I’ve been a Cpl for almost 6 months now (the time my squadron go off for Cpl - Sgt promotions) and I am looking for trying to get promoted again hopefully this year.
I have silver leadership and I am currently working on getting my senior classification. I am also trying to attend a P-SNCO course that will be happening soon.
I haven’t come here to complain at all, in fact my squadron staff are very on board with me getting promoted after I achieve senior but would anyone be able to give anymore advice on the subject?
You might need to be more specific with your questions. Bear in mind we can only give you general advice, your squadron will have their own expectations for SNCOs, which you’d need to discuss with them.
Best advice will always be to engage your own staff as every unit is different.
For example, I’m trying to manage careers to provide a more gentle ramp of climb and avoid people waiting forever for Cpl and then accelerating ever faster the higher they get. I’m aiming for a full year in rank so I can give them more time in stretch at each level and time to consolidate.
But what I’m looking to tease out of each potential promotee is also different, hence your unit staff being the only real source of reliable info.
That said, growing your experience base more and more and challenging yourself with courses is exactly the right attitude towards development, as long as you don’t view it as “attend courses = promotion”.
Personally, I’m not a fan of interviews for promotion selection boards (PSBs). Staff should know their cadets well enough and see their performance on normal drill nights over a number of months rather it all depending on their performance in a one-off interview.
In the absence of written appraisals, I would use reports from courses (PNCO, INCO, JNCO, bronze leadership, etc.), SMS data (badges, attendance, etc.) and first-hand knowledge of the candidates as described above. I also think we should board everyone eligible for promotion rather than have them apply, which leads to a lot of self-elimination.
For us certainly its not a decision based on the interview (certainly predominantly) yes their knowledge of RAFAC is assessed, but the main use of the interview is for them to have some practice at being interviewed.
But their sqn/activity perfomance is one of the biggest drivers to our decisions
Speak to your SNCOs. Ask them what they have to do differently.
Observe what they do on a parade night.
Get on some wing activities and be proactive about organising the cadets (without being annoying). Ask the CWO/FS on the event if there’s a task that needs doing. Make sure you can delegate and supervise: if the task is sweeping up - for example - don’t be the one pushing the broom yourself!
I don’t disagree, but then we’re not necessarily making the decision based upon that, unless perhaps they hadn’t taken it seriously (and so it becomes a negative outcome).
Interview practice is great, and I regularly interview my cadets, and they then tend to perform well for other opportunities, or when they apply to the services.
We also sometimes do short presentations on things like uniform rules, because it gives them a reason to really look at the rules I’ll later expect them to know.
Even if we don’t think they’re ready, there’s a strong argument for giving them that experience (time permitting).