Becoming a sailor: civilian or Navy? Need advise.

[heehaw]

(That's adviCe - sorry.)

I'm new to this INTP stuff. I took several tests and they all gave me that category and the description certainly sounds like me. So here I am.

Anyway, at 34 I'm making a career change. I've always wanted to travel, and after years of being stuck in a rut and never going anywhere, I'm making moves.

After a cursory google search, I see INTP in the military is generally discouraged and considered a bad fit. However, I don't mind a challenge to my proclivities. In fact, I'm seeking it. (For one, I expect that travel, my primary goal, would in and of itself force me to be more extroverted.)

However, it seems to me there are plenty of jobs in the Navy especially that are suitable to this type. A lot of technical jobs and whatnot. I'm mildly interested in gaining technical/mechanical skills, but it's not a passion. I did IT work before and I did well but I got bored quickly and didn't have an interest in advancing. I'm techy capable, but I'm just not a "nerd" (I'm not using that in a derogatory sense). Sitting in front of a screen for hours is terrible for me.

In the past, my passion was music. I was the leader of a group I wrote all the music for, assembled the musicians, produced the recording - a really big operation. And I was good at it. I was definitely at home being a leader and director for something I was personally invested in. But I was unable to balance regular life with it. Having a job and juggling all the responsibilities of my real passion (which made me no money at all) was too much. It threw me into a major depression. I gave up making my own music after that.

Now that I've gotten older, I want to travel before it's too late. It looks like I will get my first boat job soon, if I decide to take it, with an adventure cruise company. Long hours, lots of labor and customer service. But I'll earn at minimum $10,000 of pure savings in 6 months. I'll have freedom (I have no family, mortgages, and only a little debt). I can then travel at my leisure. Get another job, save more, and continue. But it's still just labor and customer service. I don't mind the physical activity, as I work out rather intensely. I worry about being mentally challenged. Then with no structure or security - things I've never had or even aspired to - I could end up making bad money decisions with all that money I earn. I'm not good at planning or saving, but I'm going to try to make changes.

There are considerable advantages to the Navy. I will go to school where I know I will be mentally challenged. There are physical challenges (I could volunteer for duties that would require me to be very fit). I learn a lot of skills (though, yes, I know I'll be cleaning a lot of toilets, too). I will still get to travel. Discipline will be forced upon me. There will still be an opportunity to save, if not as much as a civilian. But definitely no freedom. I won't fit in with the "boys" for sure. It could be a stressful and awkward time socially, but I think I am somewhat adaptable and thick-skinned. I often have major attitude problems when it comes to authority, especially authority I don't respect, but that's going to happen regardless. The only difference is, I can't just quit my job like I have in the past. But maybe this is a good thing. I'm terrible at making long-term commitments.

My ideal job in the military would be Diver, but I'm too old for it. I've been considering Mass Communications in the Navy, which, as I understand it, can be a relatively solitary role, with opportunities for creativity. But I hear this job isn't available very much and difficult to get. I would still be painting and mopping as I would if I were a civilian sailor, but at least I get to spend a lot of my time doing something else. Even if I pick another job, at least I'm learning something. And when I get out I'll have my savings plus money for school to do whatever I want. As a civilian sailor, I'll only have my savings and if I want to go to school, I pay for it myself. (Also, to advance ranks, you have to pay for the training licenses.)

Sorry so long-winded. This is a tough decision for me. I appreciate your thoughts or personal experiences.

 

[CLOfriendOSE]

I have a friend in the Navy. He said most of his classes are jokes, most test are open notebook - which is an eBook, which means people just "search" part of the question to find the answer. He often has trouble using words around people and has adopted a "navy" vocabulary which avoids any four syllable words.
He basically lives in a hub of misogyny. People talk of girls like commodities, break up with their partners before leaving for cruise so they have sexual freedom to have sex with anything they can. They only words my friend knew leaving Japan were "I like" and "it hurts".
If you think you have problems with authority now, wait until the person in charge of you is deficient in most logical processes and telling you what to do.

