Wearing my uniform to academy interviews, good idea?

[QUOTE=sross;14613]“is there any good reason not to wear my uniform to the interview?”[/QUOTE]

Hey sross, I’m a veteran and now a mariner. Wear your uniform with pride my friend. Also, I think that your uniform is a great way to communicate quickly and efficiently your background and skills.

Good luck and Bravo Zulus to you!

I know that wearing an uniform to an interview at my school would do nothing but open doors.

I can’t really answer the question “is there a good reason not to wear it,” but I’d say it’s probably unnecessary. Like other people have said, wearing it can’t hurt your options, but I have a feeling that the admissions interviews will go just as well if you went in a business suit or equivalent. Besides, you probably have the service on your resume, right? So they already know about it, or should - bring a resume along and give it to the guy anyway.

But, on the other side, most of the schools have officers that are there that may want to ask you about what it is you did in the service because they see you in uniform - depends on if you want to deal with that?

Haha, I didn’t even think about a suit. That nails it, I’m wearing the uniform just so I can put off purchasing a suit for a few more years.

Yep, I have the new GI bill which is the only reason this is affordable at all. I am really considering contracting for a year so I don’t have to pick up any loans at all but I have to wait and see what offers I get. I just finished paying off student loans for the two years I was in school before enlisting and do not want to rack up a ton of debt.

I don’t mind talking about what I did at all, no door kicking and only a little time on the road. Spent most of my time in a TCN truck yard making sure the right cargo came in and out.

Which schools are you visiting?

When visiting or attending, I would be a little careful how you present your military experience to other cadets or midshipmen. You should certainly take pride in your service. I’ve seen some former military cadets gain the respect of other cadets by playing it low key. I’ve also seen some that had major problems because of a sense of superiority. I’d also stay away from using terms like Bravo Zulu. The merchant marine is not the military. There is a long tradition of problems between former military mariners and non-former military.

[QUOTE=sean;14817]Which schools are you visiting?

When visiting or attending, I would be a little careful how you present your military experience to other cadets or midshipmen. You should certainly take pride in your service. I’ve seen some former military cadets gain the respect of other cadets by playing it low key. I’ve also seen some that had major problems because of a sense of superiority. I’d also stay away from using terms like Bravo Zulu. The merchant marine is not the military. There is a long tradition of problems between former military mariners and non-former military.[/QUOTE]

Sean, you beat me to what I was thinking. Wearing a uniform to the formal interview, I couldn’t see as being a bad thing at any of the state academies.

Once you get in, play the military thing cool. Indoc, depending on which school you go to will take different forms. But no matter which, its not boot camp. Remember, your indoc officers are cadets also, not professional DI’s. They do make mistakes. Don’t come across as “this is B-S, I’ve done worse at boot camp.” Those folks didn’t last 4 years.

On the other hand, there was a cadet a few years behind me that everyone knew was ex-military, he didn’t hide it, but thats all we knew. Once the 4/c were allowed to wear the regular uniforms of the regiment, the ex-military were allowed to wear their ribbons and devices, he shows up with the navy diver and parachute badges of a recon marine! That gained him allot of respect.