Joining the Armed Forces
You can join the armed forces (Royal Navy, Army or Royal Airforce) as a regular (full-time) or as a reservist (alongside another job).
The three forces have extremely comprehensive websites where you can discover the many different roles available and all the details you will need to start an application. You may also want to have an informal talk to recruiting personnel at the Armed Forces Careers Centre at 35 St Giles, Oxford, OX1 3LJ. There are also a variety of online talks and webinars where you can learn about the application process and hear from serving personnel so follow them on their social media platforms for the latest information.
Before applying you may want to check
- that you meet the age and physical fitness requirements, the medical conditions and other restrictions (for example residency and nationality) for what you want to do
- the lead times involved in application. It can take between 6 months to around one year between making your application and starting in your chosen job depending on the force and the job chosen. Allow plenty of time. Be aware that although the armed forces recruit year round, sometimes recruitment for certain roles are paused ( ie applications close for a while). Or you may be offered a place but have to wait a while for future start date. For the Royal Marines you may successfully pass their week long final assessments ( which run each week across c Feb - July) but have to wait until July to discover if you are included in the top 50-70 of applicants who will eventually start at Lympstone.
- timings, processes and training establishments for some specialist roles (eg where you are already qualified - doctors, lawyers) and for non officer roles will vary.
There is usually clear and ongoing support for you from your nominated candidate careers officer (allocated to you once you have started the process) as you navigate the various steps of the application process.
The Army have 3 intakes during the year for officer training - January, May and September when round 200 officer cadets start their year long training at Sandhurst. As those start dates become full you will be offered a future date or join the waiting list for an earlier call up. September tends to be the largest intake. Once at Sandhurst you will have the opportunity to apply for a regiment/specialism e.g. to join the Royal Artillery, Royal Engineers, the Royal Logistic Corps, The Grenadier Guards etc. An initial 2 preferences can be made and there is a selection process involving interviews with senior army personnel which takes place in the penultimate term. Before joining it is recommended that you take advantage of the opportunity to visit some of the regiments which may interest you - your army careers officer will be able to advise once you are in the process. Bear in mind that some corps will require a termly intake of c 20 officers while others will need just one or two.
The Royal Navy also have 3 officer intakes per year in January, May and September (except for Medical Officers and Royal Marines for which there is only one intake each in September). You decide the role you are interested in at the time you make your application. Naval officers undertake their initial training at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth.
The Royal Air Force officers complete a modular Initial Officer Training Course at the RAF College in Cranwell, Lincolnshire lasting 24 weeks and covering 4 modules. As for the Royal Navy, you decide the role you would like to apply for in the initial stages of application.
As part of the selection procedures you are likely to face a combination of:
Joining the Police
You can join the police in a whole variety of roles - PCs, Detectives, Police Community Support Officers (PCSOs) or in a civilian role ( for example case disposal, youth justice, evidence review, finance, ICT, communications etc). At Thames Valley Police 47% of roles are civilian so the opportunities are very broad.
You can join the police to be a Police Officer in a variety of ways and for Oxford graduates this would typically be via a degree holder entry programme (DHEP) but mostly you apply to the schemes which are operated by the individual forces which operate across the country. Thames Valley, for example, offer both a PC Degree Holder programme - a 2 year course with a Graduate Diploma in Policing Practice and a Detective Constable Degree Holder Programme (DC-DHEP). This is also a 2 year programme but with a higher level of academic content and exams which must be passed.
Police Now is a relatively new 2 year graduate programme for entry to the the Police force; it operates two schemes: A National Graduate Leadership Programme (for neighbourhood policing with opportunities across 30 forces) and a National Detective Programme
You could also first join the police as a community support officer, a special constable (a volunteer role), or as a police support volunteer (office based volunteering). You can only join through one police force at a time – start by going to a regional police force website.
Joining the Prison and Probation Service
There is direct entry into training as a Prison Officer but the Unlocked Graduates Programme has enabled many graduates to gain direct leadership development experience in the UK prison service whilst also working towards a Masters in Applied Custodial Leadership and developing skills in policy. Applications usually open in September and there are around 130 places available each year. Officers are given a permanent contract but there is an option to exit the programme after 2 years. Of the 2016-18 cohorts around 42% stayed with the prison service, 22% went into areas such as the MOJ or Probation Service, 14% to a criminal justice charity, 10% to other public sector/3rd sector jobs and 7% into the private sector.
For Unlocked, the key skills and attributes sought are: a sense of possibility (that change can happen), decision making, leadership, relationship building, resilience, self awareness and motivation for Unlocked's mission.
The Probation Service requires applicants to have NVQ Level 5 or a Degree. Recruitment is generally twice a year and will depend on the location that you wish to work in. Training for the Professional Qualification in Probation (PQiP) will take between 15 and 21months depending on whether you have studied relevant modules at University, such as:
- The Criminal Justice System
- Understanding Crime and Criminal Behaviour
- Penal Policy and the Punishment of Offenders
- Rehabilitation of Offenders.
If you have not studied these, the training will take 21 months.
Joining the Fire Service
Each fire service in England sets its own criteria, so check the entry process with the local service you intend to work for. Most services have both ‘wholetime’ (full time) and ‘on-call’ (part time) roles.
Joining the Ambulance Services
To practice as a paramedic you need to complete a programme approved by the Health Care Professions Council in paramedic science. The course finder tool from NHS Careers can help you find a suitable course. You can often find a student paramedic position you can do during your course. Courses tend to be reasonably flexible, but last from 2 to 5 years depending on whether you study full or part time.
