How does striking for a job work?

davyinthenavy · 08-31-2012, 08:32 AM

I am in the same boat. I did well on the asvab and also going in as E3 but I am Airman. The Master Chief in my district told me that 6 months in they will put you up for the E4 exam at wich point you have to have a rateing. I am wanting to go AW so we will see how this all plays out. Best advise I have heard is to get that DAR put in to get your desired rateing before you ship.

FutureND · 08-31-2012, 09:26 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davyinthenavy

I am in the same boat. I did well on the asvab and also going in as E3 but I am Airman. The Master Chief in my district told me that 6 months in they will put you up for the E4 exam at wich point you have to have a rateing. I am wanting to go AW so we will see how this all plays out. Best advise I have heard is to get that DAR put in to get your desired rateing before you ship.

I feel that it is important to stress that after 6 months you MAY be able to take the exam for E4, and that for that you MUST have a job. It is very possible that 6 months comes and goes without you being able to take the exam and without you having a rating.

F/S-MARodriguez · 08-31-2012, 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by davyinthenavy

I am in the same boat. I did well on the asvab and also going in as E3 but I am Airman. The Master Chief in my district told me that 6 months in they will put you up for the E4 exam at wich point you have to have a rateing. I am wanting to go AW so we will see how this all plays out. Best advise I have heard is to get that DAR put in to get your desired rateing before you ship.

6 months in you are ELIGIBLE to take the test. You'll spend your first 3 months or so in training. The next 3 months you'll be getting your qualifications, learning the job, and all that good stuff.

That makes 6 months and you 1- don't have a job to test for and 2- haven't gone through an A-school. This means you won't be taking that test.

A more realistic timeframe to make 3rd Class Petty Officer for a PACT is about 1 year. I've heard people tell me some commands make you stay undesignated for 2 years before you're even allowed to request a rating.

It's a shame you couldn't pick your job but definitely go with a DAR request.

DonaldBrown · 08-31-2012, 10:11 AM

I'm going in as a seaman too and hope to be able to eventually get hm or ac. I scored well enough on my ASVAB to get both but neither were available.

SN-Harp · 08-31-2012, 01:20 PM

Thanks for the info.

kforbs126 · 08-31-2012, 02:07 PM

I'm pretty sure it's still a year before you can strike for a rate even if you are an E3. You will have to route a chit that the Captain has to approve for you to strike for a rate that you qualify for. Some don't even have to go to A school they'll just learn ojt. It seems a pattern on my ship that most undes go on to be BM's because it's the same job and advancement is decent.

jamjme · 09-02-2012, 02:05 PM

I think can explain the striking process a little more clearly since i have been a seaman now for about a year. Going in E-3, you will be eligible for the 3rd class exam 6 months from the time you go to RTC which would be the date you start your "time in rate" (rank). The issue with that lies in the fact that you have to get approved to take a certain test as a striker. You will meet with your command career counsellor and he/she will go over the rates you qualify for based on asvab score, clearance eligibility etc. This will be in something called FLEETRIDE. You will submit your top three choices of rates you qualify for at the end of the month. At the beginning of the next month, you will find out if you have been approved for the navy wide advancement exam for that rate or not. The situation that arose when i attempted this for the march exam, is that i was applying every month from december to march and kept getting denied for the rate i was putting in for (GM). This was due to the fact that i had not gotten a security clearance adjudication. The investigation was done, as it is for everyone joining the navy, but since i was a seaman and had no need for a clearance, i was never adjudicated one. The simple fix to that was just to speak to the security manager at my command and sign a few papers and as soon as i did that the very next month i got picked up for the advancement exam for that rate. So it is very possible to be a seaman for only 6-8 months. The alternative would be to pick up the rate without taking the test. To do that you have to be at your command for one year at which time you would have been up for two exams anyway. On the flip side however, you cant expect to just get to your command and start working for who you want to. As a seaman you will be working for Boatswains Mates which, to describe, would be a very, very long post so i will save that one for another time. Either way coming in undesignated has its moments where you hate your life but at the same time you get to sit back and take a look at the other rates before deciding on what you would like to do. Heck you may even love it and end up going BM, they have the most fun.

