<p>Any suggestions on what one should wear when the Blue & Gold Officer comes over to the house for the first intitial interview. This will be with a CPO.</p>
<p>Thanks for the advice.</p>
<p>neat pants, jacket and tie...well groomed....no sneakers....polished shoes, belt and neat haircut...
remember, you only get one chance to make a first impression...make sure it is a good one! you are seeking to represent the country....they want only the best- good luck!</p>
<p>Marine75-78:</p>
<p>I suggest you treat your BGO interview like a job interview and dress accordingly in business attire (Shirt/tie, conservative dress). Be prepared to answer questions about school courses, sports, leadership positions, e/c activities, reasons for attending academy, knowledge/expectations about academy.</p>
<p>Good luck.</p>
<p>you can never say "sir" enough, even if they are civilian, especially if they are a naval officer and you can never say it enough to a Marine officer. This is something you will get very used to saying throughout your career. It is the simplest form of showing respect and maturity.</p>
<p>be respectful... don't use slang </p>
<p>YES not Yah</p>
<p>No Ummmmms or Uhhhhsss </p>
<p>be confident </p>
<p>make sure you know why you want to be in the navy, know a little bit about the cadet life, BCT, honor code, Branches, the committement period etc </p>
<p>knowing some current events wouldn't hurt</p>
<p>some BGO are nice and you just chit chat and have a nice conversation.... sometimes the BGO will grill you. To avoid this try to have contact with your BGO officer prior to your interview, call him a few times before to ask him questions about the academy, make sure he knows you are dedicated, committed and serious about this applicaiton process</p>
<p>"and you can never say it enough to a Marine officer."</p>
<p>Sure you can. Any officer without an inferiority complex already knows he's in charge. You can let him know that YOU know at the beginning and the end of your conversation--but I was always more interested in what the hell the person had to say, rather than the number of times he could say sir. </p>
<p>"some BGO are nice and you just chit chat and have a nice conversation.... sometimes the BGO will grill you."</p>
<p>How many interviews did you have?</p>
<p>DeepThroat</p>
<p>so.. have u considered changing ur name deep throat? :D</p>
<p>my AFA and WP liason officers were laid back... all we did was just have a casual conversation </p>
<p>My BGO for navy officer jumped down my throat at every chance... grilled me on current events... somethings about the navy.... I don't know if he just did it to me or he does it to every one to see how every one handles the pressure... not sure, I felt that my chances of getting into the navy were out the window as soon as my interview was over, but still got an appointment... so I guess some people just like to see how people handle themselves</p>
<p>e.g. with the current events</p>
<p>he asked me who the VP, secretary of state, and secretary of defense were (not too bad)... asked me my opinion on some marine shooting that happened in the stix in iraq that I had no idea that even took place.... Asked me about the branches and what their jobs were.... I think I missed a few like surface warfare or something and he jumped down my throat right away and siad "how can you want to be in the navy when you don't know anything about it".... He asked me some obscure question and I replied (which I shouldn't have) "I'm sorry I don't understand you're question" and he made sure he gave me the business on that one "don't answer a question with another....when some one ask you a question answer it.... etc etc...." </p>
<p>haha sorry If I'm scaring some of you... in the end I received an appointment... I still keep in touch with him via e-mail... and he turned out to be a really nice, and helpful person... I guess he just put on his game face for the interview</p>
<p>"so.. have u considered changing ur name"</p>
<p>I am mulling it over now. We'll see . . . </p>
<p>DeepThroat</p>
<p>Tbby2,</p>
<p>It sounds like you had a really bad experience with your BGO. Was he active duty? Navy or Marines? Would I be right in assuming he was a younger guy (say, under 30 or so)? Any idea what his warfare specialty/MOS was? From what you said, I think I could come up with some good guesses, but I would like to hear the straight dope from you.</p>
<p>At any rate, you're not supposed to know anything about the Navy---you're just a high school student. I would think an acceptable answer to "Do you know what kind of jobs you can do in the Navy?", would be "Well, you can go on a ship, a sub or fly. Oh, and I guess you can be a SEAL, too!" As far as his "Don't answer a question with a question" . . . . I just don't know what to say. I am seriously aghast that he would say that to you. I mean, if you don't understand that question, what are you supposed to do? Stare at the guy? You can't even say "Pardon me?", because that would violate the no questions dictate. </p>
