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[O298]Opportunities For Young People

by Victor Epand, Vic

Before you join the military, ask yourself if you are willing to give your life for your Soldiers (or Marines) and your country. If you can say yes to that question, then you are ready to join. Many do not consider that question, and then are surprised at the risks they are required to take in time of war. Although, the conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq will change and eventually end, enemies of individual freedom continue to exist all over the world. These fanatics will continue to attack the United States and her democratic allies, until we change the dynamic of world-wide poverty and provide opportunity for all.

Now, if you decide you still want to join the military, and you want to be an officer, I recommend you join a reserve officer training program. You can join anytime during your college education. During one of your summers, you will be required to take a college version of basic training for either Army or Navy ROTC. This will give you the initial training and understanding of the responsibilities of wearing the uniform, as well as some of its rewards.

People who are Marine officers are very proud of their service, and expect high standards of behavior from themselves and their Marines.

If you choose to be a Marine, you will need to take Navy ROTC, and apply for entry into the Marine Corps. After you graduate and are commissioned as a Marine second lieutenant, you will take Marine basic infantry training. All Marines must take basic infantry training before they are qualified to take any other Marine specialty training. You will not be given your desired specialty until you prove yourself in your initial training.

You can also join the Marines out of college, but the path will be more difficult. You will have to go through enlisted basic infantry training. If you prove yourself worthy there you can earn the chance to go to Marine Officer Candidate School. There you earn the right to become a Marine second lieutenant. You would already be at this point when you graduate, if you complete a 2 or more year ROTC program.

Remember that you cannot join the military for a few months. If you are commissioned, your commitment is usually at least 3 years duty. If you accept a scholarship, or a monetary entry bonus of some type, your commitment is usually 8 years, mixed between active duty time and reserve time. The nice thing about trying ROTC, is that if you really dislike it, you can turn in your uniforms and stop attending. You would have no binding commitment, unless you accept a scholarship of some kind.

Please talk to the ROTC program at your college or at the university closest to you to get more questions answered. There should be an OTC program close to you, even if your college does not have one. You should be able to join as a member for a satellite campus.

As a teenager, I KNOW how hard it is to feel like you 'fit in' during high school, college or university. That's why I've prepared this brief list of tips on how to lead as a young person. Most of the time, teenagers like myself just want to 'fit in' and go unnoticed. This is has become typical because of the old Chinese proverb 'The nail that sticks out gets hammered'. To be different is to be a target in many high schools.

What I love about teenager hood is that in our later years, we get to throw away this way of looking at life, and truly step out and live our lives the way we want to. There is however a solution for those still at high school however - to become a team leader, not a target. Read on to find out how.

1. Have a think about how you live your day to day life. What things do you hate doing, but end up doing anyway? Do you hate going to a certain person's house, but simply have to because everyone else is going? Do you smoke but slightly regret starting? For me, it was hanging out with a certain 'popular' individual who did nothing but insult everyone in their company. This really annoyed me, but noone else seemed to mind. They were probably just better at hiding it than me.

2. Show assertiveness. You don't have to be a very confident person to show assertiveness. Confidence is a characteristic, being assertive is simply a technique you can learn. Rephrase soft and weak phrases to strong sounding ones. "Could you just pass me my pen?" is only asking someone to taunt back "No" just to annoy or upset you. Instead, try "[Name], pass me that pen" in whatever tone comes naturally. By not even phrasing it as a question, the other person will be less likely to challenge you. To reiterate, this isn't about confidence, it's simply behaviour that you have the power to modify.

3. Don't be different for the sake of it. Individuality is a brilliant thing, but don't walk against trends simply 'because'. Many so-called 'non-conformists' are actually part of a very clear, very obvious group of 'non-conformists', and simply conform to their views instead. They're as much of a follower as everyone else, they simply follow the complete opposite to everyone else. So my point is this. Don't follow every trend because you have to, and on the flipside, don't hate every trend just because it's a fad. Do what *you* want, ignore trends completely. If you want to improve your leadership as a teen, you have to walk to the beat of your own drum. :)

4. Don't think 'What if it went wrong?', think 'What if it went RIGHT'

5. Don't back down. Make clear decisions to do what you want to do. Don't let comment or opinions from others make you re-think and possibly back down. As SOON as they see that you've given up, or changed your habit to 'fit in', they know they can manipulate you in the future.

6. Try and roughly write down compliments you have received as a result of being a team leader. Whether someone thanked you for helping them get out of a situation they really didn't want to be in, or someone admiring your 'different' clothes, try and write it down in a tiny book. This book can be thought of as a personal ego-booster, and you can read it when you're feeling down, or need the courage to step up and stand out of the crowd and employ leadership.

7. My final tip may sound obscure. It's 'DO IT'. By this, I am begging you to actually consider using the techniques above properly. It's all too easy to skim over an article such as this and make a half hearted attempt at applying it in practice, only to see it fail. What I want you to do, is get out a pen and paper or open a Word Document, and write down numbers 1-6. For each number, I'd like you to write how you're actually going to use this advice in real life.

Think about:

Which situations had you wished you had applied this tip?
Do you anticipate that opportunity will come round again in the near future?
How are you going to deal with the situation differently this time?

It will empower you and excite you as your action plan takes form. Finally you are actually going to do something about feeling like a sheep or a follower, and will finally be able to manage to bump yourself up a notch on the social hierarchy. :)

Leadership Management is what I call the activity of having a look at yourself once you feel that you've put these plans into action and have started making a difference. Boost your leadership and continually strive to improve your influence by reading articles on a leadership blog, such as mine below.

And finally, you'll notice that none of these leadership tips involve following a certain fashion, mixing with a certain type of people, or liking a certain type of music. This is because these really aren't necessary. You don't lead by being identical to everyone else. For every area; fashion, music, looks, intelligence; I know somebody who is extremely different, *but still popular*. It is these people who I have learnt from. These individuals show that being different AND popular is the greatest place you can be, and they have far more fun than everyone else.

Have fun being a leader, and hopefully soon you'll be doing leadership management yourself!

Article Source : Choose The Sword And You Will Join Me

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Both Victor Epand & Simon Oates are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Victor Epand has sinced written about articles on various topics from Shopping, Trucks and Interest. Victor Epand is an expert consultant for . WarGear.info carries the best selection of. Victor Epand's top article generates over 11100000 views. to your Favourites.

Simon Oates has sinced written about articles on various topics from Leadership, Business Loans and Leadership. Simon Oates is an inspiring author of blogs such as with leadership advice for teens,. Simon Oates's top article generates over 4400 views. to your Favourites.