Direct Entry Officer (DEO) questions [Merged]

[Jug]

Hi All,

Has anybody out there signed and got into the military as DEO recently and has a university degree in Electrical Eng. I‘m in the same boat (interview on Oct.21), and would like to hear your experience.

 

[humint]

I‘m in the process, just waiting for the board interview. What would you like to know about the initial interview?

There appears to be some big signing money for people with eng/sci degrees. Lucky sod. They aren‘t offering a thing for people like me with a background in psych and pol sci/intel studies. Well, may be a free kick in the @ss.

Email me at humint@canada.com if you want.

 

[30 for 30]

I‘d like to know about the initial interview...any advice would be appreciated. I joined as an NCM in the 90s and did the NCM interview back then. I‘ve just signed on as DEO so my initial interview should happen in the next few months.
When you mention a board interview, do you mean you will be required to actually sit before a board? I‘ve heard that a board simply sits down and reviews your application as a group, somewhere back east. Thanks.

 

[Jug]

Hey...I already got my kick in the *** in the private sector...along with the ‘ol pink slip...hence my signing up. So you‘re in good company. And ya, the signing bonus that they told me about was 40K.

About the interview...just want to know what types of questions, the mood, etc.

 

[humint]

Check out the posts what did you wear and what is the test under the CDN ARMY section, there is a lot of discussion about the process.

But, just to fill you in, I am unsure about the board interview. For the res force, you actually meet with the board and they evaluate your application and ask you questions. I have heard the same is true for the reg force, but I can‘t confirm that. May be one of the otehr guys, such as Ian M or Digger can give you a hand on this one -- they know what is going on.

As for the initial officer interview, the recruitment officer will attempt to judge your character and will ask you questions such as why do you want to join, why do you want to be an officer, explain your leadership skills, how is your work experience relevant to the forces, etc. They will also ask questions about your study/work habits/volunteer experience all the way back through high school -- which is for me a long time ago -- so it is always best to go in with an idea of what and when you did things. The interview is not hard, just be yourself. Some prep is key, however, because you don‘t want to be stumbling along trying to remember when things in your life happened. Try to think of the ways in which your prior experience (i.e. volunteer, work, study, sports, hobbies, etc) are relevant to the forces. It is also a definite plus if you show some lateral thinking skills.

 

[Jug]

Can you give more details on the lateral thinking skills you‘re speaking of.

 

[humint]

Lateral thinking -- as in, thinking outside of the box. They may ask a question such as: explain a situation where you had to assume leadership -- what did you do and why? Or, explain a situation that you had to think quickly, etc. Show that you can think on your feet and that your decisions are rational and result in a favoured outcome. Not all situations demand straightforward responses -- talk about a difficult situation and how you solved it in an atypical fashion.

 

[Ian]

There was only one interview last spring when I applied for ROTP entry; the initial one. It lasted about an hour or so. The interviewer went over my application field-by-field, asking me about basically everything I had written down. Then I was questioned on my MOC choices; it‘s a good idea to know a little bit about the jobs you‘ve chosen. Unit locations, job requirements, current events are all questions that could be asked.

A few hypothetical questions were also asked about what i‘d do in certain situations. The best advice is to just be yourself.

The process could be different for DEO applicants due to the difference in age and experience.

Good luck, I know I had all these kinds of questions before

 

[30 for 30]

I‘ve got two questions concerning reg force officer entry interviews at CFRC:

1. Can anyone give examples of the questions asked that go beyond "why do you want to be an officer", or "what could you bring to the CF" etc.?

2. On the math portion of the written exam, what types of math should one be familiar with beforehand? I know it‘s fairly basic, but does it get into trig, graphs, probability etc., or is it really just basic fractions, decimals, percentages, geometry...or is it all of the above? Thx.

 

[Jug]

I did the DEO interview in Oct. ..just waiting by the phone right now.

1. For the interview. Most of the questions are very standard interview questions. Nothing really came out of left field for me. They do ask if you about your diversity tolerance, i.e. do you have problems with minorities etc. They do ask if you‘ve taken drugs or have been arrested. My advice would be to do the interview prep on the recruiting web site...it will prepare you quite well for this part of the process.

2. There is no trig, calc or non-linear stuff on the math part of the aptitude test. Most of the questions involve fraction multiplication, division etc. Nothing really hard.

Most of the questions aren‘t hard in the aplitude test. The challenge is staying focused and answering questions correctly under the stess of a time-limit.

As for the interview...don‘t lie and be yourself.

 

[griffon]

It`s been a few years since I did the interview, but I do recall a blitz of current event questions, along with morality questions (ie. would you have troubles bombing...ok, but what if there are civilians involved, example a munitions factory). Other than that, Jug had good advice, don`t lie and just be yourself.

 

[yogibear]

Hi guys,

I‘m glad to have found this message board as I don‘t get a chance to meet members of the CF very often and would like some advice.

I am considering a career change and thinking of joining the DEO program as a legal officer (I‘m a lawyer with 6 years of practice).

Anyone familiar with the office of the JAG and what I should expect career wise (i.e postings, type of work, advancement, living quarters, morale, etc.)

I have visited the JAG website so I am familiar with the official blurb. What I am interested in is information from someone who is familiar with the office of the JAG or who knows someone there that can provide me with a few tips and general advice as to what I should expect.

Thanks

 

[Zoomie]

Career progression can be very fast in the JAG world. You will join the CF as a Captain, expect to spend some time at the language school too.

 

[yogibear]

Thanks for the reply Zoomie,

I am already fluently bilingual so I don‘t think I‘ll be going to the language school.

The Jag officer I spoke with over the phone told me that he had joined as a Captain and made Major in 4 years (I‘m not sure if that is fast or not) and that I should probably expect the same.

 

[Zoomie]

Sounds about right. A JAG officer that got in the same time I did is now a Major. In under 4 years!
He spent his first posting at Esquimalt where he spent alot of time in Hawaii. Now he is the prosecutor for western area in Edmonton.

 

[yogibear]

Thanks again zoomie,

Aside from having a higher rank and a better pay what is the advantage of being a Major.

Also, what kind of living quarters should I expect as a captain.

 

[Anderson56]

I attended a Trial Advocacy course with a couple of guys from JAG several years ago. Both were DEO, one from a family of NCM‘s. They were very high on what they did for a living. I spent some time talking to the CF recruiter here, who suggested that Major is usually a fourth year promotion and that promotion up to and including brigadier general is possible, though most don‘t rise higher than LtCol or Col. He also said that there is a high frequency of foreign posting, and that Washington was a hot spot for JAG officers early in their career in those days. Before I got too deep into my talks family and the need to chase the almight dollar arose - though I understand the reserves are looking for the occasional JAG type. I would recommend contacting those working at JAG and getting their reaction.

 

[KeV]

To qualify for the DEO as an Officer you need a baccalaureate (Bachlor‘s degree). But this is a little confusing. You go to college to take what courses? And then what University courses? Do you just take any courses or courses that will help you to be an Officer?

Could someone please clarify this for me. I‘m just confused.

Thanks.

 

[Michael OLeary]

http://www.army.forces.gc.ca/LF/english/1_3_2_2.asp#Off

Direct Entry Officer (DEO)
This plan is for university graduates with a minimum of a three-year bachelor‘s degree granted by an approved university. The first stop for the DEO applicant is the Recruiting Centre, for up-to-date information of available positions. If selected, Basic Officer Training, Second Language Training and Classification Training will follow.

 

[Greywolf]

Kev, it depends on what trade you want to apply for. Say, someone wants to be doctor in the military, they would need a medical degree. An engineer would need an Engineering degree. What trade are you interested in?