Turned down being an officer in RAF

[1979k1]

Hi there, is it true if you have got qualifications and you join as a trades man you stands a better chance of getting promoted faster than those without qualifications. And is the pay higher.

[GemmaLS]

I wouldn't imagine your promotion prospects are any different, as for pay I have no idea. Ring your local RAF careers office and they'll be able to give you a definite answer.

[Biggles1211]

Qualifications won't make much of a difference to your pay in a non-commissioned role - however, the skills, knowledge and learning experience that you gained from getting those qualifications 'should' provide you with a competative advantage. I say 'should' because promotion in the RAF depends on much more that just qualifications....and your success will mostly be determined by the depth of your personal qualities.

One area that qualifications will help with is with you initially joining. They should mean that, coupled with a good entry test mark, you get a wider choice of career option - allowing you to choose a trade that you will enjoy (an essential factor in achieving success!).

[tonylott]

Biggles is right on the money. Qualifications gained prior to application to join will be a pre-requisite for many trades. However, once you are in, they have little clout on your annual appraisal that, ultimately, gets you promoted. That said, if you continue to study once in the service, your committment to self improvement WILL be reflected as a positive point in your annual appraisal, thus making you a stronger candidate for promotion.

In addition, should you gain one of the "proffesional" qualifications recognised by the RAF (the list is long and may relate to trade) you may be eligible to jump up a band on your incremental pay scale. You can do this only twice in your career so application timing is important.