Want a $20,000 Bonus?

[Jacko]

Well...maybe not? Click here
How do you feel about this incentive to boost recruiting success? It just feels wrong to me for some reason....

[ami]

Originally Posted by Jacko

Well...maybe not? Click here
How do you feel about this incentive to boost recruiting success? It just feels wrong to me for some reason....

When I first saw this title I thought a spammer had gotten ahold of your account

[Daddy B]

Originally Posted by ami

When I first saw this title I thought a spammer had gotten ahold of your account

I thought there was a job vacancy going for a keen tele evangelist...

[Just Lucky]

Originally Posted by Jacko

Well...maybe not? Click here
How do you feel about this incentive to boost recruiting success? It just feels wrong to me for some reason....

I think it is symptomatic of larger problems our military is facing at this time. I mentioned this awhile back on another thread that I have a friend who is thinking about enlisting. I could swear he told me he got the bonus if showing up in 90 days not the 40 days mentioned in the article.

[sctx]

crap, thought you were placing that property manager ad

[horizon200]

Jacko,
Bonuses have been around a long time as enlistment/re-enlistment tools. In 1981, I received a $13,000 bonus to re-up. I had every intention of getting out...1 wife two kids and a dog and no job changed my mind. The $13000 was an added bennie.
Hard to fill career fields have had bonuses tagged to them for a long time...really no different that a large coorporation wooing an employee away from another company with a signing bonus.
What I don't like is the false advertising that goes with it. They make these kids think they are going to get a check for $20,000 all at once. First Uncle sugar is going to take back his share in taxation, then the individual is going to get a portion up front and the remainder paid out on the anniversary of his/her enlistment.
Its sort of like the promise of college tuition paid for. True it will be paid for in one form or another...what they don't say is it is going to probably take you longer to get that degree these days because given the size of the force, you will be deployed more...making it more difficult to complete that degree during your enlistment.
Don't get me wrong...the military has been great to me and I cherish my time in it. I also think it is a great place for kids to get excellent job skill training and find out what they are capable of. There are few other employers that will give an 18 yr old the responsibilities they will get in the military.
But...ask any military member and they will tell you that the recruiter is a flesh peddler. A difficult task faces them, but they also are the Used Car salesmen of the military!

[ami]

Hi Mike, were your ears burning yesterday? Jill and I were talking about you

[horizon200]

Originally Posted by ami

Hi Mike, were your ears burning yesterday? Jill and I were talking about you

Moi???

Actually, my ears burn all the time...always somebody slinging my name around! Every now and then it's even in a positive way! hahahaha

[Jacko]

Originally Posted by horizon200

Jacko,
Bonuses have been around a long time as enlistment/re-enlistment tools. In 1981, I received a $13,000 bonus to re-up. I had every intention of getting out...1 wife two kids and a dog and no job changed my mind. The $13000 was an added bennie.
Hard to fill career fields have had bonuses tagged to them for a long time...really no different that a large coorporation wooing an employee away from another company with a signing bonus.
What I don't like is the false advertising that goes with it. They make these kids think they are going to get a check for $20,000 all at once. First Uncle sugar is going to take back his share in taxation, then the individual is going to get a portion up front and the remainder paid out on the anniversary of his/her enlistment.
Its sort of like the promise of college tuition paid for. True it will be paid for in one form or another...what they don't say is it is going to probably take you longer to get that degree these days because given the size of the force, you will be deployed more...making it more difficult to complete that degree during your enlistment.
Don't get me wrong...the military has been great to me and I cherish my time in it. I also think it is a great place for kids to get excellent job skill training and find out what they are capable of. There are few other employers that will give an 18 yr old the responsibilities they will get in the military.
But...ask any military member and they will tell you that the recruiter is a flesh peddler. A difficult task faces them, but they also are the Used Car salesmen of the military!

Yeah, I know bonuses have been around a long time...particularly reenlistment bonuses. I chose not to take them up on the offer they made me in 1975...my concern here is that this is one of the largest bonuses ever for new recruits...and that these are very young people much more susceptible to the lure of the money, possibley overriding a wise consideration of what they are getting themselves into.

...its one thing offering you a $13,000 bonus to reup after you have had experience regarding what you were getting into (AND of course NOT during a time when we had two active war fronts) .......and altogether something else, imo, when you are 18 or 19 having never had much of a job at all.

And while I fully agree that the military is great for some young folks as it provides some discipline and can help to build much needed confidence and job training for some kids who really need it....I am also concerned regarding how much responsbility they give some of our 18 year olds and the quickness with which they put them into very difficult situations.

[horizon200]

Originally Posted by Jacko

Yeah, I know bonuses have been around a long time...particularly reenlistment bonuses. I chose not to take them up on the offer they made me in 1975...my concern here is that this is one of the largest bonuses ever for new recruits...and that these are very young people much more susceptible to the lure of the money, possibley overriding a wise consideration of what they are getting themselves into.

...its one thing offering you a $13,000 bonus to reup after you have had experience regarding what you were getting into (AND of course NOT during a time when we had two active war fronts) .......and altogether something else, imo, when you are 18 or 19 having never had much of a job at all.

And while I fully agree that the military is great for some young folks as it provides some discipline and can help to build much needed confidence and job training for some kids who really need it....I am also concerned regarding how much responsbility they give some of our 18 year olds and the quickness with which they put them into very difficult situations.

Couldn't agree with you more Jacko!

[ami]

Originally Posted by horizon200

Moi???

Actually, my ears burn all the time...always somebody slinging my name around! Every now and then it's even in a positive way! hahahaha

Sounds like a condition....have you been to the doctor's?

[horizon200]

Originally Posted by ami

Sounds like a condition....have you been to the doctor's?

I did! He gave me a helmet made of limes to protect my ears but some cat stole it!

[Kricket]

Originally Posted by horizon200

I did! He gave me a helmet made of limes to protect my ears but some cat stole it!

and a cute cat at that! yikes...I sound like Dr. Seuss!

[Anejo ny1]

I assume that you would have the same problem with IBM, microsoft or Kraft giving out signing bonuses. Yes?

[Anejo ny1]

Originally Posted by Jacko

And while I fully agree that the military is great for some young folks as it provides some discipline and can help to build much needed confidence and job training for some kids who really need it....I am also concerned regarding how much responsbility they give some of our 18 year olds and the quickness with which they put them into very difficult situations.

This is my guess. I'd bet you didn't think that when you were in in 1975. Thought you were a man capable of anything. No?