I'm curious - What do you wish you had known/someone had told you at the beginning of your career?

COL Vincent Stoneking — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 23:01:21 -0400

Let's see if we can reduce the amount of mistakes people have to make for themselves....

The things that immediately come to mind for me:

1. Take advice, consider it, make a decision. Just because you asked for advice doesn't mean you need to follow it.

2. The proper response to a crappy assignment is to zip your lip and do it to the best of your ability.

3. "Just because you don't take an interest in politics, don't assume that politics don't take an interest in you."

Response by MAJ Bryan Zeski made Mar 24 at 2014 11:09 PM

MAJ Bryan Zeski — Mon, 24 Mar 2014 23:09:58 -0400

You can either be involved and have a say in your next assignment, or you can let HRC figure out what to do with you. Know when its time to move on, figure out where you want to go and what you want to do, find a place that needs you and do all the leg work to make it happen. HRC has a bunch of stuff to do and if you hand them your next assignment on a silver platter, they are probably going to just put the paperwork through and move on to the next guy.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Apr 1 at 2014 3:19 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 15:19:43 -0400

Go Airborne!!! It doesn't matter if you have 5 jumps or 50 jumps, as long as it says airborne on your ERB, the door is still open for you to get that slot. Not to mention once you get that slot, whose to say that slot gives you the opportunity to go to schools like Pathfinder or scuba diver or something

Be proactive in your assignments key. Once you know when your window opens, contact branch to see your list of options on where you want to go.

Response by CPT Jacob Swartout made Jun 18 at 2014 10:30 PM

CPT Jacob Swartout — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 22:30:44 -0400

Take the logistical route to gain experience in the line of work I want to do here after my command time.

Response by SSG Keith Evans made Jun 18 at 2014 11:14 PM

SSG Keith Evans — Wed, 18 Jun 2014 23:14:47 -0400

Off the top of my head, two things I wish I were told right off the bat, and I tell my new Soldiers who come to me out of AIT:

1) No one will care about your career more than you.

2) You will learn just as much (if not more) from terrible leaders as you will from great ones. Study them both very carefully.

Response by MAJ Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 19 at 2014 12:23 AM

MAJ Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 00:23:08 -0400

I wish someone had told me the Infantry had to walk everywhere while carrying heavy weights. If I had only researched...

What I wish I had known:

1. No one will know how many miles you ran to get that 300, but your knees and ankles will remind you daily once you hit 40.

2. Do not waste time crafting a "perfect" answer when "good enough" will suffice. Some information early is better than all information too late. Know when to provide "excellent" and when to provide "good enough". See item 1.

3. NCOs are magical creatures. Inform them early of your plans and involve them in the planning. They will make your plan better and appreciate being part of the process rather than a solution to YOUR process.

4. Mandatory training is quite often an oxymoron in one sense or another.

5. If I had known earlier on that hydration and PT belts could cure everything I would have had a much healthier childhood.

6. You cannot solve every problem, or work every solution in a given day. Know your limits. Write down your successes daily. Accept your limits, and organize your efforts for the next day.

7. No problem is so complex that it cannot be solved by a series of repetitive PowerPoint presentations.

8. You will never run a 40 meter dash in PTs as fast as you did in battle rattle under fire.

9. Just because YOU are an Infantryman who can shower in 30 seconds using half a bar of soap and sleep on concrete and subsist on a handful of power bars does NOT mean that your spouse will do so. Spouses have a different MOS and they outrank you.

10. Families get wise to "Family Fun Days" that attempt to integrate mandatory Soldier briefings. Pick one: Family fun day OR mandatory Soldier PowerPoint day. Never the twain shall meet.

Response by CPT Zachary Brooks made Jun 19 at 2014 8:53 AM

CPT Zachary Brooks — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 08:53:29 -0400

Enlist and serve in a reserve component while in college. I would be up four more years and would have gone into being a 2LT with a good deal more experience and knowledge. I think it would have helped my career greatly.

Response by Sgt Jon Johnson made Jun 19 at 2014 9:05 AM

Sgt Jon Johnson — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 09:05:36 -0400

1. What jobs really translate into civilian life and the work force. I believe many of us would have made different career choices.

