Choosing a job, then switching to nuke before basic?

[Arx0s]

My Navy recruiter got me interested in becoming a nuke on day one. I got a 98 on my asvab, and qualified outright, but still had to take the NAPT last week because I didn't go to a US high school. I scored a 75, so I qualified again. On the ride home, the recruiter told me that I could go to MEPS whenever I wanted, but if I go this month, I'd have to pick a different job, and switch to nuke once slots open up, next month I believe.

Would picking a job now, and switching to nuke once my packet gets completed, and slots open up, be a good idea? Or should I wait until next month, when more slots are available, and sign a nuke contract at MEPS? Would picking a different job get me on the waitlist sooner, and thus sign a nuke contract sooner? Granted, I wouldn't leave until October/November, so there's a lot of time for new slots to become available.

[Samabby]

Sign on the dotted line only for the job that you will do for the next 6 years.

[GLW]

Your recruiter wants you to be a nuke,....

But do you want to be a nuke, and if so, why?!?!?

[MMM]

Like Samabby said, don't sign unless you want to do that job for the next 4-6 years. While slots might open up, and you might be able to change from whatever you signed up for to nuke, neither are guarantees. The only guarantee is what is on the contract you sign.

[ChiefRocscooter]

As a guy who once was a recruiter for the Navy let me simply tell you sign for Nuke when nuke is open. PERIOD! You sign for anything else and nuke may never happen, if you qualify for nuke then you will sign as nuke anything else is bait and switch in my book. (first time I ever heard that someone qualified as nuke had to "wait" for a spot) So in a nut shell if you are not leaving until NOV anyway why sign now???  Tell your recruiter you to let you know when you can go to Meps to join as a Nuke and he will change his tune.  I just reread your post and saw the Not US high school thing, that sound like a waiver that the district Ed specialist will have to do for you (paper work and time) what if waiver get denied cause they do not like the school you wet to  (have seen it happen for home school kids who "qualified" for nuke) so now now waiver and your signed up for something you do not want??  I am assuming here that you are a US citizen??) cause if not no nuke! (why the non US school?)

Anyway my advice, and I only put about 60 people in the Nuke program in my 4 years as a recruiter, granted it was a few years back, wait until he says "Ok lets go sign up for nuke."  Personally I would call a recruiting station somewhere else and ask them if there is a "waiting" list for nuclear power program, cause that sound funny to me (not saying it is not true but I just think it sound odd, so what now Navy has so many people beating down the doors to be nukes we need a waiting list?...... RIGHT!)

Good Luck

[Arx0s]

Thank you for the replies everyone. Sounds like I definitely should only go to MEPS when I know I'll be able to sign up for nuke.

And ChiefRoc, it was an international school, which was the "issue". He said it wouldn't be a problem, and that it'd just take a few weeks to get the waiver back.

I agree, it seems odd that nuke would be filled up already... in April.

[spekkio]

Anyway my advice, and I only put about 60 people in the Nuke program in my 4 years as a recruiter, granted it was a few years back, wait until he says "Ok lets go sign up for nuke."  Personally I would call a recruiting station somewhere else and ask them if there is a "waiting" list for nuclear power program, cause that sound funny to me (not saying it is not true but I just think it sound odd, so what now Navy has so many people beating down the doors to be nukes we need a waiting list?...... RIGHT!)

I get why you are suspicious, but just as I was leaving the boat the average profile of the nub nukes showing up was a guy with an engineering, physics, or math bachelor's degree who couldn't find a job out of college because he didn't have the pre-requisite 5 years minimum experience.

[GLW]

I get why you are suspicious, but just as I was leaving the boat the average profile of the nub nukes showing up was a guy with an engineering, physics, or math bachelor's degree who couldn't find a job out of college because he didn't have the pre-requisite 5 years minimum experience.

1980, it's like deja vu, all over again,...

[leavingreality]

My Navy recruiter got me interested in becoming a nuke on day one. I got a 98 on my asvab, and qualified outright, but still had to take the NAPT last week because I didn't go to a US high school. I scored a 75, so I qualified again. On the ride home, the recruiter told me that I could go to MEPS whenever I wanted, but if I go this month, I'd have to pick a different job, and switch to nuke once slots open up, next month I believe.

Would picking a job now, and switching to nuke once my packet gets completed, and slots open up, be a good idea? Or should I wait until next month, when more slots are available, and sign a nuke contract at MEPS? Would picking a different job get me on the waitlist sooner, and thus sign a nuke contract sooner? Granted, I wouldn't leave until October/November, so there's a lot of time for new slots to become available.

