I’m at a crossroads in my life need some guidance?

effluent

Okay so I’ll start off by saying that I’m a 22 year old male, nearly 23. I’ve been to college and have a science degree. I lost interest in jobs related to my degree and I am perusing a job which I am over qualified, and would be making about 10K less than I would if I went for jobs related to my degree, but absolutely love this job. I really love living in my hometown. It just seems to cater to all my needs; hobbies, good friends and people I know. I am also set to inherit my parents’ house and would like to spend the rest of my life there. But I won’t be able to gain employment in this for at least five years. So I either have to get employment in a related field to boost my chances of getting a permanent position or to life out a something I’ve been fascinated all my life.

The way I see this cross roads is like this:

Throughout my childhood I was always fascinated by army life. I have some relations in the army and having talked to them I think I would like it. But there is no chance that I’d be able to join our defence forces, so I’ve been giving the French Foreign Legion some serious consideration over the years, so much so that I’ve learned French on my own. Basically the reasons why I want to join are for the experiences, to make myself a better person and to be able to look back on my life with pride that I gave service to one of the greatest military branches in the world. I am very active, do a lot of hill walking, hiking, triathlon training. But I just feel this isn’t really enough and need something more. I would think of it as being both the best and worst experience of my life. I feel incomplete and I think I'd regret not taking this opportunity and always wonder what it would have been like, plus it would look impressive on my CV as my dream career is an enforcement type role. One of the big negatives is how this will affect my relationships with my friends and family, like how different things will be after my five years of service.

On the other hand I could get employment in my hometown doing anything that has some decent money in it. I could live in my hometown and still enjoy living here and enjoy the company of my friends and family. Also by the time I'm out I will be 27, and probably be too old to meet someone or to try and start this career. I’m not looking for advice on how to join up or why I should not join, but I can’t really talk about this with anyone. I have been driving myself crazy over this and thought that I’d write it down here and maybe someone might think how rational or irrational my thinking is?

Thanks for reading. Any insight would be greatly appreciated.

I am a friend

The most interesting post I have read in a while...

Op what is your attraction to the FFL? Do you think your mindset while in the FFL might change so much that you would struggle to return to a normal day job? Just curious also what you know about the life the FFL would offer?

Ainekav

read this anyway for starters:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2011/1008/1224305239715.html

Ainekav

Sorry, don't know if that was helpful since you said you didn't want advice on whether or not to join.

I would say go for it though, 27 is young in terms of finding a girlfriend and settling down!

effluent

I won't claim to know everything about the legion but I have read books written by legionnaires and I'm well up on their history and regiments. I have a lot of respect for their past, to part of this would be an achievement in itself in my opinion. I never meet a legionnaire but have meet many people in the armed forces and would always have a lot of respect for them as I feel it's a very honourable career.

As I said before I had planned to join the defences forces after I finished college, but to put a long story short, it's simply out of the question. The legion is my last chance to take up opportunity like this.

Part of what attracted me to join the PDF in the first place was their role in peace keeping duties. I think doing something like that must give people a sense of meaning to their life and proud for making a difference on the ground.

My dream career wouldn't really be described as an ordinary job and is an enforcement type role. I heard, and actually know someone, who after completing their service went on to work in law enforcement and made a good career out of it. Could there be an argument for saying spending 4-5 years in the PDF or FFL could help your employment prospects after service and a way of waiting out the recession (or state recruitment embargo).

I know anyone reading my thread will think I'm daft as brush for thinking about this, which is the main reason I haven't spoken to anyone about this, but is this really such a bad idea?

effluent

Ainekav wrote: »

read this anyway for starters:

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/magazine/2011/1008/1224305239715.html

I actualy read that a while ago, good read!

I am a friend

I would know nothing about the legion other than having seen some documentaries.. I found that article very interesting but would also expect that the responseswere highly sanitised and it's not as noble or altruistic as painted.

I also would suspect that entry to the Irish forces is on a standalone basis and not necessarily guaranteed after serving in the legion but many I am just being a doubting Thomas.

I wish you the best of luck and will be following your thread with interest. Btw, is there an armed forces forum here in boards? It may help.

effluent

I am a friend wrote: »

I would know nothing about the legion other than having seen some documentaries.. I found that article very interesting but would also expect that the responseswere highly sanitised and it's not as noble or altruistic as painted.

I also would suspect that entry to the Irish forces is on a standalone basis and not necessarily guaranteed after serving in the legion but many I am just being a doubting Thomas.

I wish you the best of luck and will be following your thread with interest. Btw, is there an armed forces forum here in boards? It may help.

You see the thing is I will never be able to get into the PDF, as by the time they will be recruiting again I will be too old and behind the pecking order (I'll be 25 when they'll be recruiting again, and there will be many guys who applied multiple times but didn't get in). So instead I'll just sign up for the legion, and if I'm lucky I could serve a five year contract with them. Then after that contract is up I could try and go for a permanent position in the job I'm in now. But something that puts me off is that I'll be 27 by the time I'm finished there, some might say I could be too old to start a career somewhere else.

I should mention that my temporary contract ends next month so it could be well into January (to give me enough time to tie up loose ends) before I get on the flight to France