10 Secrets to Visiting a Recruiter

Recruiters are generally honest and trained professionals, but keep in mind they need you to sign up to meet their goals. Meeting a recruiter should be an informative, stress-free experience. Print these 10 secrets, take them with you, and make sure you're prepared for your interview.

1. Get it in writing. There is no such thing as a verbal promise. Guarantees such as MOS, bonuses, GI Bill, and duty station must be reflected in the enlistment contract.

2. Don't make emotional decisions. Never make the decision on your first or second visit. Take your time. Don't make a snap decision and don't let your emotions influence it.

3. Go with a buddy. Talking to a recruiter by yourself is a bad idea. Take a friend, your parents or someone else you trust. Remember they will try to recruit your buddy too.

4. Can I have the job I want? Most likely. Score well on the Armed Service Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) and you can get the job you want, assuming you meet any other specified criteria, such as physical or security requirements. Keep in mind, however, that certain jobs may not be available due to over manning. In that case, you may want to wait until there is an opening for the job you want. Depending on how important the choice of a particular branch is to you, consider the possibility that another service may be able to offer you the job you want. Practice and take the ASVAB. Consider retesting if you believe you can achieve a better score and qualify for the job you want. Make sure that any guarantees are in the enlistment contract.

5. Can I be stationed where I want? Military people move, but recruiters sometimes offer programs for qualified candidates to start at the base or in the region of their choice.

6. Can I get paid more? If you have special training or education, you could qualify to go in with higher rank and pay than others. Ask the recruiter, as these high-demand specialties change.

7. Can I choose when to start? The delayed entry program is often used to allow high school students to graduate, but it can be used for other reasons, such as training in the spring or fall to avoid extreme weather.

8. How long should I sign up for? The length of your commitment often determines the amount of benefits (like money for college) you'll receive. Make the recruiter spell these out for you. Remember the shortest term possible is generally two years but some job training requires a longer commitment. The service will give you plenty of opportunities to re-enlist, extend your term, or make it a career. Enlisting for two years also makes you eligible for re-enlistment bonuses later and lets you keep your options open down the line.

9. Correct the contract before signing. Typos and errors can cost you money, put you in the wrong job or send you to the wrong place. Get the contract perfect before you sign it. Don't let anyone tell you it can be corrected later.

10. Remember you're signing up to be a soldier, airman, Sailor, Marine or Coast Guardsman. It is important that you are candid and frank with your recruiter. Don't hesitate to ask questions. You should work to get the job you want, but understand that your role as a servicemember comes first. Don't sign up just to get money for college or a job. Be honest with yourself. Serving in the military is not like a regular job. You cannot just quit when the going gets tough. The military requires diligence, dedication and a commitment to teamwork. Remember, your actions could potentially cost or save lives.

Bonus Tip: The Buddy Deal. Services have programs where friends who sign up together can go through training together, be stationed together or even start with advanced rank and pay just because you sign up together.

I'm wondering if you can tell me, if a recruiter wanted to get out of that pressure cooker, how difficult would it be for a recruiter to ask to be reassigned to combat or whatever other field s/he was trained in prior to becoming a recruiter? Are recruiting assignments something that generally come at midpoint in a military career, and it would be like career suicide to try to get reassigned? And can you tell me, what happens to recruiters who chronically miss their quotas? I'm just trying to get a better idea what the circumstances are that might lead a recruiter to make the totally wrong decision to threaten or to be untruthful or non-forthcoming to potential recruits.