How to Become an Army Recruiter

Army recruiters play a vital role in the grand scheme of protecting our country. These highly motivated men and women offer support and guidance to those civilians who are interested in enlisting.

Their duties include visiting schools and career fairs, preparing recruits for aptitude and fitness tests, and interviewing candidates to determine their eligibility. If any of this sounds interesting, you might be wondering how to become an Army recruiter.

For starters, you're going to need a college education, as a minimum of 30 credit hours is required — although the area of study is completely up to you. You will need at least four years of service in the United States Army, along with strong written and verbal communication skills.

The Army Recruiting Command's motto is "To Provide the Strength," and to do so, the Army demands potential recruiters meet exacting standards before they can get this assignment. These are just some of the basics — now, let's get into a more detailed discussion and see if you got what it takes to become an Army recruiter.

Join the Army

This is the most obvious, but nevertheless, most important step you must take if you wish to become an Army recruiter. To join the US Army, individuals must be between 17-35 years old, have a high school diploma, and pass a physical exam.

After joining, recruits will have to complete ten weeks of basic training. To pass, recruits will have to meet Army standards, including courses on marching and marksmanship, as well as learning the Army's values.

Once a new recruiter can show he or she is able to master the basics of military life, they are sent to more advanced, individualized training. This is where the recruiter will begin to specialize and learn what his or her job will be as a soldier. Four years from then, he or she may become an Army recruiter. Would you want somebody recruiting for a cause they didn't know the first thing about? Exactly.

Warrior Leader Course

Would-be recruiters must finish the Warrior Leader Course at an officer academy — the course lasts 17 days. At the Warrior Leader Course, soldiers receive leadership, combat, and fitness training. The program includes courses in fighting battles, drills and ceremonies, navigation, and training management — training on how to become an Army recruiter.

They then undergo a leadership evaluation, and are required to pass a series of written exams before they satisfy all the Warrior Leader Course requirements.

Meet Recruiter Requirements

Army recruiters must be 21-35 years old, have completed 30 hours of college coursework, and have at least three years of active service remaining on their contract. Recruiters must earn a minimum combined score of 110 on the verbal expression and arithmetic sections of the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery. Only soldiers with the ranks of Specialist, Corporal, Sergeant, Staff Sergeant, or Sergeant First Class can apply to become a recruiter.

Now, if you have these basic requirements met, you are ready to start the application process and become an Army recruiter.

The Application

The application involves several different forms, including an assessment from the soon-to-be recruiter's battalion and company commanders.

Applicants then must submit a photo ID, a form documenting their personal finances, and a list of preferred assignment locations along with a Warrior Leader Course certification.

Proof of a mental health evaluation will also be required, as well as an explanation of any potentially offensive tattoos. After you complete the application in its entirety, you must mail it to Fort Knox, Kentucky. The waiting period for a response can take up to six months.

Recruiter Training

Good news: you passed the application process on how to become an Army recruiter. What now? You are awfully close, and the how-to-become-an-Army-recruiter process is nearly complete. Candidates who pass the application and background screening take the Army Recruiting Course at the Recruiting and Retention School in Fort Jackson, South Carolina. The Army Recruiting Course provides six weeks of instructions that covers interviewing, technology, interpersonal communication, Army programs, time management, and enlistment requirements.

Training finally ends after the candidates complete an online course — Advanced Training Program — while they await their potential work assignments. This program is designed to help the candidates retain all they've learned up to this point, and help keep everything fresh in their minds.

Start Recruiting

Hopefully, you've completed all the steps and gained the perfect work assignment. Maybe it's close to your hometown, or maybe you have to re-locate, but either way you did it — you're an Army recruiter.

If you think you can become an Army recruiter, be advised it isn't something that's easily accomplished, nor is it for the faint of heart. But, if you can hack it, becoming a recruiter can be both a rewarding and financially lucrative career.