Recruiting Specialists

Background

Attracting young people with the kinds of talent needed to succeed in today's military is a large task. Recruiting specialists explain service employment and training opportunities, pay and benefits, and service life. Recruiting specialists provide information about military careers to young people, parents, schools, and local communities. 

What They Do

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

• Counsel military personnel about career opportunities and benefits
• Describe military careers to groups of high school students
• Explain the purpose of the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) and test results to students and counselors
• Interview civilians interested in military careers
• Participate in local job fairs and career day programs
• Talk about the military to community groups

Physical Demands

No information available.

Special Requirements

No information available.

Helpful Attributes

Helpful school subjects include the social sciences, speech, psychology, and English. Helpful attributes include:

• Ability to speak before groups
• Ability to work independently
• Interest in working with youths

Helpful School Subjects

No information available.

Helpful Fields of Study

No information available.

Work Environment

Recruiting specialists work in local recruiting offices, on high school campuses and career centers, and in local communities. They may have to travel often.

Services offering this career:

• Air Force
• Army
• 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.

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

Job training consists of four to six weeks of classroom instruction.

Course content typically includes:

• Community relations practices
• Interviewing techniques
• Public speaking techniques
• Recruiting procedures

Further training occurs on the job and through advanced courses.

Civilian Counterparts

Civilian recruiting specialists work for businesses of all kinds searching for talented people to hire. Recruiters also work for colleges seeking to attract and enroll talented high school students.

Related Civilian Careers

• Human Resources Specialists
• Job Benefits and Analysis Specialists

Employment and Outlook

In peace time the services have about 8,000 recruiting specialists. In times of military action the number may be different, depending on the type of specialties required. Normally, personnel must be in the service for several years before they are eligible to become recruiters. Each year the services need new recruiters since some specialists spend only a few years in recruiting before returning to their primary career. Those who choose to make a career of recruiting may, in time, supervise one or more recruiting offices.