The Long Wait

[mrbill]

After working more than a decade in the manufacturing industry with a good strong company, it seemed apparent that the best way to satisfy the share holders was to build our product elsewhere. So, the company decided to lay off everyone and move the last of the production lines to Mexico.. Sure, it was unfortunate, but of course, it was for the good of the company. I picked up a job at Tim Hortons to tie me over until something else came along. And after a year, I got a job fabricating aircraft parts. Again, got a good job, well paying.. 6 months later, they sent my work to Mexico.. and I was back at Tim Hortons again...

Not wanting to go through this process a third time, I started thinking.. Where can I apply so I won't get laid off, get decent wages, and learn something new?? CAF seemed to make sense.. So, after lots of thought, I filled out my resume. That was back in July 2013. After a bunch of paperwork, and sending of different documents, I was contacted for my CFAT. Start of Oct. 2013.. breezed through that and was informed that I had a very high score, (wasn't given the actual score of course) qualified for all three trades that I was applying for. ACISS, Wep tech land, and Com. Eng. I then got my interview date and Medical for the end of Oct. 2013. At this point in time, I was having some credit issues and had to get copies of all my credit card statements, and write a letter indicating why I was in debt, and a detailed financial relief plan.  I had a well paying job that paid well enough to maintain a mortgage and raise a family of 5 on a single income. That went from good job, to no job in no time flat.. and min wage really didn't cut it, so yeah, I fell behind.. I did have a plan in place mind you that worked and plans for future debt reduction as well. I was told now that I could be starting BMQ by around April 2014.. I went home and waited.

New Year rolled around and I had a second interview set up for February 2014. This was to inform me that my financial relief plan was good and there was nothing holding me back from being merit listed. I could be off by April! Getting pretty excited now! Again.. I went home and waited... I got a call back from a previous job as an aerospace technician. They wanted me to go back, but being as excited as I was to be possibly leaving for BMQ in a few short weeks, I turned them down..

Mid April 2014, still no call.. I call the recruitment center for a status update and was told my file looks really good, just waiting on the background check.. Oh wow! That's great! I asked how long that might take.. "well, it could be anywhere from 2 weeks, to 2 years".. ?!?!?!?!... what!?!?! that was crazy! I was assured of course that it was a worst case scenario that it would take 2 years.. so I waited.. called back every month.. still waiting for background check.. It wasn't until June that I had one of my references tell me that they received a call. So now things were FINALLY showing progress again... I got a hold of a recruiter again in July and was told then that they couldn't tell me anything about the offer.. ?? umm... ok.. so there is an offer.. a week later, I got an email with my offer for ACISS.. and I very quickly replied with the acceptance letter signed.

So, after a full year of waiting, full year of working out and getting myself into shape to try to keep up with all the younger folks joining, I am finally getting sworn in this week, and will be heading to St. Jean at the end of the month for the start of the new chapter in my life. The kids are excited to be able to tell their friends about my new job. We are all nervous, and excited about this new adventure that is about to begin. Things will be tough in the beginning, we all know this, but the pay off will certainly be worth it. Big thanks goes out to all my friends and family that have been supportive in this decision, and especially to my wife and kids who have been amazing at helping me stay positive while waiting for the call.

 

[Gunshark]

Congrats on surviving the toughest test of all - the waiting. All the best in your career!

 

[mrbill]

Thanks so much I've been through hell the past few years since the first lay off. Almost lost my home and my marriage. Its about time things turned around. Looking forward to starting a new chapter in my life.

 

[Zulopol]

I am happy to you ! Congrats ! I hope you have a great careers ! Im feel lucky because my waiting time is like the half of yours.. 

 

[Nethercore]

I am really happy for you that this worked out so well.  The waiting game is hard to deal with.  I don't know if you've seen MY post but I was trying to get in to ACS NCM SEP and it didn't work out.

In fact I feel like my time and money have been completely wasted but that is for another rant for another day.  I have to say that I'm surprised your financial difficulties leading to the job issues didn't have them turn you away out right.  As this was what happened to me. . ."uneven employment" was the reason.  It is NOT a valid reason in my opinion (which counts for nothing in this context), and I have about 13 years of explaining I can expand on if even one of those recruiters would ask me.

It's obviously all said and done and I am, truly, happy for you.  Here I was thinking there is absolutely no hope for someone with employment record issues.  You have proved me wrong and it has made MY rejection feel less painful.

Good luck in your trade!

N.

 

[mrbill]

I believe they do those checks to see your ability to hold a job as well as show financial responsibility. My job loss was out of my hands (over 10 years with the same company, lay offs due to manufacturing costs), and the financial issue was a result of this. I did have a payment plan in place with the bank as well. I had to provide a lot of statements to show that I was adhering to the payment plan that I said I had of course.
I did see your story when you posted. It is very unfortunate. My opinion, if you have had a lot of jobs over the years that were lost as a result of cut backs, cost reduction etc, and not as a result of just quitting or getting fired over something, then I don't think you should be turned away. They waiting is excruciating, and anyone willing to put the effort into waiting so long, I think deserves a chance.

