What can I do to set myself up to be a Pl Comd at CFLRS in 10-15 years

[RichardCaan]

I have recently graduated BMOQ and have been heavily inspired and have had my life changed by my instructors and Pl Comd.

I feel morally obligated to to become a instructor at CFLRS in the Platoon Comd role to inspire further generations of Canadians and pass on the lessons that were once taught to me by my instructors.

My current trade is LOG O, I am 19 years old, my next course that I will have to do is BMOQ A. What can I do to maximize my chances of being a Pl comd at CFLRS?

 

[dapaterson]

Step one: continue to push yourself to excel on your career courses.

Step two: have the humility to learn from superiors, subordinates and peers as you progress.

Step three: let your career manager know that this is part of your career desire. It's possible that things will not align. But remember, throughout your career you will influence people, and give them an example, regardless whether you are a course officer. Try to be a good influence.

 

[brihard]

I have recently graduated BMOQ and have been heavily inspired and have had my life changed by my instructors and Pl Comd.

I feel morally obligated to to become a instructor at CFLRS in the Platoon Comd role to inspire further generations of Canadians and pass on the lessons that were once taught to me by my instructors.

My current trade is LOG O, I am 19 years old, my next course that I will have to do is BMOQ A. What can I do to maximize my chances of being a Pl comd at CFLRS?

Why 10-15 years? Seems like it would be something that would come sooner than that. Are CRLRS Pl Comds Captains?

 

[Navy_Pete]

Why 10-15 years? Seems like it would be something that would come sooner than that. Are CRLRS Pl Comds Captains?

Yes, it should be a posting option shortly after OFP, but ideally after some actual experience working in trade at the Captain/Lt(N) rank.

Had a few BOTP Pl Commanders, the best one was a Lt(N) that was there on a punishment posting from taking a VOT from NWO to BPSO. He was great, can see why he was likely streaming for Command. The worst one was also a Lt(N), doing the opposite of streaming.

 

[RichardCaan]

Why 10-15 years? Seems like it would be something that would come sooner than that. Are CRLRS Pl Comds Captains?

What I have noticed throughout my time at CFLRS is that the older instructors are taken much seriously (when I was at CFLRS my Pl Comd is 34 ) and are more proficent at everything, this likely due to experience that comes with maturing as an adult. Also imagine being a young 18 year old fresh out of highschool and you have a BMQ Pl Comd in his mid 20s with somewhat of a babyface with barely any real world experience haha.

 

[brihard]

What I have noticed throughout my time at CFLRS is that the older instructors are taken much seriously (when I was at CFLRS my Pl Comd is 34 ) and are more proficent at everything, this likely due to experience that comes with maturing as an adult. Also imagine being a young 18 year old fresh out of highschool and you have a BMQ Pl Comd in his mid 20s with somewhat of a babyface with barely any real world experience haha.

For sure. There’s just a risk that by 10-15 years in, you may be pay the point where a career manager would consider you for a job at that level.you’re taking experiences Capt/junior Maj territory by then depending on your performance- and I mean 10 years from now. That’s more where you’re thinking about company command than platoon.

 

[Blackadder1916]

Why 10-15 years? Seems like it would be something that would come sooner than that. Are CRLRS Pl Comds Captains?

Based on the OP's posting history (and his statement that he is 19 - it made me look), he's likely in his 2nd year of uni (ROTP civvy), so he is roughly 3 years away from commissioning (May '27?).

 

[brihard]

Based on the OP's posting history (and his statement that he is 19 - it made me look), he's likely in his 2nd year of uni (ROTP civvy), so he is roughly 3 years away from commissioning (May '27?).

Ok- I could see 10 years from now then.

 

[Humphrey Bogart]

For sure. There’s just a risk that by 10-15 years in, you may be pay the point where a career manager would consider you for a job at that level.you’re taking experiences Capt/junior Maj territory by then depending on your performance- and I mean 10 years from now. That’s more where you’re thinking about company command than platoon.

And in 10-15 years career aspirations can also change significantly.... Or not

Do what you want OP, I generally disregarded all career advice I received, and while it got me nowhere rank-wise, I had a tonne of fun doing it. My 'peers' were all slumming for Senior Ranks following 'the pathway' while I was busy having a blast, drinking beers, and still doing cool guy stuff!

Also, wildly diverse career experiences can lead to tremendous opportunities elsewhere if you ever decide to leave the CAF .

One of the best things I ever did was switch trades, it wasn't 'fun' but it gave me way more experiences and opportunities which has now opened up other doors outside the CAF for me.

 

[NavyHopeful]

Had a few BOTP Pl Commanders, the best one was a Lt(N) that was there on a punishment posting from taking a VOT from NWO to BPSO. He was great, can see why he was likely streaming for Command. The worst one was also a Lt(N), doing the opposite of streaming.

Had a great group of BMQ instructors when I went through, but my WO was a bit uncouth in his attitude towards people who joined from the PAT platoon, because he thought they were lazy, and came across as pompous towards the anglos on course (it was an english BMQ course, and there were more than our fair share of folks from the most eastern part of the country, so everyone got the feeling that he thought he was better than everyone else, including the other staff).

Everyone else, from the Pl 2I/C down was top shelf, though, so it made the interactions with the WO a lot less likely, and our lives didn't completely suck.

That said, to consistently tell a group of people that they should release because they were too lazy for his military was NOT acceptable. Wouldn't fly today, but unfortunately he got away with it back then.

 

[Oldgateboatdriver]

Frankly, my recollection of my BOC (that was the officer's basic qualification then) was that the divisional officers were neutral at best, but the instructing Chief Petty Officers and Master warrants were fantastic people.

 

[dimsum]

I’ll echo @Humphrey Bogart on not following “the path”. There are a ton of other factors (some you can influence, some you can’t) that will determine how your career will go. It’s good to have a goal in sight, but I wouldn’t make it so defined as “I want to be in X position by Y time”.

Also, it’s good that you had a great experience in BMOQ but there will be more courses where you may find that your personality style matches with the instructing style. Maybe you will really like your Log O course, for example. While you’re plodding towards the goal, don’t get too focused that you don’t see other paths and lessons learned.

 

[Navy_Pete]

I’ll echo @Humphrey Bogart on not following “the path”. There are a ton of other factors (some you can influence, some you can’t) that will determine how your career will go. It’s good to have a goal in sight, but I wouldn’t make it so defined as “I want to be in X position by Y time”.

Also, it’s good that you had a great experience in BMOQ but there will be more courses where you may find that your personality style matches with the instructing style. Maybe you will really like your Log O course, for example. While you’re plodding towards the goal, don’t get too focused that you don’t see other paths and lessons learned.

I will echo this, some of my most rewarding postings happened by accident, and being an instructor for junior officers in some core training (that included OJT) as part of their OFP really stands out (with the students having a 100% pass rate at the boards, at a high standard). Similarly, opportunities to help mentor folks and generally help them doesn't always come from a posting, so lots of opportunities if you just keep your eyes open and get involved, especially outside your own trade.

Currently in an out of trade job in a brand new organization 20 years into this, and learning a huge amount everyday, and definitely wasn't something I had on my plan.