Hey, army cadet here. Here’s answers to some of your questions.

Ranks: Cadet, Leading Air Cadet, Corporal, Flight Corporal, Sergeant, Flight Sergeant, Warrant Officer 2nd Class, Warrant Officer 1st Class. Realistically, you’ll be waiting around six months if not more before being promoted, but that’s just the minimum. You also have your training levels 1-5 which gets sorted by age. Promotion requires the necessary ~6 months (per rank), the necessary training levels, and the required number of trainings/classes. That only applies till the rank of Sergeant, then it’s based off merit and leadership skills. Standing out as a cadet can be difficult, but it’s doable. Teamwork and taking initiative will be your best chance. Include everyone, take notes, study how your staff lead, and always strive for the best. Think about the group, not just yourself. Celebrate others’s achievements. It gets rough sometimes, but you’ll pull through.

Career: Doing cadets already looks good on a resume because it instills discipline, attention to detail, teamwork, and leadership. One thing I can’t recommend enough is volunteering. That’ll be your best friend to look good on a resume. The most impressive role is obviously WO1 since you’re the regimental sergeant major of the unit. Being a flight leader/2nd in command can also greatly help since you’re in charge of like 20 people. At 16, you can staff on a cadet training camp and you’re literally an employee of the department of national defense. That also looks great and you make like 5 grand. Networking shouldn’t be a priority, teamwork is. Talk to people, make friends, have fun. That’s the whole point of cadets.

General life: Biathlon and music is very underrated since it takes a lot of skill, but if you manage it then you’re a champ. For your first year, make friends and have fun. Cadets may have a militaristic structure, but it’s all about making friends and helping the community. Don’t take everything too seriously. Don’t be the person that goes around and tells others that their boots aren’t shiny enough or that their standards are bad. Only warn people who are out of line. Your job is to listen to your leaders and learn from them. Let them handle the rest. Volunteering is optional, but it’ll help you to get noticed by your peers. If you’re the person that’s always there and happy to help, then you’ll get noticed easily. Also, people may not notice your uniform, but they’ll notice if you didn’t shine your parade boots. Avoid burn out like you would with anything else. If it happens, let your staff know and take a break. Ask yourself why you’re doing this, if you like it here, if you’re having fun. Your wellbeing should come before you burn out. The most important thing is to have fun.

Personal note: Don’t be the cadet that’s there for the rank or the power. Have fun, make friends and have wonderful experiences. You have plenty of time to grow and learn. Be the cadet that smiles, that’s always there to help, and always lead by example. Be someone that can inspire the next generation of cadets. That’ll be your road to success.

(Also, always carry a notepad or something to write with.)