The Canadian Armed Forces Is Hiring For So Many Jobs & Some Pay You For Signing Up
If you’ve been looking for a first job or a career change, this could be for you. The Canadian Armed Forces is hiring across the country right now, and there's a huge list of different jobs up for grabs. Even better, there’s actually a sign-up bonus for some positions!
If a 9 to 5 office job doesn’t sound good to you, how about exploring a career within the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF)?
Right now, it's hiring for so many different positions across the country and the roles range from musicians and cooking staff to dental technicians, firefighters and chaplains.
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In fact, there's 90 different careers currently listed on the CAF website!
While some roles, such as medical radiation technologists, require past experience and specific education to apply, others have almost no requirements at all.
In some cases, where they’re particularly keen to find good candidates, they’re even offering a signing bonus!
That means you could get extra cash on top of your new salary, just for applying. If you get the job, of course.
While exact salaries are not listed for each role, the CAF says that all new recruits typically earn between $35,820 and $62,424 per year during basic training.
They also occasionally offer paid education benefits, which means you can get extra cash to complete additional training or further education. Pretty good, eh?
Here's a sample of what's on offer right now.
Steward
Salary: Varied
Company: Canadian Armed Forces
Why You Should Apply: Stewards in the CAF are there to provide hospitality services to various forces. Duties range from food and beverage services to admin work and even flight stewarding.
No experience is necessary but you will need to have completed Grade 10 or Secondaire IV.
Firefighter
Salary: Varied
Company: Canadian Armed Forces
Why You Should Apply: Think you can handle the heat? Firefighters in the CAF have multiple duties, including fighting fires on wildlands, helping rescue aircraft, removing hazardous materials and completing high-angle rescues.
To apply, you’ll need to have a Grade 11 Academic Math qualification (or Math 536 in Quebec) and a Grade 11 Science qualification (Chemistry, Physics, or Physical Science). A valid driver’s licence is also required.
Cook
Salary: Varied (Plus signing bonus)
Company: Canadian Armed Forces
Why You Should Apply: If you’re comfortable in the kitchen, this role could be perfect for you. You’d be required to help create nutritious and delicious meals for CAF members and National Defence employees and could be based within Canada or overseas on deployments.
The minimum requirement to apply is the completion of Grade 10 or Secondaire IV.
Musician
Salary: Varied
Company: Canadian Armed Forces
Why You Should Apply: Want to march to the sound of your own drum? A military musician’s job is to bring the tunes to all sorts of CAF events. This includes ceremonial parades, military graduations and more. The bands are stationed in various cities across Canada, and the performers are expected to be multi-talented.
While no specific education or experience is listed, the CAF notes that successful applicants are usually professional musicians who are experienced to a degree-level.
Intelligence Officer
Salary: Varied
Company: Canadian Armed Forces
Why You Should Apply: This role is as important as it sounds! You’d be required to analyze information that might affect military operations, manage IT systems, safeguard classified material and command an intelligence team.
You’ll need a degree for this one, but you don’t necessarily need to have it already.
The CAF is willing to pay for this qualification as part of your training if you’re a strong enough candidate. If you’re already qualified, they’ll decide if your current degree is appropriate upon selection.
Port Inspection Diver
Salary: Varied
Company: Canadian Armed Forces
Why You Should Apply: If life underwater sounds good to you, this is a great opportunity. As a diver, it would be your job to complete underwater searches and inspections. You’d be looking for any security issues or hazards and would be entrusted with keeping Canada’s ports and waterways safe.
You’ll need to have completed Grade 10 to apply, and must be a great team-player. They’ll train you on the diving side of things, but you must be coordinated, manually dexterous, and have an excellent level of fitness already.
Postal Clerk
Salary: Varied
Company: Canadian Armed Forces
Why You Should Apply: The role of a postal clerk is to receive, dispatch and trace mail, complete documents and operate a finance counter. You could be based in an office or on a ship, or even in a mobile postal van!
The completion of Grade 10 is the only requirement to be a candidate for this position.
Boatswain
Salary: Varied
Company: Canadian Armed Forces
Why You Should Apply: Think of the sunsets! This role is ideal for anyone who likes being on the ocean, as the primary duty is to oversee what’s happening on CAF naval ships. A boatswain is responsible for safely operating the ship’s rigging and handling equipment.
No experience is necessary, you'll just need to have education up to Grade 10.
Naval Communicator
Salary: Varied (Plus signing bonus)
Company: Canadian Armed Forces
Why You Should Apply: As a naval communicator, your job is to keep everyone connected and informed at all times. It’s a good gig, but they want you to be prepared for possible rough waters. Get your sea legs ready!
You’ll get training on the job, so no experience or specific education is listed. You’ll just need to have completed Grade 10.