Response by Capt Private RallyPoint Member made Jun 19 at 2014 10:17 AM

Capt Private RallyPoint Member — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 10:17:39 -0400

1) Your first four years might suck, but it will the most memorable 4 years.
2) Build your own leadership style, don't try to imitate others. Take what you like/dislike about a leader and let those points help mold your leadership style
3) Be yourself, don't try and be something you are not. Your service members will see right through that.
4) Being an enlisted fire team leader/squad leader is the best billet you can have. You are in charge but still able to kick in doors.

Response by SFC Stephen Carden made Jun 19 at 2014 10:41 AM

SFC Stephen Carden — Thu, 19 Jun 2014 10:41:08 -0400

Whether you want to be enlisted or officer, go to college first because it's hard as heck to get your degree while serving on active duty. If you don't want to go to college, then pick one job and stick with it. Even if you hate it, pretty soon you will be the guy who knows the most about the job simply because you have stuck with it long enough. Knowledge is power and the next thing you know you are the true SME with the rank and assignments to match. Decide where you want your career to end up BEFORE you have 12 years of active federal service. You can't do anything in the Army if you have more than 12 years AFS.

Response by SSG Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 11 at 2014 7:32 PM

SSG Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 19:32:35 -0400

Sir,

I definitely agree with your #3 but the top two for me is the same things I have been telling younger Soldiers.

1) Take full advantage of tuition assistance and go to school. Go to AMU and take advantage of the online apparatus since it does save a person time in attending classes.

2) Buy real estate as often as you can.

Response by MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca made Oct 11 at 2014 7:59 PM

MAJ Robert (Bob) Petrarca — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 19:59:10 -0400

1. Take more risks in every aspect of your career from assignments to schools, don't just stay in your comfort zone.

2. Playing the game means doing a lot of stuff you don't like to get what you want.

3. Being good at several things gets you more opportunities than being great at a few things.

Response by MSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 11 at 2014 8:31 PM

MSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 20:31:53 -0400

1. That you are the master of your career.
2. You can learn from everyone bad or good.
3. You can find a leader hiding in almost anyone.
4. Never underestimate the will of individuals.
5. Not everyone will have the same values as you feel are relevant.
6. Lead as you wish to be lead.

Response by SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 11 at 2014 9:00 PM

SGT(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 21:00:53 -0400

I wish I had gone active duty. I could retire in 2 years.

Response by TSgt Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 11 at 2014 9:06 PM

TSgt Private RallyPoint Member — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 21:06:33 -0400

1. It's ok to fail, it builds character and teaches you humiliaty
2. The only person/persons you can count on is yourself and of course your family
3. It's ok to admit you can't do something. Better to be honest than make a huge mistake that you will regret
4. Practice tact as much as you can
5. Sometimes calling the baby ugly isn't always the best approach
6. And my favorite, be ready to make chicken salad out of chicken shit, everyday. And with a smile. :-)

Response by 1LT William Clardy made Oct 11 at 2014 9:23 PM

1LT William Clardy — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 21:23:23 -0400

Actually, one of the best insights I ever got was shared by my Professor of Military Science before I dropped out of college and enlisted.

He said that there is no more democratic group in the world than an infantry platoon in combat. They don't obey your orders because they're afraid of being sent to LBJ (Long Binh Jail). Every time they climb out of their holes and attack, it's a vote of confidence on their belief that your orders are the right thing for them to do -- and each and every one of them is carrying a full load of 5.56mm vetos for any time they think you're telling them to do something wrong.

It's a truth that has caused more than one sergeant major to thunder and splutter at me about regulations and obedience of orders, but which I have always remembered as fundamental to true military leadership.

Response by SGT Alicia Brenneis made Oct 11 at 2014 9:22 PM

SGT Alicia Brenneis — Sat, 11 Oct 2014 21:22:20 -0400

I agree with what everyone else is saying and would just like to add.... MAKE COPIES OF EVERYTHING and get them to sign a DA 200. No one ever told me that half of the paperwork you do in the first two years will be lost. Leave forms, award orders, PMCS, Duty logs/rosters, counseling packet, SGLI, even my original contract for enlistment!

