I've been thinking about this a lot lately. I'm a music student working towards a BA, but there aren't any summer jobs for music kids (aside from gigging and such), so the idea of joining up crossed my mind several times. It'd be part-time reserve stuff if I did enlist. I almost called the recruiter a couple times but stopped - I was afraid of signing up, discovering that I hated it for whatever reason and then being trapped.

This whole thing is on my mind because tomorrow morning I'm going down to the temp agency to see if they can place me in a factory for the afternoon. I already hate the idea of assembling car parts or something for eight hours, and I really think that if I doing this kind of work is just wasting my life, whereas even if you never get shipped out anywhere (obviously the big deal for Canada right now is Afghanistan. I don't know how they decide who goes and who stays, or who gets to be a combat infantryman and who gets to be a clerk, but still) you can look back later in life and know you were part of something important.

So I just wanted to ask people about this military stuff, just trying to find out about it I guess. I know Brian and Simbachu were both did some time; I remember Brian being some kind of soldier in the air force and talking fairly negatively about his experiences.

You can get excellent jobs as an entertainer in the millitary. You don't even go through full boot camp. You go through the same "dumbed" down version that the accountants and other type jobs go through. It would be steady and dependable income. You'll get to travel and meet high profile people. Something worth considering.

Oh yeah, and the odds of you seeing combat are like slim to none. Finish your BA and you can probably go in as an officer. If nothing else, if you already have a 2yr degree, then you should try to go in as a Warrent Officer. Probably won't change what you do, responsibilites, etc., but there is a significant pay-grade difference.

Yes, that's true. Horn players can join this national band thing...I forget what it's called, but you do the basic physical requirements and then perform at big political receptions. Unfortunately, I play guitar - I think the Canadian Forces maintain three big bands, but I'm not good enough to crack that yet (it's pro-level playing. Like, really, really good).

I was thinking more about the infantry, to be honest.



Yeah, I realize that too. I don't have any war-movie style delusions in that regard. I don't think I want to be a career as an army officer, but being a reservist seems like a good part-time job. But it seems like it could also suck horribly. I dunno. I guess I need to find out more (which is why I'm here ).

Eh, then stay away from the military...far, far, away.

With a BA (or near to it), you should look for graphic artist or similar jobs. If nothing else, some clarical should be the same or double what a production worker job will pay.

But I'm not a picture artist.

With abstract art these days, do you have to be?

Go for a nice clarical job then.

Yeah, good point.

Suck it up and get a freaking summer job.

...I have one...I'm going to the amazing factory tomorrow. Remember?

Good grief, I was just asking about military jobs.

I'll also add that I've been teaching guitar lessons (same thing I did last summer), which is actually pretty good money, but it's not 9-5 every day kind of work.

$7,000 if you give me that on a huge banner.

It's just so....the X makes it look very relaxing.

Reserves is a really long commitment, at least in the US. 10-15 years.

I never would have thought about the military being a summer job.

You could be a military nuclear engineer and get a salary and signing bonuses out the ***


If you get into a service band, just pass boot camp, and they'll hand you sergeant stripes.

I was offered an audition to play bass for the air force band.




I said, "no thanks."

Speaking from experience, there aren't a lot of jobs if you have a B.A. in music. That's the degree I have. I had looked into the Army, but my wife and I decided against it. I don't know about the reserves, but I was told in order to join the Army I would have to go through full basic training, not just a dumbed-down version. But I hear it pays alright, especially if you have a crapload of loans to pay back or if you want to go on and get higher level degrees.

Just stay away from the military.

No amount of pay is worth having an angry man shout abuse at you all day if you ask me. XD

That's just boot camp, and the guy isn't angry.

Well, not that it matters much to me, as a diabetic I'm disallowed from joining the Belgian army. XD

I'm going to join the local infantry reserve unit in my town next summer (Peterborough). I would have this year, but it takes at least 4 months for even the speediest application to be processed, or so I'm told. That being said, I'm afraid you're out of luck for a summer gig. I'm not sure when the fall basic training starts, however, so it may be possible to get in on that. I think they run it on weekends, so it shouldn't conflict with school.