 

[DAA]

I am really happy for you that this worked out so well.  The waiting game is hard to deal with.  I don't know if you've seen MY post but I was trying to get in to ACS NCM SEP and it didn't work out.

In fact I feel like my time and money have been completely wasted but that is for another rant for another day.  I have to say that I'm surprised your financial difficulties leading to the job issues didn't have them turn you away out right.  As this was what happened to me. . ."uneven employment" was the reason.  It is NOT a valid reason in my opinion (which counts for nothing in this context), and I have about 13 years of explaining I can expand on if even one of those recruiters would ask me.

It's obviously all said and done and I am, truly, happy for you.  Here I was thinking there is absolutely no hope for someone with employment record issues.  You have proved me wrong and it has made MY rejection feel less painful.

Good luck in your trade!

Two things come to mind.  First off, ACS NCM SEP was not an available option this year, so you would have had to pick something else.  Second, "uneven employment" has no bearing on the initial recruiting process and I've never heard of that being used as a reason to turn someone away.  If it was, anyone recently graduating highschool who had never worked before or worked summers only, would be turned away also.

 

[chimo2u]

I agree with DAA, as ironically my son who is 18/ and just graduated HS in June with very little job experience besides the part time jobs/ summer jobs he held through highschool just got his offer for ACS TECH as a unskilled entry, NCM (BMQ starts Oct 20). The recruiting process for him was very smooth, and he was lucky in that from application to offer was only about 5 months. There is hope out there, and each situation is different. Don't lose hope!

 

[Bioroots]

They look at your finance to make sure that your are not an easy prey for organise crime or spy’s. :nod:

 

[mrbill]

and also keep in mind, you're not just competing with those that applied at your local recruitment center.. you're competing with everyone across Canada that applied for the same position.

 

[mrbill]

POST BMQ

3 months at CFLRS.. Can only be described as probably one of the best experiences of my life. It was tough at first, adjusting to a new environment, being away from home for extended period of time etc. It was a lot of fun though.. First half of the course was rough. Kit/change parade.. up and down the stairs in the green sector to the 4th floor, change into this, bring down that... outside doing pushups, squats, plank, leg raises, wall squats, more push ups and so on, and so on.. 5 people threw up, 1 smashed his head on the stairs and got a concussion, few VR'd.. it was in my opinion, a load of fun.. as hard as things like this got, none of it was really unexpected so I never let it get to me. The instructors were pretty hard on us when they could be. Yelling and just seeing how far they could push to get people to either toughen up, or get out. Not nearly as much PT as I was expecting, pushups were mostly done in my spare time. made a game out of it, so still managed to keep in shape lol..
Now, post BMQ. Got my first posting message a week before grad. Gagetown... ??? confused me when I saw that since my trades training will be done in Kingston. SQ I was expecting to be done in Meaford.. Oh well, figured I'd find out when I got there.. 13 hour bus ride later.. 6 of us on the bus. We all got in and reported to the commissionaires at the front desk. First few guys walked up, got their keys to their rooms. Then I reported.. "hmmm.. can't seem to find you.. are you sure you're suppose to be here?" ... what?? that was weird.. they dug around for a bit through boxes, checked their computer.. finally, managed to find my key in a different box. They explained some of the rules to us.. "No food aloud in your rooms, and no alcohol is permitted in your rooms.. oh, except for you"  and they pointed at me... "you can drink in your room".. well, lucky me! lol.. we all got back on the bus, and drove to the building we were assigned to.. well.. most of us... I was being sent off to a different building... as it turned out, the rest of the guys were in rooms being shared with 5-6 other people.. I however, lucked out and had a room to myself. And to top it off, only 20m away from the jr. ranks club. The next day, (saturday), the commissionaire that brought me to my room (and even carried in my bags) came to see me again to let me know where to report on Monday. "just check in with whoever is at the front desk in this building here" (he pointed at the map I was given)  "let them know you are just clearing in and they should be able to point you in the right direction" So, monday, I do what he says.. the guy at the desk "This is an engineering school. Why are you here?"  "I'm ACISS.. I was told to check in with you and you could tell me where to go.. "  I was then told to go to the next building over and check in with them. Maybe they would be able to help.. So, that I did. waiting almost 2 hours for someone to show up, then got directed to the clerks. It took 3 of them, 45 minutes to figure out why I was there lol... Turns out, I was actually posted there.. sort of... on PAT.. posted, but not really posted was how they explained it to me lol.. still doesn't make sense.. but anyway, finally found where I had to go. Reported to my unit, then was given a list of places to go to clear in. My CO says "I'm really busy right now, otherwise I'd give you a drive around to get cleared in. Will you be ok walking?"  Sure! Why not, can't be that bad.... well... 13km later, I return to my unit. "I'm cleared in now"  "Oh? you didn't have to clear in ALL those places.. . just these 3.. I was going to take care of the rest for you"  now he tells me.. oh well... So now, on PAT with a bunch of other ACISS folks.. first week there, boring.. unloaded a truck.. loaded up another.. that was it.. week 2, out in the field. Playing enemy force That was pretty fun.. Got to experience 3 seasons in one day... up at 10 am in the freezing rain, went up to  +10 degrees and rain.. pounding stakes into the ground around 20 trenches on a big range.. Then lugging targets out into the range through bog water, getting soaked.. got back to the camp by 6.. only to find the camp torn down.. moved to a new location closer to the range. Set up the mod tent in the pouring rain, in the mud.. not fun.. finally got out of my wet clothes by about 8pm. it felt nice to be in dry clothes again lol.. Then, woken up at 2am to go reset all the targets that were brought out.. they all got turned off from sitting so long... in the dark, back through the water... last pair of dry socks, boots still wet... dropped to -17... only out for 45min.. but enough for my feet to get soaked again.. back into bed. hung up my socks, thinking they would dry out in the tent.. would have, if the heater wasn't blowing cold air.. back up around 8am.. socks frozen.. soaking wet.. warmed them up in my sleeping bag.. so now they were warm, but still wet... lol.. back into frozen boots.. it was our last day there anyway, so I was looking forward to getting back... got to put dry socks on and warm up about 10pm.. it was great! LOL.. aside from getting wet, it would have been a great week in the field. Keeping those on the course up all night, attacking their trenches, throwing t-flashes.. it was pretty fun. And now, on holidays. 4 weeks off! its great! When I go back to work on the 6th, I will find out if I get on course for my SQ. I MIGHT be going to Aldershot on the 7th.. if not, then I will be heading out in Feb for that.. Then waiting for the call from Kingston.. Can't wait! Will be nice to be a little closer to home. Till then, just making do with what I have, and taking advantage of the time I do get to go home

