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Autobiography Thread (merged)

  • Thread starter Thread starter Fogpatrol 1.0
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I wrote my biography on the plane to BC from Ontario for my IAP/BOTP.

It didn't hurt me in any way shape or form but a lot of people did have theirs typed. And don't think that it is just your instructors that look at your bio either. I ended up taking another course right after BOTC and the instructor mentioned reading my bio for BOTC during my first div. interview.
 
Pte. Chávez said:
Im currently on my Reserve BMQ course in Chilliwack. We got the weekend off so what better way to spend it than go on army.ca and read forums  ;D

For my autobiography it was a minimum of 400 words. We had 2 days to complete it but there was really no time so everyone did it during the night. Most of the platoon had to redo it.
Tips: - Make sure everyone has their name,SN, date, platoon, and section standardized in the top right corner.
One problem...how do i start my Bio before my BMQ if i dont know what platoon and section im in. I dont swear in till the 16th of this month and i leave the 18th. I suppose i could write it the last 2 days but its cutting it close. do i have to wait till i swear in to recieve that info?
 
BlakeTC said:
One problem...how do i start my Bio before my BMQ if i dont know what platoon and section im in. I dont swear in till the 16th of this month and i leave the 18th. I suppose i could write it the last 2 days but its cutting it close. do i have to wait till i swear in to recieve that info?


heres a shocking idea......

Why dont you write it now on one piece of paper.....and then re-write it at BMQ on another paper with the required info in the same place as everyone else ?

 
BlakeTC said:
One problem...how do i start my Bio before my BMQ if i dont know what platoon and section im in. I dont swear in till the 16th of this month and i leave the 18th. I suppose i could write it the last 2 days but its cutting it close. do i have to wait till i swear in to recieve that info?

Depending on your Course Staff,  you might end up rewriting it when you get there either way.

Assuming you are Reg Force and headed off to CFLRS or one of its Det's.

What do your Joining Instructions say??
 
Mud Recce Man said:
Depending on your Course Staff,  you might end up rewriting it when you get there either way.

Assuming you are Reg Force and headed off to CFLRS or one of its Det's.

What do your Joining Instructions say??

I never got my joining instructions in my package...not sure why. but i found out from another source and got a link to CFLRS Saint Jean from someone. I printed the joining instuctions myself and it really doesn't say...maybe ill just wait for instruction then.
 
BlakeTC said:
I never got my joining instructions in my package...not sure why. but i found out from another source and got a link to CFLRS Saint Jean from someone. I printed the joining instuctions myself and it really doesn't say...maybe ill just wait for instruction then.

Ok...i will say it in plain language this time......

1- take a sheet of paper
2- Write you bio on it
3- take sheet to St-Jean
4- Arrange the standard layout of bios with staff / fellow candidates
5- Transcribe previously written bio as per the agreed standard on new sheet thus saving you having to make it up right then and there when a million other things need your attention

 
CDN Aviator said:
Ok...i will say it in plain language this time......

1- take a sheet of paper
2- Write you bio on it
3- take sheet to St-Jean
4- Arrange the standard layout of bios with staff / fellow candidates
5- Transcribe previously written bio as per the agreed standard on new sheet thus saving you having to make it up right then and there when a million other things need your attention
Ya thanks i saw it the first time ;) you got your advice across.....twice 8)
dont get me wrong i appreciate your advice. just not how you deliver it.
 
BlakeTC said:
Ya thanks i saw it the first time ;) you got your advice across.....twice 8)
dont get me wrong i appreciate your advice. just not how you deliver it.

He delivers it that way because this is really common sense my friend.

Leave ample space on your cover page for the two missing items, and fill it in when you get there..    Not having two pieces of information you know you will get later should not stop you from doing 99.98% of the work requested of you when that work has nothing to do with the two pieces you are missing.

 
BlakeTC said:
Ya thanks i saw it the first time ;) you got your advice across.....twice 8)
dont get me wrong i appreciate your advice. just not how you deliver it.

Its because i care so much

Is that so wrong  :'(
 
BlakeTC said:
Ya thanks i saw it the first time ;) you got your advice across.....twice 8)
dont get me wrong i appreciate your advice. just not how you deliver it.

If you'd acknowledged receipt the first time, perhaps he wouldn't have said it twice.

As I understand it, you are about to embark on Basic - get used to not liking how information is "delivered".
 
The Autobiography as laid out in Annex E of the Joining Instructions.

ANNEX E  should look something like this:

AUTOBIOGRAPHY WRITING GUIDE

     1. When writing your autobiography, make sure you follow those directives to the letter;
otherwise you will have to redo it.

          a. Use blue ink, 8.5 x 14 inch lined paper only;
          b. Should be between 300 to 400 words;
          c. SHALL be written neatly and clearly;
          d. Use one side of the sheet only and double space between lines; and
          e. SHALL include a cover page with the following information in the centre.

               AUTOBIOGRAPHY
               Rank, name, initials, service number, and platoon number

                     a. The autobiography starts on the second page at one inch (2.5 cm) from the top; and
                     b. Write your name, service number and sign your autobiography directly under the last line on the right hand side of the sheet.

     2. Family history includes the following:
          a. First and last name;
          b. Date of birth, place;
          c. Parents – father, mother (alive or deceased) – their profession(s);
          d.Children – how many in your family – which order (oldest, youngest, etc.); and
          e. Family – your childhood and your life in your family.

