Recruiting Managers

Background

Each year, over 300,000 young men and women enlist in the military, making it the country's largest employer of youth. The services recruit young people with the kinds of talent needed to succeed in today's military. Recruiting managers plan and direct the activities of recruiting specialists who provide information to young people about military careers.

What They Do

Recruiting managers in the military perform some or all of the following duties:

• Direct staff in local recruiting offices who carry out programs to inform the public about military careers
• Plan programs to inform young people about military careers
• Prepare reports and brief commanders on recruiting goals and results
• Speak with local civic groups, schools, parents, and young people about military careers

Physical Demands

No information available.

Special Requirements

A four-year college degree is normally required to enter this career.

Helpful Attributes

Helpful attributes include:

• Ability to speak effectively to large and small groups of people
• Interest in working closely with people

Helpful School Subjects

No information available.

Helpful Fields of Study

Helpful fields of study include:

• Communications
• Personnel management
• Public relations

Work Environment

Recruiting managers usually work in offices.

Services offering this career:

• Air Force
• Coast Guard
• Marine Corps
• Navy

Hiring Practices

To serve in the military, a person must be at least 17; the maximum age for enlistment varies. To enlist, a person must pass a physical exam and an aptitude test. An enlistee must also meet military standards of discipline and be a US citizen or permanent resident alien.

This position is for officers.

Wages

The military is competitive with the civilian world when it comes to pay and benefits. All branches offer the same basic pay and benefits.

Pay depends mainly on rank or grade as well as length of service. Bonuses and the situation in which the person is serving (for example: flight duty, sea duty, hazardous duty) also affect pay. 

Cost-of-living increases usually occur every year, based on inflation. The military also pays allowances for food, clothing, and housing. All these factors combined are called Regular Military Compensation (RMC). They should all be considered when comparing military pay to civilian pay.

There are two main parts to RMC: basic pay and allowances. There are also additional incentives for special abilities, training, or hazardous duty.

Check out the RMC Calculator to calculate your RMC based on your inputs.

Training Provided

No initial job training is provided to officers in this career.

Civilian Counterparts

Civilian recruiting managers work for human resources or personnel departments for a variety of organizations in areas such as business, government, and the health care industry. Civilian recruiting managers develop staffing plans and manage efforts to hire people with the right skills for the work that needs to be performed. They may also work for search firms that specialize in finding employees for other companies.

Related Civilian Careers

• General and Operations Managers
• Human Resources Managers

Employment and Outlook

In peace time the services have about 300 recruiting managers. In times of military action the number may be different, depending on the type of specialties required. Normally, officers must be in the military for a few years before they are eligible to become recruiting managers. Each year the services need new recruiting managers since some officers enter the field of recruiting as a temporary position to gain experience in a management area before returning to their primary career. Officers remaining in recruiting may advance to senior management or command positions in this field.