AGR interview

[Dallas1962]

I have an interview this Thursday (20 March) for an AGR recruiter position. This is the first AGR job I have applied for and I would like any suggestions on how to get ready for the interview. Uniform is to be ACU's. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks

[SGT Peter Bridge]

be prepared to "sell" the guard. You want to be up beat and able to talk about your guard time and how you would tell others about it.

Good Luck, we need more recruiters on the streets

[Jmiranda_Cav]

best of luck! I'm going to try and apply for a recruiter slot while im out in the sandbox.

[WIBecky74]

I know someone that sits in on AGR interviews, not Recruiter slots, Supply, but the biggest reason he says soldiers dont get it is they dont know enough about the job. Learn as much as you can about what you would be doing is my suggestion. Call up a recruiter and ask them everything they are willing to tell you.

[matthew.ritchie]

The Board isn't there to hire you as a favor, but to meet the needs of the Guard. If it so happens that the needs of the Guard coincide with your needs, that's great, but no one on the Board cares about that. Whenever I'm on a Board, and someone tells me that they want to be AGR so they can earn a 20 year retirement, I scratch a line through their name. Buh-bye. You don't even have the job and already you're looking forward to retirement. This is not the attitude prized by employers.

The Board wants to know what you bring to the job. The product knowledge about the contracts and the service options will come later at school, but they'll expect you to be able to articulate your own story of coming to the Guard, and express that in a compelling and relational way. They won't expect you to know what MOS are eligible for College First, or where to find the PULHES requirement for 46Q. They will expect you to know the "intangibles" of Guard service -- national service, defense of community, self-respect, pride, sense of belonging, sense of participation, cameraderie, self-improvement, etc.[/QUOTE]

[Jmiranda_Cav]

I can deal with something like that. I just want to know, how does one get the ball rolling (or where does one start) on putting in a recruiter packet?

[matthew.ritchie]

I can deal with something like that. I just want to know, how does one get the ball rolling (or where does one start) on putting in a recruiter packet?

Your state has a website. For example, here is Virginia's (my state). Your Readiness NCO will know the site, and will also have a binder or clipboard with the job postings in paper. Follow the instructions on the job announcement.

In parallel, speak to your local recruiting NCOIC about serving on ADOS orders as a recruiting assistant while the AGR process works.

[Jmiranda_Cav]

Thank you for the guidance Major.

[Phantom]

Try your best to be yourself, as hard and as nervous as you will be for that time. Speak from what you know, dont BS. Try your best to relax, they are just people you are talking too. Dont overthink the questions but dont blow them off either, they were asked for a reason. Just relax, they know your nervous and on the spot.

[SSG Andrews]

For other's reference I wanted to add:

Be honest. I got my current offer by answering 1/3 of the questions "I can not answer that at this time" because they were so duty-specific. I thought I did terrible but was later told I blew them away with my honesty and confidence.

Be confident. As worried as you are about getting the job, they are just as worried about picking the best candidate. Don't be cocky, but be arrogant enough to show that you know you can do the job and do it well. When asked where I saw myself in five years, I said "If I'm offered this position I see myself as a Readiness NCO preparing for E8".

Be prepared. Have in mind truthful yet selling answers to common interview questions such as "why do you want this position", "what makes you the best candidate", "where do you see yourself in three years". Before my interview was complete the president of the board told me "I have a lot of people that want this job, this is your chance to sell yourself, what makes you better than them?"

Remember "Proper time, proper place, proper uniform, proper attitude". Make sure your uniform is pristine and that your overall appearance is professional and meets the standards set in AR 670-1.

[LT_77]

I went through an AGR interview before school, knowing I probably wouldnt get the job (S4) simply because they weren't going to hire someone getting ready to leave. But my boss said I should go for the experience. I've been working a year and a half on ADOS in the training shop, so S4 stuff was relatively new to me. Training management? Got it. OPORDS/FRAGOS? Got it. Hand receipts/PBUSE/Lateral Transfers/OCIE....ummm nosomuch

2 Things really helped me before the interview.

1: CALL the hiring officer. When I called the LTC that was the hiring officer, he said out of 10 or so candidates that were already on the list I was only one of two that had called him. He said it showed initiative and interest in the position. I asked him about the AGR world, and then some of the things I should know going in. He rattled off about every question he would probably ask me, I took notes...it was a huge help.

2: Go to the person whos position you will be filling, or someone similar and sit/learn from them. Schedule a day, go look at their process and ask questions. Again, this was huge.

Even though I didnt get the job, I left knowing what the interview is like, and the LTC told me I did so well that I would always be able to use him as a reference from now on. As we know, that's bigtime in AGR. He called it: "AO to AO networking"

Just some tips. Currently still floating in the ADOS pool, but it's good work and I like it. Instead of making copies and getting coffee in the JFHQ, I'm fortunate to be down at the BN level working on training every day. It's good stuff. There should be some turnover in my unit within a year or two and hopefully then I can step in.

[LT_77]

Branch is Infantry...but really that doesn't matter all that much in the AGR world from what I've seen. If I would have gotten the S4 job, I would have just learned the LOG side of the house. The guy that got the job was working in another BDE 4 shop, so he had experience...but he was an Armor guy.

It's who you know and what you can offer. ADOS or ADSW are the minor leagues. Make a good impression there and AGR will come with time.

[SSG Andrews]

1: CALL the hiring officer.

I did the same, and I agree Sir, it really does show them you are interested and have initiative.