If this sounds good, then join the pit of intolerance and misogyny that is the NAVY. And don't forget the favorite oxymoron in the services : "Military Intelligence".

 

[OverCaes]

I have a few friends who've joined the military and it definitely changed them. They seem to have lost a bit of their individuality and conformed into the stereotypical "hoo-rah, get some, kill terrorists" types. I have also looked into joining the military (before they did) and realized some things that ultimately led to my not joining. You give up your rights and become the military's property. Meant solely to do what is required of you.

I think the adventure cruising would work out better. You'll be able to meet all sorts of people (if you're willing to stick your neck out a bit) and use whatever money you save for investments or maybe inventing something. There are tons of people out there who need investors for designs, music, films, etc. Even more people to meet.

Personally, the choice would be a no-brainer

 

[Meer]

Have you considered putting your previous passion and current aspirations together? If you have experience with the technical side of audio, you could become a live sound guy on a cruise ship.

 

[Vrecknidj]

Become a linguist and work in the navy translating.

 

[Jordan~]

Why are so many people looking into the military? I guess people here have smaller P-nesses than me. I would far prefer death to living in a situation in which I was frequently expected to obey orders. If you don't mind being told what to do, no problem, I guess; I would not be able to maintain a facade of bovine subservience for long.

 

[scorpiomover]

I've met quite a few ex-army people. Some loved it. Some hated it. If you are the type of person who likes a structure provided for you, then it's for you. If not, then it can be difficult.

Mind you, if you can get into the technical side of things, then I gather it's a LOT easier, and probably more flexible than the regular lot.

Plus, if you meet a female squaddie, she's fit, and a lot of them are up for it, if you know what I mean. Not saying they definitely are. But if the opportunity presents itself...

I've also got a friend who did the cruises for 6 months. It is a lot of work. So while the ship is sailing, you really don't get all that much time. While the ship is in dock, you get to see the sights for a few hours. But if you want longer, then you have to depart there, hang out, and arrange for another cruise to start from there. The only thing there is that the drinks on-board, etc, are very expensive. Anything that doesn't come free with the job, is going to cost you a packet. So bring your own alcoholic drinks, soft drinks, snacks, etc, to keep in your room, so you don't have to fork out a lot for buying them on board. You can also pick some of your food and drink up while the ship docks.

Just also remember, that if it's bottled water you are after, then if it's not sealed, or it looks like the seal has been broken and put back, then it probably got the water replaced with tap water, which in many countries means a bout of dysentery and diarrhoea. If it ain't sealed properly, don't buy it.

Why are so many people looking into the military?

Industries are shutting down more and more. Regularly-paid jobs are becoming scarce. The military is one of the few growth industries, thanks to the War on Terrorism.

I guess people here have smaller P-nesses than me. I would far prefer death to living in a situation in which I was frequently expected to obey orders. If you don't mind being told what to do, no problem, I guess; I would not be able to maintain a facade of bovine subservience for long.

Ps don't make decisions. They 'go with the flow', even if that means doing what others want. It is Js who make decisions. More specifically, it is NJs who say they don't want to work for someone else, and so would rather start up their own business. Their N-ness makes them want to be creative, and not stifled by orders. It is their J-ness that makes them decide to stick to that.

 

[Jordan~]

A Perceiving Introvert (IxxP) will have an Extraverted Perceiving function in the auxiliary position. In the case of an INxP, this function will be Extraverted Intuition, which The dominant function of an IxxP will be an Introverted Judging function, which is used to be internally decisive. Thus an INxP will have dominant Fi or Ti and auxiliary Ne, meaning that they'll have their own definite idea of what's right - that corresponds to an ideal or is logical - and when given orders they'll automatically analyse them to see how they fit into the grand scheme of things, and then judge whether or not that implies that they comply with the direction of Fi or Ti.
Thus an INxP is resistant to being ordered around unless the orders make sense to them. In the military you don't have a choice which orders to obey.