I literally did the exact same thing and got nuclear. Remember the point system is weighted toward nukes for recruiters. They want you to be a nuke. Of course, there's still the chance you won't get it. There are worse things in life than not getting nuclear. I am assuming they still want you to sign up for something technical? It would likely still be challenging and with an electronics field highly marketable. He's just trying to pad his numbers. You're the one that's got to live with it, though.

[Navy Recruiter Nuke MM1]

It sounds like you smoked the scores for Nuke. It is true, your recruiter wants to get you that Nuke contract. He or she may be "sandbagging" your Nuke contract for next month when it benefits him more (when he is assigned a goal of attaining a Nuke contract).  Also, he may need to have your foreign education approved, but...

If you hold citizenship in any other country, you will not be a Nuke.

If that is the case, he should know this and he is not being honest with you.  If you are a US Citizen only, then either your nuke package needs to be approved by higher authority or he wants to contract you as a Nuke next month. It can't hurt you to wait until you can just sign for a nuclear contract.

[davidisokay]

I signed an undesignated FN contract before I got my NF contract. It's not a big deal. The recruiter wants you nuke, trust me. It just gets you in so when a contract opens up they can forward the opening to your recruiter and you can sign in his office instead of having to try to get all the way to MEPS and get a hotel etc... A lot of people I know didn't sign NF contracts originally because they don't come through as abundantly as other contracts and they go quickly on a national level. That being said if you feel more comfortable waiting, go for it. You'll find a lot that in the Navy you will have to make gut decisions and live and die by their consequences.

[spekkio]

The only thing a verbal promise is good for in the Navy is another story to tell your buddies about how you got screwed.

[HydroDave63]

I signed an undesignated FN contract before I got my NF contract. It's not a big deal. The recruiter wants you nuke, trust me. It just gets you in so when a contract opens up they can forward the opening to your recruiter and you can sign in his office instead of having to try to get all the way to MEPS and get a hotel etc... A lot of people I know didn't sign NF contracts originally because they don't come through as abundantly as other contracts and they go quickly on a national level. That being said if you feel more comfortable waiting, go for it. You'll find a lot that in the Navy you will have to make gut decisions and live and die by their consequences.

Fleet Needs more A Gang !!   

[spekkio]

I signed an undesignated FN contract before I got my NF contract. It's not a big deal. The recruiter wants you nuke, trust me.

Someone's a future recruiter I see.

[davidisokay]

Doubtful. I do know it's in your recruiter's and the Navy's financial interests to give you a NF job if you qualify.

[Starkist]

week because I didn't go to a US high school. I scored a 75, so I qualified again...

Forgive me, but this sounds vaguely like you aren't a natural citizen of the United States (if you are I apologize!), which means your clearance for nuclear field is somewhat skeptical, especially if you're from what they deem "high risk" areas. With THAT being said, you're foolish if you sign for ANYTHING other than what you want. You may qualify all day, but if you don't get a clearance, you don't get to be a nuke, period.

These guys telling you "ah just do it" aren't the ones filling your shoes. Thats a risk they were willing to make, and a foolhardy one at that. If you want nuke, you need to wait for nuke. You can hold out for a bit for the time to be right, and thats what the actually experienced persons of this board have alluded to a few times already.


Edit: ask yourself this... why would you sign up for another job when the one you want isn't available yet? The simple answer is padding. If you sign up as a non-nuke-whatever job, I have no doubts that your recruiter will attempt to you get into the NF.... but if he can't for one reason or the other... what happens then... "oh, well you're still signed up for THIS job" and his quota is filled.  I don't know if thats actually what happens, but that would make a lot of sense to me.

[spekkio]

Doubtful. I do know it's in your recruiter's and the Navy's financial interests to give you a NF job if you qualify.

Only if he can't make his nuke quota after you have signed the paperwork. If he's met it now, what makes you think he won't make it in the future? You're advising OP to gamble on the fact that not enough fresh nukes will walk through the door before he goes to boot camp.

[MMM]

It's been said, over and over, but it bears repeating. If you want to be a nuke, DON'T SIGN A CONTRACT FOR ANYTHING ELSE! Yes, your recruiter might be willing and able to help you switch you contract to nuke later, but once you sign, do you think he (or she) really cares? If you want a program, don't sign anything until you have that program in writing. Nothing else can be enforced, regardless of what you're told.