Royal Australian Navy Employee Reviews

Not enjoying the training environment. However I am keen on the opportunities that lay ahead. A naval career will expose me to more engineering opportunities than I get in the outside world.

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A good start.

Marine Technician (Current Employee) - Rockingham WA - 2 August 2023

It’s hard to state a typical day, depends on if posted to a ship or shore. A ship, you can expect long hours, extreme work load and little to no work life balance. Expect to be flogged with day to day work and somehow expected to progress your education. Ashore is the polar opposite. Bring a phone charger cause jobs are few and far between so expect to get fat and lazy.

Pros

Free healthcare, job security, no qualifications required to join, see the world, rent assistance, financial support.

Cons

No work life balance on a ship, unrealistic expectations, managers change constantly, poor communication, little consideration for personal circumstances, run you into the ground.

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Jobs at Royal Australian Navy

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Fun workplace and great people

Assist Submariner (Former Employee) - Western Australia - 11 March 2023

It will be worth to join the Navy if you re not half an idiot. Good salary and learning environment. Some negative things but if you can deal with it you’re gonna be a real man

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Good

Boatswains Mate (Former Employee) - Crib Point VIC - 21 February 2023

Was very different but like every job it has its ups and downs so there will be times where it’s the best job ever then it just does a hold 360 and you could hate it so much

Pros

Paid leave days

Cons

Long hours

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Enjoyable career option if your ok with having little to no control over your life while serving.

Electronics Technician (Former Employee) - Sydney NSW - 29 October 2022

A enjoyable career option if you are a single person. It is not a family friendly career. You will spend a lot of time away, but you will make lifelong friends and have plenty of great times in when heading ashore.

Pros

Travelling, friendships

Cons

Little to no control of your life while serving. Dealing with officers.

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Royal Australian Navy insights

Based on 6 survey responses

What people like

Energising work tasks
Ability to meet personal goals
Support from manager

Areas for improvement

Time and location flexibility
Overall satisfaction
Fair pay for job

Work/Life Balance non-existent

Marine Technician (Former Employee) - Sydney NSW - 12 September 2022

If you think doing 2 weeks on 2 weeks off on a mine site is rough. Try 4 months on 3 days off. But you do get job security, meals paid for and incentives. Generally after a few years, a lot of people will give that up to be with their family.

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High school politics with no repercussions for bad behaviour

Communications and Informations Systems Sailor (Former Employee) - Northern Territory - 16 August 2022

If you are considering a role in the Navy, perhaps wait 10 - 15 years for a considerable culture change. If you like the idea of being bullied, sexually harassed or having money or time taken from you at an instant - go ahead. Note; they will tell you these things will not be tolerated but the perpetrators are almost never punished, and they will send you to a psychologist because you are the one with the problem.Anything they want to do to you, they will get away with. Save yourself the mental anguish. Really. Complete a university degree, and find employment. I can guarantee you will be better off.

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Official response from Royal Australian Navy

29 September 2022

Hello, We are sorry to hear about your experience in the Navy and thank you for posting your review. If you would like to, you can also report your experience on our Complaints and Incident Reporting page. You can find more information here https://www.defence.gov.au/about/complaints-incident-reporting The Australian Defence Force is currently undertaking many steps to improve support for personnel and veterans. If you would like to you can also read the letter sent to the Attorney-General’s Department outlining the changes, you can find the document here https://www.defence.gov.au/about/reviews-inquiries/royal-commission-defence-veteran-suicide-defence-taskforce. Kurt – DFR

All the badges in the world doesn't make you an effective leader

25 yrs plus (Former Employee) - mostly at sea to stay away from Canberra - 9 August 2022

Leaders care far more about their own progression than Capability or personnel development. Many examples of poor managers especially at the higher levels . Loss of respect is increasingly evident . Weak and politically driven decison making is the norm . Good managers and leaders are pushed aside or stepped over by sicophants and yes "people" and consequently discharge as they dont believe they can make a difference.