 

[Moore]

POST BMQ

3 months at CFLRS.. Can only be described as probably one of the best experiences of my life. It was tough at first, adjusting to a new environment, being away from home for extended period of time etc. It was a lot of fun though.. First half of the course was rough. Kit/change parade.. up and down the stairs in the green sector to the 4th floor, change into this, bring down that... outside doing pushups, squats, plank, leg raises, wall squats, more push ups and so on, and so on.. 5 people threw up, 1 smashed his head on the stairs and got a concussion, few VR'd.. it was in my opinion, a load of fun.. as hard as things like this got, none of it was really unexpected so I never let it get to me. The instructors were pretty hard on us when they could be. Yelling and just seeing how far they could push to get people to either toughen up, or get out. Not nearly as much PT as I was expecting, pushups were mostly done in my spare time. made a game out of it, so still managed to keep in shape lol..
Now, post BMQ. Got my first posting message a week before grad. Gagetown... ??? confused me when I saw that since my trades training will be done in Kingston. SQ I was expecting to be done in Meaford.. Oh well, figured I'd find out when I got there.. 13 hour bus ride later.. 6 of us on the bus. We all got in and reported to the commissionaires at the front desk. First few guys walked up, got their keys to their rooms. Then I reported.. "hmmm.. can't seem to find you.. are you sure you're suppose to be here?" ... what?? that was weird.. they dug around for a bit through boxes, checked their computer.. finally, managed to find my key in a different box. They explained some of the rules to us.. "No food aloud in your rooms, and no alcohol is permitted in your rooms.. oh, except for you"  and they pointed at me... "you can drink in your room".. well, lucky me! lol.. we all got back on the bus, and drove to the building we were assigned to.. well.. most of us... I was being sent off to a different building... as it turned out, the rest of the guys were in rooms being shared with 5-6 other people.. I however, lucked out and had a room to myself. And to top it off, only 20m away from the jr. ranks club. The next day, (saturday), the commissionaire that brought me to my room (and even carried in my bags) came to see me again to let me know where to report on Monday. "just check in with whoever is at the front desk in this building here" (he pointed at the map I was given)  "let them know you are just clearing in and they should be able to point you in the right direction" So, monday, I do what he says.. the guy at the desk "This is an engineering school. Why are you here?"  "I'm ACISS.. I was told to check in with you and you could tell me where to go.. "  I was then told to go to the next building over and check in with them. Maybe they would be able to help.. So, that I did. waiting almost 2 hours for someone to show up, then got directed to the clerks. It took 3 of them, 45 minutes to figure out why I was there lol... Turns out, I was actually posted there.. sort of... on PAT.. posted, but not really posted was how they explained it to me lol.. still doesn't make sense.. but anyway, finally found where I had to go. Reported to my unit, then was given a list of places to go to clear in. My CO says "I'm really busy right now, otherwise I'd give you a drive around to get cleared in. Will you be ok walking?"  Sure! Why not, can't be that bad.... well... 13km later, I return to my unit. "I'm cleared in now"  "Oh? you didn't have to clear in ALL those places.. . just these 3.. I was going to take care of the rest for you"  now he tells me.. oh well... So now, on PAT with a bunch of other ACISS folks.. first week there, boring.. unloaded a truck.. loaded up another.. that was it.. week 2, out in the field. Playing enemy force That was pretty fun.. Got to experience 3 seasons in one day... up at 10 am in the freezing rain, went up to  +10 degrees and rain.. pounding stakes into the ground around 20 trenches on a big range.. Then lugging targets out into the range through bog water, getting soaked.. got back to the camp by 6.. only to find the camp torn down.. moved to a new location closer to the range. Set up the mod tent in the pouring rain, in the mud.. not fun.. finally got out of my wet clothes by about 8pm. it felt nice to be in dry clothes again lol.. Then, woken up at 2am to go reset all the targets that were brought out.. they all got turned off from sitting so long... in the dark, back through the water... last pair of dry socks, boots still wet... dropped to -17... only out for 45min.. but enough for my feet to get soaked again.. back into bed. hung up my socks, thinking they would dry out in the tent.. would have, if the heater wasn't blowing cold air.. back up around 8am.. socks frozen.. soaking wet.. warmed them up in my sleeping bag.. so now they were warm, but still wet... lol.. back into frozen boots.. it was our last day there anyway, so I was looking forward to getting back... got to put dry socks on and warm up about 10pm.. it was great! LOL.. aside from getting wet, it would have been a great week in the field. Keeping those on the course up all night, attacking their trenches, throwing t-flashes.. it was pretty fun. And now, on holidays. 4 weeks off! its great! When I go back to work on the 6th, I will find out if I get on course for my SQ. I MIGHT be going to Aldershot on the 7th.. if not, then I will be heading out in Feb for that.. Then waiting for the call from Kingston.. Can't wait! Will be nice to be a little closer to home. Till then, just making do with what I have, and taking advantage of the time I do get to go home