fongaza · 09-06-2012, 07:49 PM

Thanks for this information,is very helpful.i will like to ask a question.Am going in as SN (PACT) too but out of the list of ratings on the PACT sheet i strongly prefer PS and that is what i want.when can i actually get this.I already decided that that is what i want.so what will i do to have it.thank

08-31-2012, 08:32 AM	#1
davyinthenavy Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 32 Rep Power: 0	I am in the same boat. I did well on the asvab and also going in as E3 but I am Airman. The Master Chief in my district told me that 6 months in they will put you up for the E4 exam at wich point you have to have a rateing. I am wanting to go AW so we will see how this all plays out. Best advise I have heard is to get that DAR put in to get your desired rateing before you ship.

08-31-2012, 10:11 AM	#4
DonaldBrown Junior Member Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Ringgold, GA Posts: 41 Rep Power: 0	I'm going in as a seaman too and hope to be able to eventually get hm or ac. I scored well enough on my ASVAB to get both but neither were available.

08-31-2012, 01:20 PM	#5
SN-Harp Newbie Join Date: Aug 2012 Location: Palm Bay FL Posts: 8 Rep Power: 0	Thanks for the info.

08-31-2012, 02:07 PM	#6
kforbs126 Senior Member Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: San Diego, Ca Posts: 943 Rep Power: 0	I'm pretty sure it's still a year before you can strike for a rate even if you are an E3. You will have to route a chit that the Captain has to approve for you to strike for a rate that you qualify for. Some don't even have to go to A school they'll just learn ojt. It seems a pattern on my ship that most undes go on to be BM's because it's the same job and advancement is decent.

09-02-2012, 02:05 PM	#7
jamjme Newbie Join Date: May 2011 Posts: 10 Rep Power: 0	I think can explain the striking process a little more clearly since i have been a seaman now for about a year. Going in E-3, you will be eligible for the 3rd class exam 6 months from the time you go to RTC which would be the date you start your "time in rate" (rank). The issue with that lies in the fact that you have to get approved to take a certain test as a striker. You will meet with your command career counsellor and he/she will go over the rates you qualify for based on asvab score, clearance eligibility etc. This will be in something called FLEETRIDE. You will submit your top three choices of rates you qualify for at the end of the month. At the beginning of the next month, you will find out if you have been approved for the navy wide advancement exam for that rate or not. The situation that arose when i attempted this for the march exam, is that i was applying every month from december to march and kept getting denied for the rate i was putting in for (GM). This was due to the fact that i had not gotten a security clearance adjudication. The investigation was done, as it is for everyone joining the navy, but since i was a seaman and had no need for a clearance, i was never adjudicated one. The simple fix to that was just to speak to the security manager at my command and sign a few papers and as soon as i did that the very next month i got picked up for the advancement exam for that rate. So it is very possible to be a seaman for only 6-8 months. The alternative would be to pick up the rate without taking the test. To do that you have to be at your command for one year at which time you would have been up for two exams anyway. On the flip side however, you cant expect to just get to your command and start working for who you want to. As a seaman you will be working for Boatswains Mates which, to describe, would be a very, very long post so i will save that one for another time. Either way coming in undesignated has its moments where you hate your life but at the same time you get to sit back and take a look at the other rates before deciding on what you would like to do. Heck you may even love it and end up going BM, they have the most fun.

09-06-2012, 07:49 PM	#8
fongaza Newbie Join Date: Aug 2012 Posts: 2 Rep Power: 0	Thanks for this information,is very helpful.i will like to ask a question.Am going in as SN (PACT) too but out of the list of ratings on the PACT sheet i strongly prefer PS and that is what i want.when can i actually get this.I already decided that that is what i want.so what will i do to have it.thank