Picking up rank, re-enlisting and vying for a career in uniform is harder than ever with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan over, a manpower drawdown underway and defense budgets shrinking.
Top performers can still reach 20 years of service — or more — for a full retirement, however. It just takes careful planning, calculated decision-making, determination and guidance.
Today, Marines must think carefully about advancement and go above and beyond with volunteer work or extra education to remain competitive, said Gunnery Sgt. Trevor Goff, an enlisted career counselor at Headquarters Marine Corps.
In the Corps' hyper competitive environment, meeting professional military education requirements, having solid fitness reports, and top-notch physical fitness and combat fitness test scores are requisites — not guarantees — of a long career, several planners said.
Marine Corps Times spoke with a handful from across the service, including some who've been named more than one career planners of the year, -- to discuss how Marines can best climb the ranks compile a list of sage advice for those climbing the ranks. Leaning on the Marines whose job it is to navigate career milestones is the first, and most important, step.
"Getting those Marines to see those career planners is critical," said Master Sgt. Jason Spangenberg, the 2005 Marine Corps Career Planner of the Year who now advises members of 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. "The worst thing is when a Marine at the end of their four years sees us two months out and they don't know what it takes to re-enlist or transition out."
Each field, military occupational specialty or special duty assignment is unique, meaning there is no one single best path for all Marines. But there are a few steps tips every career-minded leatherneck can take to try to get aheadDevil Dog can take to heart.
Going the extra mile
Most Marines know what it takes to remain competitive when it comes to promotions: completed PME professional military education requirements, a top-notch rifle qualification, and solid PFT and CFT scores.
"Performance, performance, performance," said Gunnery Sgt. Anthony Tarver, Career Planner for Headquarters Regiment, 1st Marine Logistics Group. "From the time you get in the Marine Corps to the time you get a promotion, progress is going to be based on the Marine's performance."
But too many don't go beyond these basics, which is critical to making the cut in a drawdown environment, experts said.
If you have completed all the PME for your rank, talk to your commander, Goff said. Ask what, in their opinion, you can do to advance further.
What makes the difference can be entirely unrelated to your occupation within the Corps. It may not even occur on post.
"Most Marines look at the basic stuff, but they overlook voluntary work — going to an orphanage, cleanup at [Marine Corps Community Services] events," said Staff Sgt. Richard G. Atkins, the 2012 Career Planner of the Year assigned to Marine Aircraft Group 11 at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California. "Off-duty education is also important."
Giving back and improving the Corps' image always stands out looks good, said Staff Sgt. Nicholas Greuel, a career planner with 2nd Battalion, 9th Marines.
"We like to see Marines go out and make the Marine Corps look good in the community," he said."[If] they have volunteering in their record, that's something that could definitely help them."
Commanders who feel they can't afford to let their most competent Marines take time away from their regular duties for PME or to attend a college course can be potential roadblocks. What some these leaders fail to realize, Atkins said, is that they make their most critical Marines less competitive for promotion.
Those considered less crucial have more time to engage in extra pursuits, making them better candidates for advancement. As a result, a commander loses their most valuable Marines, effectively making them casualties of the selection board.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Ken Egersheim greets children at an orphanage. Career experts say volunteer work while on or off duty can help further a Marine's career.
Photo Credit: Gunnery Sgt. Scott Dunn/Marine Corps
Marines must step up their game more than ever to stand apart from their peers, said Atkins, who considers educating commanders about that point part of his job.
"Do something that no one else has ever done to improve you not just as a Marine, but as a person. Be active in the community," he said. "You might have two tier-one Marines, but when you look at a quality Marine package, the deciding factor can be as simple as a course — being Microsoft certified or, 'I volunteered at an orphanage and the other didn't.'"
Special duty assignments
Many Marines believe they must complete one of the service's five special duty assignments — recruiter, drill instructor, Marine security guard, combat instructor or Marine Security Forces — to get ahead.
Successful completion of an SDA is an extra feather in their cap. It proves to selection boards that a Marine can tackle any assignment. It's an important attribute, especially for those who hope to eventually make master sergeant or first sergeant.
Additionally, selection boards are briefed to consider all Marines on an SDA, or who have successfully completed and SDA, as fully qualified.
But pursuing an SDA is not for everyone, Goff said.
"SDAs are good, but only if you are doing well already," he said.
That is because the most important factor in promotion is MOS credibility. A Mariness who are substandard in their MOS might excel in an SDA, but they likely will continue performing poorly when they return.