Since I can only give you "so I'm told," "might," and "I think," you should check out the army.ca forums. There are answers to any questions you may have pertaining to the Canadian Army (as far as confidentiality will allow, of course ).

I hope that helped some, and good luck!

Canada has an army

Army is good, conscription sucks.

I mean, what the hell does a FINNISH army do with a random unathletic gamer who listens to synthesizers going BZZZIUUAAANG and BRACBOKLMZ? Stupid country.

Well, at least forced to go there leaves me at least 600 euros richer when it's done. Yay.

[QUOTE=Pedro T Hutt]No amount of pay is worth having an angry man shout abuse at you all day if you ask me. XD[/QUOTE]

[QUOTE=Pedro T Hutt]Well, not that it matters much to me, as a diabetic I'm disallowed from joining the Belgian army.[/QUOTE]

The best advice about military always comes from people who couldn't join it even if they wanted... This world would totally lose it without armchair experts.

Since I have a zero chance of being sent somewhere to fight wars, unless this country is attacked, I can say the military training, taking 11 months of my life, was a really cool experience. You just can't get that kind of experiences from anywhere else, at least not without strange connections and much money.

You could tame wild polar bears.

Words cannot express how amusing I find thhat picture.

Maybe I worded that badly. I was thinking of it more as an on-going part-time thing. I just assumed that it would be weekends during the year and a few months in the summer.



Well, yeah, there aren't really jobs you can apply and be interviewed for, but if you're good and you've made some contacts you can play gigs and teach private lessons.

teaching pays good money as long as you manage to keep the students interested and are willing to have an awkward schedule.

and of course the overabundance of songs to pick out. i don't doubt you can do that, but it's really something you have or not. if you teach just to make money until you "make it" well you're probably going to be harming your students in the long run.

but it's a really viable option once you have a degree, the universities pay good money once you get your foot in.

the army sucks. but that's just me.

Good point, as I both play gigs and teach private lessons. Unfortunately, there aren't as many people wanting to learn to play the trumpet around here as there are wanting to learn other instruments. . .like the guitar.

It's hard to get a summer job in fields that are very specific, such as music, unless you do internships (might not pay), have connections, or are really really good at what you do. I come from a small town, and all the opportunities for summer jobs are just restaurants mostly, unless you have commercial driving license (CDL) or have nursing experience.

France has one too although waving white flags around might look misleading.

What about teaching music lessons? Some saxophone friends I know do that over the summer.

I've been doing that. Looking for steadier work - I've found that lessons tend to drop off in the summer. People want to book off weeks at a time to go on vacation, or even quit for the summer (especially kids - they seem to be more regular about it when they fit into the school routine).



Yeah. On the plus side, your degree does allow you charge $35 for a half-hour.

If you are considering the US Army then ensure that you plan to go to war no matter whether you sign for part or full time or what job you sign up for. I don't remember where you live. Also, there is no such thing as a watered down version of basic training in the US Army.

Hey, its Wookie06

It's Canadian army. There'd be the chance of getting sent of Afghanistan or any of Canada's other peacekeeping commitments...

I forgot that you're a soldier. Do you still regularly read the forums, or did you just happen to check in?

If you only joined a reserve unit, then you wouldn't be sent overseas against your will. That sort of thing is strictly volunteer at that level.

I don't usually check in but I glance at the forum from time to time to see if anybody seems to be talking about something current that I'm interested in. Army, of course, caught my eye since I'm in the US Army.

What's your job in the Army?

I'm assumeing DEFENDING THE COUNTRY or something of the likes?

He's in the 101st from what I recall, same as snoop.



Sorry, but no. If you're in a reserve unit, and your unit gets called up, you go where the military tells your or you go to jail. What you won't be is a frontline infantry unit, barring some sort of major disaster. You're looking at being an MP, working in the supply chain, motor pool, or any other number of support positions. Although, given the nature of Iraq, you'll be in combat.