Career Exploration Project

Nathan ValentineJudith Dutill

Introduction to Communication3/31/2014

Area of Communication:Group and team communication.

Position Description:

1st Lieutenant in the United States Marine CorpsA first lieutenant is the second rank that a marine officer can achieve, upon completing their training, a cadet is commissioned at the rank of 2nd lieutenant.

Required education and experiences:

There are several different routes to attaining

one's commission. All require a Bachelor's

Degree and a form of military training.

Either attend college and complete OCS

(officer candidate school which is a 6 week

training course) or attend NROTC (naval ROTC

which is like a field of study in college) or

attend the Naval Academy.

Required skills:

Must be in prime physical condition and

meet the rigorous physical requirements.

Must complete proper training and

education.

There are 11 leadership principles that one must learn to excel in their career as a marine officer

1. BE TECHNICALLY AND TACTICALLY PROFICIENT

Maintain a high level of competence in your Military Occupational Specialty. Your proficiency will earn the respect of your Marines.

2. KNOW YOURSELF AND SEEK SELF-

Use the leadership traits to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses. An accurate and clear understanding of yourself and a comprehension of group behavior will help you determine the best way to deal with any given situation.

3. KNOW YOUR MARINES AND LOOK OUT FOR THEIR WELFAREYou should know your Marines and how they react to different situations. This knowledge can save lives. Knowledge of your Marines' personalities will enable you, as the leader, to decide how best to employ each Marine.

4. KEEP YOUR MARINES INFORMEDInformed Marines perform better and, if knowledgeable of the situation, can carry on without your personal supervision. Providing information can inspire initiative.

5. SET THE EXAMPLE

Set the standards for your Marines by personal example. The Marines in your unit all watch your appearance, attitude, physical fitness and personal example. If your personal standards are high, then you can rightfully demand the same of your Marines.

6. ENSURE THE TASK IS UNDERSTOOD, SUPERVISED AND ACCOMPLISHED

Before you can expect your Marines to perform, they need to know what is expected from them. Communicate your instructions in a clear, concise manner, and allow your Marines a chance to ask questions. Check progress periodically to confirm the assigned task is properly accomplished.

7. TRAIN YOUR MARINES AS A TEAMTrain your Marines with a purpose and emphasize the essential elements of teamwork and realism. Teach your unit to train, play and operate as a team. Be sure that all Marines know their positions and responsibilities within the team framework.

8. MAKE SOUND AND TIMELY DECISIONSRapidly estimate a situation and make a sound decision based on that estimation. There's no room for reluctance to make a decision, revise it. Marines respect the leader who corrects mistakes immediately.

9. DEVELOP A SENSE OF RESPONSIBILITY IN YOUR SUBOORDINATES

Show your Marines you are interested in their welfare by giving them the opportunity for professional development. Assigning tasks and delegating authority promotes mutual confidence and respect between the leader and the team.

10. EMPLOY YOUR UNIT IN ACCORDANCE WITH ITS CAPABILITIES

Successful completion of a task depends upon how well you know your unit's capabilities. Seek out challenging tasks for your unit, but be sure your unit is prepared for and has the ability to successfully complete the mission.

11. SEEK RESPONSIBILITY AND TAKE RESPONSIBILITY FOR YOUR ACTIONS

Actively seek out challenging assignments for your professional development. Seeking responsibilities also means that you take the responsibility for your actions. You are responsible for all your unit does or fails to do. Stick by your convictions and be willing to accept justified and constructive criticism.

(Marines.com)

Interview

1st Lieutenant Steve Sullivan

1. What is your favorite thing about a

career in the Marine Corps?“Many people go through their career wondering if they made a difference. Marines don't have that problem.”

2. What is the biggest challenge of a career in the Marine Corps?

“The biggest challenge of being in the Marine Corps is the large amount of time spent away from my family and putting everything in my personal life on hold. When I go off the grid I'll go without talking to my family for months at a time, as my daughter grew up I would often miss big milestones in her early life.”

3. What made you want to become a Marine officer?

“I wanted to reach a higher level of excellence, become a visionary, and have a more effective seguay into the professional world. I chose to make my MOS (Military Occupational Specialty) Aviation Combat Element, I have the option to get my commercial flying license in the civilian world.”

4. What path did you choose to rise to your level?

“I chose to gain some experience as an enlisted man for 4 years before I decided to pursue my bachelor's. I initially intended to just remain enlisted. But either way I felt that I could better gain the respect of my Marines if I spent time living amongst them, learning what to look for in an officer.”

5. Did you see yourself as an officer long ahead of time?

“No not at all. When I went to college I had

no idea I'd be doing this. I wasn't sure it

was happening until they were pinning the

bars on my shoulder.”

Conclusion:Even though a Marine Officer may not be in the typical field of communications, I feel that this career requires communication skills just as much as it requires knowledge, and mental and physical alacrity. I'm not sure that I will ever have a career in the Marine Corps but I have a deep admiration and appreciation for these noble people.

WORKS CITED

"Leadership Principles." Marines.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014.http://www.marines.com/being-a-marine/leadership-principles

"Commissioning Programs." Marines.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Apr. 2014. http://www.marines.com/becoming-a-marine/commissioning-programs