<p>What I find most disturbing about this whole incident is how you have simply rationalized it as your BGO putting on his "game face." Step back for second if you can. Would you ever treat someone like that in the civilian world? Just because you are in "the military" doesn't mean that you have to treat people like crap. Belittling people doesn't build discipline, and using that technique to gauge how people will respond under stress seems to be of dubious value, as you will rarely, if ever, be in a stressful situation that you have not been trained to handle. If you have ever worked, imagine what your workplace would be like if everyone interacted in the way that your BGO interacted with you. Would it increase efficiency? Would people want to work there? </p>
<p>My whole diatribe here (in case anyone is still reading) also ties back into the earlier post in this thread that was touting the virtues of saying "sir." Sure, the military has a structure in which everyone, BY VIRTUE OF THEIR POSITIONS IN THE ORGANIZATION, is senior to some people and subordinate to others---but this doesn't mean that you are any better or smarter than anyone else in the organization. Treat folks with respect, not God-like deference, and treat them with respect regardless of whether they are your senior or subordinate. </p>
<p>Man, the more I think about this situation, the madder I get. Just remember that your "game face" (whatever that means) doesn't have to include you being condescending or pompous.</p>
<p>Good Luck at USNA,</p>
<p>DeepThroat</p>
<p>i suppose technically you can be too respectful, however, as a Marine i can assure you that you should not have to worry about whether you are being to formal with a Marine officer. perhaps that is how i should have phrased my original statement. The military is based on ceremony and tradition so at the very least you should be a ble to get used to that sort of thing.</p>
<p>A good dialog.....As a Parent trying to stay out of the decision of my son, he had his first B&G interview. His attire, Tee Shirt, Shorts, and Flip Flops. Thus my initial question. (refer to 1st post) </p>
<p>I did not say a word to him. But as a former Marine it is hard not to get worked up. I have to agree with Deep Throat. He does not have a clue of the Navy. He will be attending Summer Seminar this Saturday, hopefully he will make an educated decision on his future.</p>
<p>The CPO that visited our house was a 39 year retired Navy CPO. He was very cordial. Showed the video, asked about SAT Scores, 690 Math, 540 Verbal (which is not acceptable according to UNSA standards). Asked if he keeps up with the News, asked about career choices. Leadership positions. Did not ask about grades or class ranking. Maybe after the first question of SATs he is no longer a candidate??????</p>
<p>Asked if he had any questions.......Disappointment as a Parent here because he did not have one. Heck, I have a bunch, but I try to research them myself in forums such as this. (and getting them answered) :)</p>
<p>Sounds like this interview was much different than tbby2's. Does an old Navy Chief want to be called Sir? As a matter of fact, he told us the story of when he attended the Academy for his B&G training, he had to tell them to quit calling him Sir. So I feel confident in that my son did not refer to him as Sir. Had some Yess in some responses, but still had many ummmuummm and yeahs. </p>
<p>I know this is very competitive. I guess what ever happens I will be proud. As a straight A student Athlete 17th in a class of 470+ plus all the other accolades many of the other young men and women share, I give him credit for wanting to try to become a candidate for the USNA.</p>
<p>Not to hijack the posting, but Marines 75-78, if your son had been my daughter I would have told her to dress respectfully for the interview. I know as parents we need to know where to draw the line, but good advice can come from anywhere. And it's never too late to take the SATs again. Good luck to your son.</p>
<p>My daughter met our local BGO at an Academy day presentation when she was a freshmen. He is a retired Navy Captain and local Judge. She called him on the phone right before her Sophmore year in High School. He gave her some good advice on how to make herself a good candidate. His best advice was to get Calculus as a Senior. He felt that this was imperative. My daughter had been on track to take Pre-calc as a Senior so had to change her schedule this year to Geometry and Algebra 2 to catch up. I was really proud of her because she had to really fight the school to change her schedule to two math classes and she did it all herself. She just dug in her heels and wouldn't take no for an answer.</p>
