Earn while you learn
We’ll give you the blocks you need to build your future, as well as funding towards civilian-recognised qualifications like NVQs, GCSEs, BTEC awards – or even a university degree.
Careers / Joining options
Rating
Earning as you’re learning, gaining qualifications and travelling the world. That’s life as a rating.
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Grow into a career
Being a Rating means you get out what you put in. Once you’ve joined, you’ll start Basic Training. From that point on, how you progress is down to you. The only limit is your ambition.
Keep moving up
Training doesn’t stop when you join. You’ll soon be putting your learning into practice and working towards your next qualifications. Show the right attributes and you could become a Warrant Officer and lead a team of ratings.
Become a specialist
Tailor the career you want by choosing a profession and service that interests you. You could be eligible to specialise even further, gaining a range of unique skills through world-class training.
It’s like nothing you’ve ever done before. Hard work, yes. But also incredibly rewarding, with benefits that go far beyond a competitive monthly pay packet. From helping refugees in the Med, to counter-narcotics operations in the Caribbean, you’ll play a key part in our global missions.
- About you
- What you'll do
- What you'll need
- What you'll get
Becoming a rating is about what you can do and what you want to do, rather than what you’ve already done. For most professions, you don’t need any qualifications. What you do need is ambition – fully committed to getting stuck in.
A sense of adventure and determination are also essential. In the Royal Navy we depend on each other. Our individual strengths work together to get the job done.
What you can do
Communications
If you have an affinity with electronics, you could excel at controlling the technical systems and equipment we use to communicate. We need to receive our communications loud and clear – and hidden from others.
Engineering
You’ll work on cutting-edge kit, and your job will be to make sure it stays that way. If it sounds like a huge task, that’s because it is. But you’ll get all the world-class training you need to get it done, every day.
Food, drink and hospitality
Creating vital sustenance and morale-boosting food. You could be cooking for your crewmates or visiting VIPs. On shore or at sea – whatever you do, you’ll need a passion for food and service.
IT and computers
Our global missions rely on state-of-the-art technology. And if this is your area of interest, we’ll ultimately rely on you. From mine warfare to aviation survival equipment, your love of computers will have unlimited potential.
Logistics and HR
Interested in the finer details? The ins and outs, and the people involved in them? From food to communications, our logistics and HR personnel help our people get things done, whether they’re on the surface or beneath it.
Medical
We have opportunities in medicine for both qualified and non-qualified applicants, all of which are essential to safeguarding our most important asset: our people. You’ll be at the forefront of your profession. Travelling the world and in situations that you’d never experience in civilian life.
Science
You could specialise in hydrography or meteorology, providing environmental analysis to protect our missions. If you have a scientific mind, there’s a multitude of opportunities for you in the Royal Navy.
Weapons
Being involved with weapons requires a special type of person. Someone who can be the ‘safe hands’ of an operation. Whether you’re maintaining weapons or transmitting highly classified information, you’ll need to be level-headed and able to thrive in challenging situations.
Got a question?
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