Pros

Great teams

Cons

Increasingly poor and weak leadership

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Toxic culture - Buyer Beware!

Logistics Operator (Former Employee) - Woolloomooloo NSW - 18 May 2022

Navy is good for a short career. You get to travel the world. However, it may not be your cup of tea. The workplace can be quite toxic and full of people who have no idea how to do their job or respect their staff and may use stand over tactics. Many people end up discharging before their time is up (4-6 years) and there are many staff shortages. It’s all about working with what you have and within a budget, as money is always tight. If you do end up being broken, they will replace you. There are many issues within the ADF and if you have the misfortune of being one, you’ll be tossed to the side and disregarded. There are also many good things as well. Personally, I wouldn’t join until they fix the issues within the Service. Don’t take my word for it! Do your research before you join and remember, recruiting will lie to you just to get the numbers up. You can’t just change your job if you don’t like it. Despite what recruiting tell you!! All the best in your career!

Pros

Great people and you’ll alway be near the sea!

Cons

Toxic Culture Dinosaur management that need to retire and don’t listen

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Great stepping stone - but don't rest on it too long!

Boatswains Mate (Former Employee) - Sydney NSW - 19 April 2022

Was great starting off as a young guy several years out of school. Does give you much more opportunities than starting off in some low level entry job out on civvy street! Don't join if you're solely there for the sake of gaining a qualification and want to travel the world - treat them as bonuses. The excitement and so forth usually wears off after the first couple of years - or maybe even sooner depending on the job. Most that stay in that don't have any career ambitions or not part of the inner circle clique only do so for the guaranteed paycheck and assoc. benefits! Often it felt like I was back in high school with a pack of good-for-nothing flaptards!Overall the management - particularly at the senior sailor level and down I found was rather woeful and instilled a sense of averageness. Became a very mixed bag - most promoted to fill in seats, not on merit! Hate to think what the 50/50 quota nonsense has done now!I left after my 4 year stint, primarily due to not only decreased job satisfaction, but the overall toxic, pecking order culture. At the end of the day, it's not just the job you do - but the people you work with that can either make or break it!

Pros

Pay and benefits, unique opportunities (i.e. travel, deployments etc)

Cons

Work/life balance almost non-existent. Lazy, self-serving management, too many idiots!

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Marine technician electrical

Marine Technician (Former Employee) - Sydney NSW - 5 April 2022

The military (can) be a good career choice, if anything you can gain a good amount of skills which can be relatable to outside Industry. Don't expect industry standard qualifications as the quals you get will be marine related. You do not get certified to be an electrician for example.If you have children or family orientated, most probably not a good career choice as you will spend a very long part of your career away. Superannuation and wages are very reasonable however you make alot of sacrifices for that. You will make friends for life and you may be lucky and see a few countries while your at it with going on deployment. Do not expect world trips.The military is not for everyone but if you have reasonable expectations of what you want to achieve out of it because what is told to you at first interaction with them is not exactly how it is.

Pros

As per comment

Cons

As per comment

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Diverse workplace with unique technical and personnel challenges. Excellent salary and great benefits.

Senior Signals Analyst Manager (Current Employee) - Canberra ACT - 22 January 2022

Great employer with excellent benefits. Must be prepared to deploy to sea and be separated from family for long periods when posted to a ship. Opportunities to learn new skills or up skill. You will visit foreign countries and experience diverse cultures and cuisines. Professional expectations and standards of you are high from the public and the defence force.

Pros

Travel, benefits, free medical & dental, subsidised housing and medical for family. Fantastic support for members and family, challenging and unique problem sets.

Cons

When deployed away from family for months.

