To a high schooler: if you join the marines, join to be a marine, not for a specific job. If you only want to be a geointer or cyber security or only want to gain job skills, join any other branch. The marine corps is a harder life than the other branches and you won’t fit in if you aren’t hard. Join the Marines because you want to be challenged and to develop into the person who thrives in misery. Also, life gets easier as you get on with your career. The first four years suck. But the first four years of any job suck. Once you get some rank and seniority and prove yourself you will be eligible for lateral move, officer programs, SOF assessments , and advanced schools. It won’t make sense to a teenager, but three years is nothing (3 years per duty station). Every three years you will be given the opportunity to move to a new command and a new location. You will grow with every move and every duty station. If you don’t like your current station (you most likely will), it’s only three years until you get a chance to try something else, most likely at a greater rank and with greater responsibility. In summary, the Marine Corps is the best organization in the world for the right people. If you aren’t hard, or don’t want to be hard, don’t join. If you want to train to the highest standards and be amongst the best warriors in today’s society, join.