<p>She felt that she had two reasons to take his advice. First, it was good advice and will probably make Plebe year academics slightly easier if she makes it. Second, she showed that she can listen to advice and do what she's told and that she wasn't just calling him to be sociable.</p>
<p>Daughter has since sent the BGO a couple of update letters to keep in touch and let him know more about her (and to let him know she took his advice and it worked out.) I talked to him again this year at Academy Day, (daughter was away on a band trip) and he knew right away who I was talking about and told me he was impressed with her letters.</p>
<p>I don't know if all BGO's are like hers, but I feel that the earlier you can contact them and start building a rapport the better off you will be. Hopefully when she gets to the interview phase it will be eaiser since they've already conversed.</p>
<p>DT,</p>
<p>I'm totally with you on this. If anyone in a position of authority in any company tried to conduct a "stress" interview, it would be a reflection on the company. I have even heard numerous job applicants say that they would not work for a company after being treated so rudely. It truly says something about an organization's culture if this kind of behavior is allowed. Military discipline and rudeness on an interview do not go hand-in-hand. </p>
<p>Also, as somebody who has been a corporate recruiter for many years, I can tell you that the candidate will not relax and give honest answers if they are put on the defensive. The best interviewers will allow a candidate to relax and be natural. This way you may get to the answers that will tell you if you want to refer the candidate to the next stage or not.</p>
<p>DT</p>
<p>He was actulally an older gentalmen... had to have been in his 60s... A captain, but a USMMA graduate </p>
<p>yah it was weird, b/c after our interview I saw him again at a college fair and he was completely different, it was strange</p>
<p>anyway, sorry to say that I accted my appointment to USAFA not USNA </p>
<p>even tho my BGO interview was a little scary, he did help me alot, and they are there to help you so Good luck!</p>
<p>"as a Marine i can assure you that you should not have to worry about whether you are being to formal with a Marine officer."</p>
<p>The point wasn't whether one should "worry" about being "too formal," rather, it was how far one should go to afford the interviewer some respect. As a recently civilianized Marine officer, I can assure you that you are wrong if you think the more-is-better approach is correct. I'm not saying to wear flip-flops or say "dude" a lot . . . but there's no need to sit rigidly on the front four inches of your chair and end every sentence with "sir." </p>
<p>DeepThroat</p>
<p>Marine75-78,
I sent you a PM.</p>
<p>My two cents based upon my son's successful appointment to USMA:
* Dress informally but neatly - I think a sports coat with a tie and dress shoes is best. My son showed up for his first congressional nomination interview (I was away on a business trip and my wife didn't know what she was doing) in khakis, sneakers, and a hockey pullover jacket - way too informal - all the other kids were wearing coats and ties. My son wised up - no nomination from that senator but got nominations from the other senator and our representative.
* Prepare a resume/curriculum vitae - a document you can use when meeting your liaison officer and for your congressional nominations. It should list your academic record, your extracurriculars, your athletics, etc. It's basically a set of talking points. Put anything else on it that might start a conversation - an interesting hobby, any marathons you've run, etc. This doc can be handed to interviewer or emailed as a soft attachment.
* Do a practice interview - I did this with my son - but probably better if you can get a friend of the family to do it. Being able to communicate well will come in handy when applying for jobs, etc. My son took a public speaking course during his Junior year summer at Duke - helped him think about how to organize his thoughts and how to communicate things. He said the public speaking course was tougher than college-level calculus.
* Last but most important - your prime interest is in being an officer in the U.S. Armed Forces - get this across any way you can. You're not applying to get a free ride. My son truly wants to be an Army Officer - he applied to only schools that had Army ROTC programs.</p>
<p>Big Green is right on target with his advice. I would add too that you think about answers to some tough questions just to be prepared. My son did the coat & tie and was asked what he'd learned from his failures and what he thought made a good leader. Tough questions when one is put on the spot. Its hard to anticipate what you'll be asked but try to keep up to date on current affairs and KNOW your leaders! Best of luck to you.</p>