And tThe three-year stints compounds the problem by further eroding MOS credibility. SDAs are not a game-changer for those already struggling.
A recruiter observes a poolee performing pullups. Marine career experts suggest making sure Marines are proficient in their primary military occupational specialty before picking up a special duty assignment like recruiting.
Photo Credit: Sgt. Aaron Rooks/Marine Corps
Not to mention, mMost Marines who perform poorly in their MOS are likely to perform poorly in an SDA. Those assignments rate special pays and consideration by promotion boards because they are considered rigorous. Even strong performers don't always do as well as they did at their primary job, Goff said.
Those relatively new on the job also should hold off, said Tarver. Leaving before mastering an occupational specialty puts a Marine further behind upon return.
"Unless they stay current or try to stay current [with their MOS] they're going to be behind," he said.
Spangenberg agreed. Timing is important, he said.
"If you are struggling, maybe it isn't a good idea to leave for three years. Maybe stay another year or two to master your primary MOS," he said.
But the needs of the Marine Corps institution are a strong pull.
"The No. 1 need in the Marine Corps is to ensure first term Marines and career Marines know SDAs are imperative for promotion possibility and career progression," said Spangenberg who considers the tours necessary to remain competitive.
The service views them as so important they have set up the HQMC SDA Screening Team, which combs through thousands of Marines for the billets n SDA each year. Though allowed to rank SDAs in their order of preference, many Marines receive one regardless of choice.
In that case, "bloom where you are planted" and make the best of it, Goff said.
Typically, the best time to do an SDA is just as a Marine is completing their first enlistment. They have established MOS credibility, and if the SDA proves difficult — Goff said often a Marine's fitness reports FitReps while on an SDA are lower — they have time enough to recover before their next selection board.
PCSing
When it comes time to reenlist, Marines often can make a permanent change of station move and frequently are permitted to list their station of preference. Many want to be close to friends and family or move somewhere with recreational opportunities.
That is a mistake.
When considering your next duty station, it is most important to look at weigh how the assignments available there, and how they could contribute to career progression in your particular MOS, Goff said.
Administrative Marines, who are needed across the service and throughout all commands, have opportunities available to them at nearly any station, Spangenberg said. But for others, like tankers, skill sets are tied to a platform located at select bases. Remaining competitive means going where billets match their MOS's career path.
Fortunately, personal wants, career opportunity and the service's needs occasionally align. If a Marine joined to travel, but has spent four years at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina, he might have an opportunity to go to Okinawa, Japan. If that is unappealing, he could consider becoming a Marines security guard for assignment to embassies abroad.
It is imperative for those hoping to eventually become senior enlisted Marines to move often, even at each re-enlistment, so they serve with all elements of the Marine air-ground task force and demonstrate familiarity with logistics, aviation and ground combat elements, Atkins said.
Lateral moves
One way to jump-start your career is to make a lateral move from a job that is highly competitive with a slow promotion rate into one in-demand and undermanned.
There are many, but those that most frequently top the list include: 0211 counterintelligence/human intelligence specialist; 0321 reconnaissance man; 0372 critical skills operator; 0689 cyber security technician; and 2336 explosive ordnance disposal technician. Those jobs offer handsome reenlistment bonuses of up to $51,000.
There are challenges and potential pitfalls though. A lateral move "can help or break you career," Atkins said.
It all comes down to timing and careful consideration of the job's career trajectory. A job might have quick promotion times from corporal to sergeant for example, but flat line at higher ranks.
Like an SDA, a Marine considering a lateral move should make it early in their career and have realistic expectations of what it will entail. When a Marine makes a lateral move, they are building MOS credibility — critical to picking up rank — from scratch.
"What a sergeant 0311 [rifleman] had to do is entirely different than crash fire rescue," Spangenberg said. "You have to understand you are starting all over again."
"Can a staff sergeant submit for a lateral move later in their career — yes," he added. "But, the problem is they are now senior. They are going into an MOS where a sergeant in that MOS is going to know more than you."
Considering a lateral move? Meet with a career planner, said Traver said. They are privy to what spots open up across the Corps and can determine whether a Marine is qualified to swap jobs.
Unfortunately, a dream job might not be immediately available, he said. In that case, waiting until later in the fiscal year is an option. But there's no guarantee a slot will open up, Traver warned.
Staying out of trouble
No one says t to say there is no room for mistakes in today's Marine Corps, but the margin for error is razor thin — and it's getting thinner.