Response by SSG Ed Mikus made Oct 12 at 2014 7:01 AM

SSG Ed Mikus — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 07:01:26 -0400

I was given a lot of advice in the beginning that i wish i had followed, the one piece i was not given was to take charge of my life, make decisions and goals and act on them, it matters not if you complete your current goal, it matters that you progress in a direction that you choose.

Response by SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 12 at 2014 7:20 AM

SSG(P) Private RallyPoint Member — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 07:20:52 -0400

I wish someone would have told me that MEPs will try to fill jobs that the Army needs over what you requested and would like and enjoy doing. They are putting soldiers into jobs that they hate and wind up getting out as a result. Soldiers that could have one day made the Army a better place.

Response by CMSgt James Nolan made Oct 12 at 2014 10:31 AM

CMSgt James Nolan — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 10:31:28 -0400

1. Even though I have opinions on most everything, the Boss does not always want to hear my opinions. When wanted, they will be asked for. When they are asked for, be able to articulate the opinion.

2. At some point later on in life, finishing that degree would matter, so should have taken one class at a time while on AD.

3. Put $100 per pay check into Thrift Savings (didn't exist when we started). Any young troop that does that, and then steadily increases their contributions will retire WELL.

4. When you see something is jacked up, don't just complain about it, bring a solution to the table.

5. This is advice that I give out to my guys even now: Never, ever stab people in the back to get ahead. Stepping over dead bodies to advance your career is never good (and that poor behavior will be remembered by people who at some point will have influence over the advancement of your career). It is fine to work your ass off to look good, but never good to make others look bad in order to make yourself look good.

Response by SFC William Swartz Jr made Oct 12 at 2014 1:10 PM

SFC William Swartz Jr — Sun, 12 Oct 2014 13:10:52 -0400

I really wish that someone would have told me that in the end, no matter how I performed as a PSG and staff NCO during both garrison and combat roles, that in the end I would be cast aside by "Big Army" because I had too many years in and was "too old" to be picked up for MSG.

Response by SFC Private RallyPoint Member made Oct 13 at 2014 12:34 PM

SFC Private RallyPoint Member — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 12:34:25 -0400

Nothing! I was told so many things and being young ignored 90% of it. I wish I could find that one somebody who would grab my attention and make me believe the old timers who told me to save 15% save 100% of your paperwork take the hard assignments. If anything I wish all this was formal teachings rather than word of mouth.

Response by Cpl Brett Wagner made Oct 13 at 2014 12:34 PM

Cpl Brett Wagner — Mon, 13 Oct 2014 12:34:38 -0400

I wish I would have been counseled by a man who could be respected early in my career to not react or allow my emotions to show in times of stress. I wish that I would have practiced the skills needed to not react. Allowing my emotions to be seen at work has really caused me many problems.
Outside of the military I have never worked anywhere that the truth is respected or rewarded. In fact is has always been the opposite in my civilian career. The more you can lie and cheat the more successful you become. I have been counseled to not care about people who report to me. I was told that I must see them as assets just like the computers, printers and copiers. I just cannot do it and so I have been limited in my career. I know there are, somewhere, jobs and industries where it is NOT like this but in government and government contracting and not very often in IT.
I should have started my own business many years ago.

Response by Cpl Glynis Sakowicz made Oct 15 at 2014 9:29 AM

Cpl Glynis Sakowicz — Wed, 15 Oct 2014 09:29:42 -0400

I truly wish... as much as I enjoyed Motor Transport, that someone... ANYONE... would have pointed me towards an aviation MOS... something that I could have actually made a good living out of once I left the Corps behind.

When you have a back injury, driving anything larger than a pickup is pretty much out, so it does me little good to know how to back a 40 ft trailer, or handle an7 1/2 ton wrecker... but the husband, who was a C130 Metalsmith has job offers each and every day... at incredibly good salaries.
Oh yea, I do so wish someone had turned me towards Aviation and told me that someday, I'd really REALLY be glad that I had a skill like that...