      3. School: General summary of your education.
                Last grade completed, college, university.

     4. Previous work:
           a. Employment history, part time, full time, etc.; and
           b. Have you ever had a summer job or worked on weekends? (If so, how long?).

      5. Have you ever been in the:
          a. Cubs, Boy Scouts, Cadets or the Reserves (Navy, Army, Air);
          b. How long?;
          c. Courses taken; and
          d. Rank.

     6. Sports – Leisure – Social Activities :
          a. Sports: which sports did you play?  Did you participate in team sports? (If so, with which team) and have you ever been a team captain?
          b. Leisure: what do you do for leisure?  (Reading, music, photography, etc.); and
          c. Social activities: did you ever take part in particular groups (students association, theater troop, music, etc). Have you ever filled a president’s position in those
              organizations?

     7. Reasons you enrolled: Why did you join the Canadian Forces?

     8. What are your three trades choices?

Note: We want a document of 1 to 1½ pages long (400 words). Do not forget to sign your biography
 
Anybody have any tips for shortening a bio? I am having trouble packing that much information into 400 words!
 
Astrodog said:
Anybody have any tips for shortening a bio? I am having trouble packing that much information into 400 words!

Take out words like "a" "it" "the" "and" "or" "so"  ;D
 
Astrodog said:
Anybody have any tips for shortening a bio? I am having trouble packing that much information into 400 words!

Write it all in the second person.
 
Just wait till they go through the usual drill of every course...


MCpl: "Does everyone have their autobiography completed?"

Candidates: "Yes MCpl"

MCpl: "Excellent, now turn that one over and write a new one.  You have ten minutes."


Then sit back and wait for the usual questions... "Um, MCpl, I already did mine" ... always good for a laugh and they typically eat up about 3-4 minutes of the prescribed 10 minutes available.

 
Reading this thread brings back the exasperation I feel when dealing with recruits, and this past summer PLQ Candidates...

It's a page or two of text about your life, not an exam on quantum physics, sit down start writting, and make sure you hit all the required points.

9 pages of mental anguish about writting something so simple is ludicrous, so what if you have to write it out 2 or 3 times, you aren't going to be getting free time if you all get it bang on the first time, no BMQ/SQ instructor has ever or will ever say "Well we finished early today, lets go to the mess, have a pint and watch the game"

Stop making simple tasks scary and complicated, if writting a couple pages of text is a major issue for you what are you going to do when you're ordered to throw a grenade other than have a coronary?

 
I didn't realize I was being held responsible for 9 pages of text. My comment was merely an observation really, 400 words is incredible brief for somebody trying to cover all those points; but then again that might just be my wordy university-style writing as I am normally used to trying to stretch information to meet length limits. I was in no way complaining or trying to over-complicate this simple task. I wonder how many pages the thread would be if we cut out all the condescending comments and stuck with the Qs and As? Or maybe focused on the fact that Ocdts/recruits are just trying to do the best that they can? Isn't teamwork stressed at basic and in the CF? Aren't the CTs expected to help the green first-timers like myself? I want to live up to the precedent established by those ahead of me, not get condescended to death. We're recruits/ocdts for a reason. We don't understand the ways of the CF yet. Most of us are following a life-long dream and simply want to do our best!

  Not looking to start  a war here, I've lasted 140-odd posts on this board without getting yelled at/warned/banned... Didn't/Don't mean to offend anybody; just wanted a straight answer.. not to be told how dumb/green/civi I am, these are all things I realize. On the bright side I got it under 400 words! Can't wait to re-write it!  ;D
 
Astrodog said:
I didn't realize I was being held responsible for 9 pages of text. My comment was merely an observation really, 400 words is incredible brief for somebody trying to cover all those points; but then again that might just be my wordy university-style writing as I am normally used to trying to stretch information to meet length limits. I was in no way complaining or trying to over-complicate this simple task. I wonder how many pages the thread would be if we cut out all the condescending comments and stuck with the Qs and As? Or maybe focused on the fact that Ocdts/recruits are just trying to do the best that they can? Isn't teamwork stressed at basic and in the CF? Aren't the CTs expected to help the green first-timers like myself? I want to live up to the precedent established by those ahead of me, not get condescended to death. We're recruits/ocdts for a reason. We don't understand the ways of the CF yet. Most of us are following a life-long dream and simply want to do our best!

  Not looking to start  a war here, I've lasted 140-odd posts on this board without getting yelled at/warned/banned... Didn't/Don't mean to offend anybody; just wanted a straight answer.. not to be told how dumb/green/civi I am, these are all things I realize. On the bright side I got it under 400 words! Can't wait to re-write it!  ;D

Things we like: brevity.

Things we don't like: unneccesarily long explanations, justifications, or attempted work-arounds to the task at hand.  See: whinging.
 
I remember filling out an application for the RCMP and it was understood that it was to be followed "to the letter" There were curve balls thrown in, in the instructions. Believe you me, a comma in the wrong spot, a certain letter not capitalized etc. meant a complete redo. It was about following directions...a test, if you will. This brings me to the autobiography that must be handed in at BMQ. I'd like to think that it is hand written in almost a story format and not as an itemized list format (like a resume). And then there is that part where "Write your name, service number and sign your autobiography directly under the last line on the right end side of the sheet."
*** which last line?
*** what is the "right end side of the sheet"?

Oh what fun!
 
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