Corporal Promotion - Advice Needed

Cadets The Crew Room
1

Hi. I made a previous thread about advice on making an NCO letter to apply for Corporal.
I have written the letter and had it checked by 2 of my friends. I just want some more advice on how to improve the letter and for the interview (how to present myself etc.).

Sorry for the long read but any advice would be appreciated.

Dear Sir,

This letter is a response to the recent JNCO promotion slots. I would like to take this opportunity to be considered for promotion as I believe that I have the necessary skillset and abilities needed to be a suitable Corporal.

I have been a part of XXXX Squadron for over 30 months and as one of the more senior cadets, I believe I have the accumulated a lot of knowledge and experience that comes with being a Cadet. In the past 2 and a half years I have achieved many awards and participated in as many Squadron activities I have been able to.

These include:
• 3 Annual Camps
• 4 Squadron Camps
• Wing Field Day Drill Team
• Wing Athletics
• 4 times Wings/ Poppy appeal
• 4 parades – Being part of the Banner team for AFD
• Continuity Drill
• Junior NCO course
• Bronze Radio and Cyber
• Blue Leadership
• Bronze DofE

This shows that I have accumulated a lot of experience with Cadet activities. This experience would mean that I would be able to help Cadets with issues that arise and that I would be able to be a Good Role Model for others.

Being on a total of 7 Camps has given me a lot of insight into Cadet expectations which I would pass onto other Cadets to help them develop and grow into better Cadets. Being on many community events has helped me develop my communication skills with the public.

On Squadron I am respected by the Cadets, NCOs and Staff. This has allowed me to lead lessons for the Cadets (for example I lead 2 Blue Radio lessons) and help the NCO’s to plan their own NCO nights. My attendance is high for Squadron nights and Community events and this is a good thing to show to other Cadets to encourage them to participate too.

I would like to become a JNCO to open further doors to my Cadet Career. Being a Junior NCO would mean that I would be able to grow as an individual and develop my leadership, teamworking and communication skills which would help me not only inside Cadets but also later in the Armed Forces.

As an NCO I would be able to bring a lot to the team and the Squadron. I put in all my effort into cadet activities and as an NCO I would be able to show that by leading Parade nights, teaching lessons, helping Cadets, taking and partaking in drill. As an NCO I would be able to help lead activities to enhance the experience for younger Cadets and to help make Cadets more enjoyable for everyone.

In the future, I am looking to do further develop myself and the Squadron as I am looking to hopefully gain higher qualifications as I’m currently working though towards Master Cadet and MOI as I believe it will help improve me. I also want to complete QAIC in the future as it is a very prestigious course in the Corps.

I hope that I have demonstrated suitable values through my activities in the Corps and that I will be able to pass on my own experience and knowledge as a future Junior NCO for XXXX.

As already said, any advice would be much appreciated.
Thank you.
(PS we have a 500-word limit and this is not the final thing yet but merely a draft.)

2

I’d be tempted to include solid examples of leadership functions/roles you can already do, with your experience in/around that role - so (for example) expedition skills like map reading and route finding, basic radio procedures, kit choice/packing, man management etc… with experience of DofE expeditions and field exercises.

You could then do the same with being a section commander on an RAF camp - uniform, drill, man management, etc… with your (above average) experience of annual camps.

Being a Cpl/section commander is a job - and you need to be able to do that job, sometimes that job will be taking a drill lesson on a Sqn night, sometimes that job is being the senior cadet from your Sqn on an annual camp, and sometimes that job will be managing half a dozen cold, wet, tired and unhappy cadets on an exposed hillside with several hours of walking left to do.

If you can show your OC that you can walk into the role and do the job without someone having to hold your hand at every stage, then you have a head start over the next candidate who couldn’t be trusted to find their way out of a paper bag, however extensive their knowledge of footdrill, or physics, or ACP2010(section 4A(para8)).

3

I’d put the JNCO course top of the list. You also don’t reference it elsewhere in your letter, I’d at least mention how it’s helped you realise how the skills you learned on the other activities can be used as an NCO.

4

Good idea. Thank you very much I’ll work on that. Any idea where I can find ACP2010 because I cant seem to find it online.

5

Willdo. Thank you very much

6

It’s made up.

2 Likes
8

Tbh yea I agree but then again it separated those who persevere from those who can’t be bothered

9

To be completely frank if the sqn staff think you are capable you will get promoted. They know you and what you have done and a decision will be based on these factors.