Transgressions, whether it's gaining too much weight, finding trouble at the local bar, or a lackluster on-the-job performance, are to be avoided at all costs. For example, oOne A negative fitrep ness report generally takes two to undo, Goff said.
One problem Greuel said he continues to see is Marines getting tattoos that violate regulations. Though well-publicized and hotly debated within the Corps, Marines still seem to flout the tattoo policy.
But even if Marines have you have a documented problem, counting themselves yourself out is a big mistake. Selection boards consider many factors about a past indiscretion, including its nature, severity, whether it's been corrected and how long ago it occurred.
Many Marines receive misinformation from their noncommissioned officers and staff NCOs on this front regarding career prospects, not because they are ill-intentioned, but because they occasionally espouse outdated information, Atkins said.
This is yet one more reason to speak directly with a career planner, he said.
For example, a Marine with a lower PFT score may count himself out when manpower officials and selection boards are, in a given year, granting wiggle room for one reason or another.
"We don't have a zero defect mentality," Goff said. "Boards consider how long ago it was. Have you corrected it? Was it a moral or ethical violation? With those, it is harder to see if you got your moral compass back to true north. But a shortfall in your MOS is easy to annotate if you have corrected it or not."
If a Marine had one third-class PFT years ago, but since documented several first-class results, it is clear he or she fixed the transgression and maintained a high level of performance ever since.
Other breaches are less easy to overlook. Assault, driving while intoxicated or theft, for example. With those misdeeds, it's "harder to see … if your moral compass is back to true north," Goff said.
Seeking a mentor
One of the most useful tools in gauging one's progress is engaging regularly with a reporting senior — likely the unit commanding officer.
While proactively engaging leaders could at times prove intimidating for junior Marines, ensuring they are meeting expectations and asking how they can improve will put them on their senior's radar in a positive light. It also means they won't be caught off guard by a negative annual fitrepness report.
One good method Goff suggested is presenting a commander with a blank, unofficial fitness report on a quarterly basis. That allows for clear guidance on areas of improvement and leaves them with a document to reference later.
If they stumble late in the year and close to their fitrep FitRep, it also gives them a chance to remind their commander that they embraced self-improvement. An entire fitrep FitRep should not be judged by a single event, but the human mind tends to focus on what has happened most recently, Goff said.
Unfortunately, that sort of exchange doesn't happen as often as it should because junior Marines fear appearing annoying. Conversely, many commanders don't want to discourage their subordinated by critiquing them, he said.
Atkins suggested holding a conversation with a reporting senior at least once a month, even if it is not directly tied to job performance. If a junior Marine is intimidated, he advised taking a fellow Marine who also wants feedback.
The onus also is on unit commanders to mentor their Marines, Greuel said. He recommended lance corporals and corporals take time to counsel more junior Marines.
"The more junior a Marine is, the less likely it seems they don't have a mentor. That's the person who needs it the most," Greuel said.
Talk to your career planners
No matter your career path, planning is paramount.
"You always have to think one step ahead of where you are," Goff said.
The best way to create a roadmap is to speak with career planners and career counselors early and often, they say.
"I would say there is never a bad time or reason. [Marines] should be speaking to career planners at every opportunity they get," Atkins said.
Traver echoed that sentiment, listing waiting to speak to a career planner as a major misstep. You cannot afford to sit back and relax.
"Come to us with enough time," he said.
That is the case even if a Marine plans on leaving the service. A career planner can help them make the transition to civilian life.
"A lack of planning is one of the biggest mistakes," Atkins said. "Maybe a Marine had a bad experience, his first contract was not what he expected and now he wants to get out [and go to school].– says he is going to school. Well, have you considered where? Can you afford the cost of living or books which might not be covered by the post-9/11 GI Bill."
That Marine may not be able to go to school immediately and has passed up a chance at also is past any chance of reenlisting, leaving him or her without ft without good options.
But career planners like Atkinson and career counselors aren't exactly the same. Which should you talk to? For many Marines who are in a subsequent term, the answer is both since they have slightly different, even if overlapping skill sets.
Atkins and his peers help Marines plot career paths in general terms, balancing their wants with the Marine Corps' needs and even helping those leaving the service.
Career counselors on the other are focused exclusively on the individual Marine and have a solid bead on what exactly promotion boards are looking for each year. Consequently, they can go over a Marine's fitrep FitRep and help ensure they meet or exceed the profile of the average Marine who is promoted when they go before the board. Counselors can say with a fair amount of certainty who boards did and didn't select in the past and why, Goff said.
