Job Descriptions

The last job I had was an aviation structural mechanic in the United States Navy. When I wanted to join, I had initially been looking for a different job related to construction and combat however, the job was unavailable at the time. There was only one open spot for one of the positions and it was specified for females only. I was disappointed at the time, but asked what else was available and the aviation job stood out to me. This job entails maintenance on the majority of the aircraft assigned to you. Possible jobs included working on helicopters, fighter jets, stealth jets, and others. After completing boot camp and aviation schooling, I finally arrived at the fleet and was assigned to my first work center. This work center was a completely different job where I ended up taxiing aircraft, towing, launching, and recovering, performing visual inspections, and other related tasks. At this point my job description did not match my job duties in the slightest. The only similarity was that I was working on aircraft. It was not until two years later that I ended up in a different work center working on the outer mold of the fighter jet that my job duties slightly aligned with my job description. The only way I did what I set out to do was when I spent extra time getting qualified for tasks that were not in my work center. Overall, my job was not closely related to my job description, and I was dismayed at first, until later into my small career when I learned to enjoy what I was doing.

Link to AM USN Job Description:

https://www.navy.com/careers/aviation-structural-mechanic

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4 responses to “Job Descriptions”

  1. Zachary Lame Avatar
    Zachary Lame

    Hi Tanner,
    I think your post was very thorough and gave us some insight as to how difficult finding a job can be, especially if you can’t get the job you want at first and then have to apply for jobs where you don’t have all the requirements companies ask. I do think you did well to adapt by taking the time to develop your skillsets and get qualified. Overall, it’s clear that job descriptions don;t always relate to the job you want to do.

  2. Tanner Brannan Avatar
    Tanner Brannan

    Hello Tanner,

    Your story of the job description not matching the actual role seems remarkably common for people I have talked to have been in the military. In fact, the part about having to wait about two years in order to actually work something similar to the job description also sounds familiar. I don’t think it is a secret nowadays that the military has a reputation for doing this, and it often leaves a bad impression on people. They rely on word-of-mouth a lot to get new recruits, and if they are frequently misleading people then it is not hard to imagine that it may discourage enlistment. I think your experience shows how important it is for jobs to match the description as many employees, or in this case military personnel, do not really appreciate it when they aren’t doing what they signed up for.

  3. Raven Tikka Avatar
    Raven Tikka

    Hi Tanner,

    I hate to say that most job description are off in someway, but yours sounds like it was really off. I think somthimes when we mention to someone what we are interested in they think that the job will be something simular to it or attract us. We then find out that yes it may have been aircraft work but not the aircraft work that would help you grow in your career where you want to be in the future. Its good to know other things about aircraft but it is putting you behind two years towards your goal. I think that there are also times that when we are new at something we get a job that we may not necessarily want and have to go through the different steps to get to where we want to be.

  4. Chenghao Huang Avatar
    Chenghao Huang

    Employees who believe they have been mislead or who are unclear of what their job includes may find it frustrating when the job description does not match the actual requirements of the position. Nevertheless, the narrative emphasizes the significance of being adaptable and willing to learn new skills in order to succeed in a new job or work environment. This is essential for success.

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