ONT said:
would it be best to get on a class B contract within the reserves before doing a CT, to make sure you have enough time in to by pass recruit school?
I have to add my 2 cents to this kind of thought. Lets think about this for a second. First, in the Reserves, you'd have to complete your BMQ, SQ and DP1 courses (depending, this could be the better part of a year and in some cases longer), then find a Class B position you qualified for as a Pte/Tpr/Gnr/Spr/OS, whichever your case is, and spend *x* amount of days in it (if this is even an official policy). I used to be part of the Hiring/Selection Board for Class B positions at the CBG HQ I worked at for Jnr NCO and Pte positions, and I don't remember sitting on a single board that only had 1 applicant, so you are competing with people usually for Cl B positions (not always the case but is sometimes), so there is no guaruntee you will even get a Class B (you have to meet all the fitness requirements, etc etc as well). If you aren't screened out by meeting the requirements on the Employment Opportunity msg, then you get to compete with everyone else who has an interest in the position. Again, some of the Class B aren't that difficult but, having been a Class B Commando for a longgggggggg time before I CTd, I can tell you, some of them are.
Why would you go thru all that to avoid 10 weeks/2.5-3 months of BMQ? Sure, do 2 years in the Res, buy back your time, I know all about that. Sure, there are some hassles on BMQ, but are they REALLY worth putting off a Reg Force career, if that is what you really want, for the sake of 10 weeks? Those 2 years in the Reg Force, you'd be half way to Cpl, trained to a QL3 level (or close, depending on your MOC) and have 2 years pensionable time under your belt.
IMO, if you really want to be Reg Force but your decisions are based around the RSB, how bad to you really want in?