Crazy how no one knew what you were doing there! Hopefully you get into your SQ course on the 7th and enjoy your time at home.

 

[mrbill]

And things finally start to move forward.. on PAT Since grad here in Gagetown. Hasn't really been all that bad.. but now, I get to finally say goodbye to here and hello to there. There being Kingston. Just got pulled into the Sgt Maj office on friday and told that a week from Tuesday, I will be posted to Kingston, given a few days off to spend time with the family, then head to Meaford for my SQ. The, they are looking in to sending me back to Kingston a half day early so I can get to Kingston half a day late since my SQ ends on the same day that my DP1 begins! I really wasn't waiting that long for this, but its really nice to see things moving forward

 

[Ludoc]

And things finally start to move forward.. on PAT Since grad here in Gagetown. Hasn't really been all that bad.. but now, I get to finally say goodbye to here and hello to there. There being Kingston. Just got pulled into the Sgt Maj office on friday and told that a week from Tuesday, I will be posted to Kingston, given a few days off to spend time with the family, then head to Meaford for my SQ. The, they are looking in to sending me back to Kingston a half day early so I can get to Kingston half a day late since my SQ ends on the same day that my DP1 begins! I really wasn't waiting that long for this, but its really nice to see things moving forward

Have you finished an LSVW driver course? If not, I wouldn't get my hopes up about DP 1.0

 

[mrbill]

Just finished my BMQ land course in Meaford.. never thought I would get sunburn, windburn and frostbite all at the same time lol... now posted in Kingston awaiting my next course.. which may be starting in April latest course started the same day as my BMQ land course ended so they were unable to get me loaded on to that one.. oh well... back to waiting.. till then, 7:15 gym time, then "working" 9:30-3:00pm lol

 

[PuckChaser]

Just finished my BMQ land course in Meaford.. never thought I would get sunburn, windburn and frostbite all at the same time lol... now posted in Kingston awaiting my next course.. which may be starting in April latest course started the same day as my BMQ land course ended so they were unable to get me loaded on to that one.. oh well... back to waiting.. till then, 7:15 gym time, then "working" 9:30-3:00pm lol

They run approx 10 ACISS DP1.0 courses a year. You're also going to need LSVW Driver Wheeled as previously stated.

 

[mrbill]

Starting my ACISS DP1 on Apr. 10th   driver course is apparently now up to my new unit to take care of... I dunno.. crazy stuff lol

 

[mrbill]

ACISS DP 1.0 graduation this friday! Then posted off to Gagetown to my first actual unit. Pretty exciting Then it will be time to sell the house and move the fam.