope for the best!
I agree with Smack. Getting a second look is definitely a good thing and not something that is just offered to all applicants. If you're interested in more information, our Pilot Pathway Course 4.3 is dedicated to Rushing a Squadron and there's a Webinar in the Video Vault that goes through what to expect and how to be successful when visiting a unit.
Other options: Coaching Office Hours on September 17th @ 8pm Eastern and our monthly Free Webinar on September 28th is "Breaking Down the Rush Event" if you want to ask some questions about your specific situation.
Keep up the good fight, always ask for feedback and ways to improve, and then put that feedback into motion to submit the most competitive feedback possible. Good luck!
Rushing is good! Take this time to not only network with the Unit, but also the other perspective candidates. You never know where that may lead you!
