Hi everyone,
I’ve been a cadet for 2–3 years now and, while I haven’t yet received a promotion to corporal. I’m keen to improve my chances. I know promotion is something many of us aspire to, and I want to make sure I’m taking the right steps to be ready when the opportunity comes.
Over the next few sessions, I’d really appreciate any advice or guidance on what has helped others earn a promotion and what I could do to improve my own prospects. I’ve never formally applied, and I’m not sure if that’s a requirement, but I’ve nearly completed my MOI teaching lanyard and hold a Blue Leadership award. I’ve been told that I’m mature, well-behaved, and attentive to both my uniform and my interactions with staff.
I’m looking for genuine advice—things staff typically look for when considering promotions, especially feedback specific to me so far. I understand that promotion may not happen immediately, but I want to be prepared and focus on the areas that matter most.
Thank you very much for your time and guidance—it really means a lot.
The first things we look for are drill, dress and deportment: is your foot drill up to standard, are you smartly turned out (even in greens) and do you ‘carry’ yourself in a way that fits an NCO.
Then it’s is your service knowledge good, are you active in running the squadron (volunteering to help with setting up activities, helping out the NCOs).
Lastly can you be a mentor to younger cadets, support them but set standards, and set an example.
It’s often said (I’m sure I’ve said it on this forum before) that Cpl is the hardest rank because you need to move away from your peer group and start being a leader.
Asking here is a good first step, lots of experienced people including both staff and cadet NCOs!
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Apart from the obvious high standards in drill, dress and deportment, I’ve found that staff look for something that sets you apart from the others who are also looking for a promotion. In essence, why should they choose YOU?
It could be even just the little things, helping out your NCOs by pointing junior cadets in the right direction with uniform, or giving some friendly advice to a fellow cadet with a drill movement they struggle with. With these the most important thing is making sure you get noticed by not just your NCOs but most importantly the staff, as they may or may not ask for NCO input in the promotions.
However if you have an element of the PTS (e.g. cyber, space, leadership) that you’re particularly interested in - make it known! Try and push to get on courses for it, ask your training officer if anythings coming up and once you’ve attained a reasonably high badge level in it - see if you can speak to the person responsible for it on your squadron and get involved with teaching or further your knowledge of it. Obviously there are many things for which this doesn’t work but I’ve found that if your staff know you’ve got a particular interest in something, they’ll be more than happy to help you develop with it. (And it’s a solid route to a promotion, provided you’re committed to it)
It’s all up to what you’re comfortable with and what you can do on your squadron!
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Thank you all for your responses. I was more focusing on my interactions with the staff in the office too. They only stay in the office mostly.
If your dress, drill, compliments, and behaviour are on point (and you’re constantly doing stuff, applying for opportunities, supporting off-Sqn events) then that’ll do it eventually.
Everything else will be a local preference that we can’t really advise you on more than the excellent points raised above.
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From what you’ve written in your original post, it sounds like the best place to start is asking your staff for feedback and what the process is for promotions.
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5 words to the staff
Would anyone like a drink?
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much as others have said
*look the part
*act the part
*do the part
namely - wear your uniform to the same or higher standards as the NCOs
with 3 years experience, you know what is expected so crack on when given instructions, and help those who are struggling.
get involved. Being an NCO is more than just having well pressed uniform and being a team player. turn up - in both the physical meaning and psychological - attend the weekend/off Squadron parade night events with a “can do” attitude, be seen as someone is gets stuck in.
finally - ask a SNCO their views on your chances. a FS/Sgt is likely to have a good idea on what the Staff are looking for, and may even be aware of what the Staff think. so ask them, what you might need to work on
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Next step: Don’t wait to be told. Be proactive.
You have no idea how much I appreciate it when cadets spot an issue, sort it, then left me know they sorted it (or ask for a bit of guidance on how to sort it).
And it’s always immensely impressive to me when cadets do it.
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Thank you Sir/Ma’am,
Would you be able to give some examples of this where I could be proactive and ask staff for support?
@OC.1324
seconded.
at one Squadron i was at, every problem was brought to my attention. i soon had a catch phrase
“don’t tell me the problem, tell me your solution you want help with”
this got the NCOs thinking about the solution - “what would Sir do?” and either got on with it themselves, or realising they needed support with it, asked for the support
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This is great as long as the user doesn’t use it to bring on the shut up fallacy when someone doesn’t know the answer to the problem. Sadly I’ve seen this used badly, too many times, usually by senior ruperts at work.
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A suggestion would be to look at the upcoming weeks training programme, or even that night’s programme and think “what needs setting up for X, Y and Z”. Checking with whoever is leading activity for each night with what you think needs doing and then get it done.
Do chairs and tables need setting out in a particular way?
Does the computer need booting and particular training loaded up onto it?
Do the first class cadet workbooks need to come out with pens/pencils ready for the session?
etc etc
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Whenever you have dead time and people get together to have a chat (which is valuable), think “is there something that could be done?”
When you’re done with the break, is everyone going to have to get chairs out of a room so they can sit down? Could that be done by you and another volunteer to make use of this time?
Loads of stuff, but every unit is different.
Are you interested in a subject and keen to help teach it? Getting your MOI so you can help there is really valuable. I like all of mine to be working towards it because it helps them understand the principles involved in teaching anything — it’s not just about teaching the academic syllabus.
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I had cadets turn taps off while I flush the pipes. Even had cadets clean something up I needed to take pics of to report 