rroulette

I am seeking to further my career in the Air National Guard or the Air Force Reserve. I understand how the process works to being hired as a UPT candidate, but I am looking to get my foot in the door with any unit that is hiring. I have contacted a bunch of units through contact information online but I never get anywhere. Does anybody know of a unit, or someone within the unit, that will be hiring in the near future so that I can get my foot in the door?

Jetjok

I'm wondering how one "gets his foot in the door" without actually visiting that particular unit? Sounds like you're just sending them an email, or talking on the phone. Not enough. Put yourself in the place of the unit looking to hire someone. Would you spend much time on a guy, based only on a phone conversation or an email with a resume attachment? Probably not. You need to visit the unit, preferably on a drill weekend. That way, you can at least show them that what you look and act like. Hopefully, you get the picture. Best of luck in your quest.

JJ

FlyingBulldog

I applied to maybe 25 units, did a few phone interviews, visited a few, and interviewed at 4 or 5. All a mix of Guard and Reserve. I second Jetjok's advice to visit. Some units even require it. I visited one unit twice before interviewing and didn't get hired. I didn't visit the unit I wound up getting hired at; I just showed up on interview day with my application packet in hand (talking with an officer accessions recruiter was how I got the interview scheduled).

Each squadron should have a POC in charge of hiring guys. Look on GuardReserveJobs.com for postings and contact them that way. Or look on the unit's official website for any contact phone number. Once you get somebody on the phone ask to talk for a phone number for operations in the squadron. Whoever answers the phone, tell them you're interested in flying for them and ask for whoever is in charge of hiring and go from there.

You need to have application packet materials at the ready. Units will ask for different things in different orders. I had everything as PDFs organized in folders by unit I was applying to on my computer. I would drag and drop pages to create a custom packet for each unit. I always had it printed and bound on nice resume paper at Office Depot and sent it via overnight FedEx. A little attention to detail and investment in your future will help you. Some things units would ask for usually included:

-cover letter (I used a fairly generic one at the core but would change the unit and other variables.)
-resume (I included civilian work history, education, and flight ratings/hours. Also good to include other activities including leadership.)
-last page of logbook scan
-copies of ID
-AFOQT and PCSM scores (oh yeah, sign up for these - call the nearest AFB education office)
-college transcripts

If you get an interview somewhere... stick around and hang out. Talk to people. If you interview first among the interviewees, DO NOT just peace out for the rest of the day. If you are invited out the night prior or some other time during the interview weekend, go. You aren't required to go, but do you want to be the guy who has no interest in getting to know the members of the unit? No.

If you get selected for UPT, do your best every day. Its really not difficult, but you will be shown the door if you don't put in effort.

lloyd801

Flying Bulldog,

I'm doing the same thing you did. I've either emailed or called every reserve/guard unit in the country other than FWs. I'm already commissioned in the Army National Guard and am 33, so my window for UPT is rather small. I recently read that the AF will now consider age waivers up to 35, especially for those already in the military, so I'm executing the full-court press in hopes of getting selected.