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Obviously, talk to an Officer Selection Officer (OSO), or officer recruiter, if it’s something you’re interested in. (Contact an OSO through the official site: http://officer.marines.com/ ) Come in with an idea of what you want to do/achieve, show that you have already thought about it and that you’re motivated. Cultivate a good relationship with your OSO as this can help you get contracted. There are … Continue reading How to Contract for OCS
First of all, I’d like to thank the Marine OCS Blog for allowing me the opportunity to share my story and for providing a platform for me to get this information out. A couple of months ago as I reflected back on my career and thought about my rapidly approaching retirement date, I wanted to leave behind a tool that would assist those seeking information … Continue reading A Prior-Enlisted (and Prior Drill Instructor) OSO’s Advice for Candidates
Thank you to Norfolk Virginia’s Officer Selection Officer, Captain Calderon, for sharing her background and advice for future candidates. If you’re around the southern Virginia area, feel free to reach out to her recruiting unit with any questions about joining: 4th Marine Corps Recruiting District. What’s your background? I played Division I soccer all four years of college and graduated from the Naval Academy in 2011. I … Continue reading Marine OSO Q&A: Gateway to Marine Officer Candidates School
I interviewed Marine Corps officer Capt Stoddard, who is the Officer Selection Officer (OSO) for OSS Saint Louis today. We covered the top questions received on the blog and in our facebook page. Feel free to connect with either of us in Sandboxx as well. Note: we shot an hour of supplemental footage, containing advice exclusively available to future Marine Officers in the Sandboxx app. … Continue reading Ask an OSO Video
Catch Part I of our Getting to OCS series here Part II: Your First Meeting and Filling out the Rough Application In the last post, we covered the first steps for becoming a Marine Officer. This post will detail what will be covered in your first meeting and provide a few tips to ensure everything goes smoothly. You’ll probably be greeted by a Second Lieutenant, … Continue reading Getting to OCS, Part II: First Meeting and Rough Application
Part I – First Contact: What to Expect When You Talking to an OSO for the First Time So you’ve decided you might be interested in becoming an officer in the Marine Corps. You’ve avoided the pull of the other branches, and you’ve done at least a little research into what Marine Officers do. What do you do next? If you’re not sure where your … Continue reading Getting to OCS, Part I: Application and OSO
Thank you to Candidate C for taking some time to share advice you learned through your long, yet successful, Application! Stay tuned for more parts throughout this week. What characterized your own application? Priority Components: The application package you submit to the regional board has many items on it but the main things they look at are: what the OSO thinks of you (from the … Continue reading Application Advice from a Successful Candidate: Part II of III
Thank you to Candidate C for taking some time to share advice you learned through your long, yet successful, Application! Stay tuned for more parts throughout this week. Advice on Applying Apply early and often. I applied for the US Naval Academy my Junior year of high school and continued applying for 2 years after that with all of the baggage that applying to a … Continue reading Application Advice from a Successful Candidate: Part I
My Story My first application, which was unsuccessful, was in 2012 with a 273 PFT and with the same exact recommendations/letters/reason-for-joining/waivers/etc. My second visit into the office was March 2015 and it was with a new Captain and Staff Sergeant, but the same civilian secretary. Instantly, the secretary vouched for me and praised me, telling everyone in the office that I was the “perfect gentlemen,” proclaiming how … Continue reading One Candidate’s Lessons Learned for OSOs
Many thanks to Candidate Cunningham for providing his personal experiences as he begins his career path of Naval Aviator! I’d like to provide my recollection of preparing for my Navy Aeromedical Institute (NAMI) flight physical experience. Please keep in mind that this is just my experience and it may differ slightly from what another Student Naval Aviator (SNA) will encounter. Oh by the way, side … Continue reading My Pre-NAMI Experience
