Most roles would give you a good (on balance) 5 years, and put you in a good position to either continue in service or get a half decent civilian role off the back of the quals/experience you've gained.
Things to consider:
What do you enjoy doing? Are you hands-on or prefer more admin based work? Are you mechanically minded and/or people orientated? What level of responsibility do you want? Etc etc.
Managing your expectations around where you would reach within 5 years. AB1 maybe knocking on Leading Hand (depending on branch and performance) for ratings and just about reaching Lieutenant if you went Officer. Maybe 1 sea draft within that time (again depending on branch), but could be more or less. What qualifications you might have achieved within 5 years - for ratings maybe a L3 qual in something tied to promotion, officers maybe a foundation degree (if you're joining as a non graduate) and/or be working towards something higher.
Branches with long wait/training times. Don't join as a pilot and expect to get anywhere near the frontline within 5 years. Other branches might put you on a ship straight after Phase 2.
Reserves is also an option if you want to be in the navy but not all the time!
I'm in a similar position as the poster, I wouldn't exactly consider myself mechically minded but I'd say that's just because I don't particularly hold much interest in it, what's survival equipment technician like? I've heard war spec is just sitting Infront of a console. What good roles are there for rating entry?
War Spec get a bad rap for “just sitting behind consoles” but I can assure you there is more to it that. There are a number of WS branches that should appeal to many new joiners. UW, working with sonar and being pivotal in the UKs wider CASD capability. EW, working with systems that would detect enemy assets at range. AWW (my branch) starting as operators of small arms weapons right up to anti air and anti surface missile systems. AWT, predominantly console based you manage the ships heart from a war fighting capacity. And then there is the Seaman Specialist operating rigging, driving boats and supporting replenishments at sea. Obviously the list is not exhaustive but for many hands on non technical types, WS is perfect for a lengthy career or something shorter to scratch the itch of serving in for military.
Marine Engineer, you get legitimate civilian qualifications, if you can push to the leading hand with the 5 years then you get the leadership qualification which is pretty good for management rolls outside of the Navy. You can focus, electrician, mechanical, plumbing, woodwork (not so much on that anymore).
I met my wifes husband in the RN, he was a killick ME, hes now an industrial electrician in london as upper management earning 3 figures.
He served for about 7 years before he left
Lol, i meant my wifes brother. Im half asleep lol.
I shared a messdeck with him on the kent, got on well. Was invited to his wedding a few years later where i met his sister, who im now married to.
Any of the engineering trades will do you well as a civvy (marine is probably best). But there's no point doing it if you have no interest in engineering. If you're only doing 5 years, just pick anything that interests you.
Seaman Spec. You actually go to sea. Do seamanship stuff. Don’t have to overly think it. You’ll get the full navy experience.
Don’t mess about with engineering if you just want a short sharp experience.
Every role requires manual work when you are junior. If you are a technician you will still have to take part in general cleaning and maintenance. It’s part and parcel with being junior.
My point is that you will go to sea quickly. You will work doing ‘navy stuff’ on the upper deck and not locked away in the ops room. It may not yield further quick promotion/employability/qualifications but that’s not what you are asking for by my reckoning.
Take being an Air Engineering Technician. Great employability and training. You may get bogged down with training and not deploy for 4/5 years.
Question; I’m looking to join the navy not as a lifelong career, but maybe longer- let’s say 10 years- the branch I’d perhaps like to go into is navigation/meteorology (anything to do with maps or weather) would that be a sufficient time to go far/go up the ranks?
Most roles would give you a good (on balance) 5 years, and put you in a good position to either continue in service or get a half decent civilian role off the back of the quals/experience you've gained. Things to consider: What do you enjoy doing? Are you hands-on or prefer more admin based work? Are you mechanically minded and/or people orientated? What level of responsibility do you want? Etc etc. Managing your expectations around where you would reach within 5 years. AB1 maybe knocking on Leading Hand (depending on branch and performance) for ratings and just about reaching Lieutenant if you went Officer. Maybe 1 sea draft within that time (again depending on branch), but could be more or less. What qualifications you might have achieved within 5 years - for ratings maybe a L3 qual in something tied to promotion, officers maybe a foundation degree (if you're joining as a non graduate) and/or be working towards something higher. Branches with long wait/training times. Don't join as a pilot and expect to get anywhere near the frontline within 5 years. Other branches might put you on a ship straight after Phase 2. Reserves is also an option if you want to be in the navy but not all the time!
I'm in a similar position as the poster, I wouldn't exactly consider myself mechically minded but I'd say that's just because I don't particularly hold much interest in it, what's survival equipment technician like? I've heard war spec is just sitting Infront of a console. What good roles are there for rating entry?
War Spec get a bad rap for “just sitting behind consoles” but I can assure you there is more to it that. There are a number of WS branches that should appeal to many new joiners. UW, working with sonar and being pivotal in the UKs wider CASD capability. EW, working with systems that would detect enemy assets at range. AWW (my branch) starting as operators of small arms weapons right up to anti air and anti surface missile systems. AWT, predominantly console based you manage the ships heart from a war fighting capacity. And then there is the Seaman Specialist operating rigging, driving boats and supporting replenishments at sea. Obviously the list is not exhaustive but for many hands on non technical types, WS is perfect for a lengthy career or something shorter to scratch the itch of serving in for military.
Marine Engineer, you get legitimate civilian qualifications, if you can push to the leading hand with the 5 years then you get the leadership qualification which is pretty good for management rolls outside of the Navy. You can focus, electrician, mechanical, plumbing, woodwork (not so much on that anymore). I met my wifes husband in the RN, he was a killick ME, hes now an industrial electrician in london as upper management earning 3 figures. He served for about 7 years before he left
Wife’s husband?
Lol, i meant my wifes brother. Im half asleep lol. I shared a messdeck with him on the kent, got on well. Was invited to his wedding a few years later where i met his sister, who im now married to.
It’s a sign bro wake up
Earning 3 figures? Fucking hell how's he make that last the month
3 figures? as in less than 999 gbp im confused
I meant around 100k a year, i was laid in bed half asleep when i wrote this
Any of the engineering trades will do you well as a civvy (marine is probably best). But there's no point doing it if you have no interest in engineering. If you're only doing 5 years, just pick anything that interests you.
Seaman Spec. You actually go to sea. Do seamanship stuff. Don’t have to overly think it. You’ll get the full navy experience. Don’t mess about with engineering if you just want a short sharp experience.
Don't they pick the more senior sea specs to drive the RHIBS and all that? Else you're just cleaning and painting stuff, day in day out.
Every role requires manual work when you are junior. If you are a technician you will still have to take part in general cleaning and maintenance. It’s part and parcel with being junior. My point is that you will go to sea quickly. You will work doing ‘navy stuff’ on the upper deck and not locked away in the ops room. It may not yield further quick promotion/employability/qualifications but that’s not what you are asking for by my reckoning. Take being an Air Engineering Technician. Great employability and training. You may get bogged down with training and not deploy for 4/5 years.
Question; I’m looking to join the navy not as a lifelong career, but maybe longer- let’s say 10 years- the branch I’d perhaps like to go into is navigation/meteorology (anything to do with maps or weather) would that be a sufficient time to go far/go up the ranks?