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Senior Leadership "lost at Sea"

Officer (Former Employee) - ACT ACT - 20 May 2021

There is a leadership manual in Defence called ADDP 00.6 It is informative, well written and concise. Clearly, very few of Defence Senior leaders have ever read, much less implemented the strategies outlined in this document . The majority of so called "leaders" are self centred politicians who strut around with a veneer of competence yet in the main are abject failures in most facets of management. They do their subordinates a grave disservice and they are detrimental to the service.

Pros

Great Teams and adventures

Cons

Abysmal Senior Leadership

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Good Experience

N/A (Former Employee) - Australia - 25 April 2021

The best career I’ve ever had. It’s a huge learning process which was exciting and I recommend it for school leavers and unemployed to apply for positions their interested in as many avenues to look into which will benefit you.

Pros

Great pay

Cons

Can’t think of any

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Best job i ever had

Boatswains Mate (Former Employee) - Sydney NSW - 14 April 2021

You really do get great training, the pay and conditions are competitive. Its best suited to young people the travel is great unless you have a young family then its hard. You'll meet friends you will have for a life time

Pros

Friends for life, free training, see the world

Cons

Hard on families and relationships

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Lost sight

Officer (Former Employee) - Canberra ACT - 14 February 2021

Signature Behaviours and values are rarely, if ever demonstrated by Senior Leaders and Managers. Senior Officers are so far out of touch with their people. Most only interested in personal progression through ranks at any cost to achieve Rank, Posting or Job regardless of competence or damage caused. Organising "favours" for associates or "quid pro quo" .Backside covering constantly and distrust of Leadership. Appalling treatment or neglect of subordinates

Pros

Some great people and experiences

Cons

Truly reprehensible leadership

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Not recommended - The time spent on an initial enlistment could be better used to finish a degree, TAFE diploma or an apprenticeship.

Communications Information Systems Operator (Former Employee) - Various - 1 January 2021

A collection of some of the worst people I have ever worked with. Zero civilian qualifications, if you don't make the time and effort to study on your own time, you will leave your RAN service with NO recognised qualifications.RAN culture, is well, horrid. Nepotism is rife (especially in the Communications Information Systems world), promotions are not based upon merit, more on "who you know". If you are a single member (i.e. no spouse or children) expect to be continuously at sea with minimal relief and be reward for your efforts with terrible posting locations (why move a family to Darwin when they can dump single members there for their entire career).Free medical and dental is not even worth it. With generally higher wages found in the civilian market you can easily afford base packages if you desire to have private medical insurance. The same applies for rental assistance.Travel, if you have never travelled it can be a novel experience. However, expect to be treated like a child with the amount of restrictions they place upon you when berthed in a foreign port.

Pros

Travel

Cons

Long hours, zero recognised qualifications, poor culture, nepotism, repetitive work

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Meet life friendships, Travel, and life skills training.

combat systems operator/ navigations yeoman/ Helmsman (Former Employee) - Many bases from NSW, Vic and WA plus serving on various ships. - 22 October 2020

The first 3 months put you through your paces and push all your buttons to see if your made of the right stuff, Comradery is built, teamwork with coordination, A great lifestyle with moments of pressure to deal with emergencies without panic

Pros

After hours recreation

Cons

long hours and watch keeping work

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I absolutely loved my time oin the Royal Australian Navy and i would reccomend the experience to anyone. Fantastic oportunities exist for all within.

Comminications and information systems sailor (Former Employee) - Hmas Cerberus VIC - 8 September 2020

I would highly recommend joining the military to anyone. The navy taught me many things about honour, integrity and pride. I made a lot of great friends through training and the live in experience ( I became relaxed and efficient training and working side by side with another or many.) The experience offered many opportunities to better myself and i have taken much from this role wholistically. An excellent career path.

Pros

salary, mateship, pride in the uniform and what it represesents. Interesting and progressive roles.

Cons

The initial training is quite hard.

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Exciting adventurous opportunities

Cryptologic Signals Analyst (Current Employee) - Canberra - 22 August 2020

The Royal Australian Navy has all the jobs in civilian life and more. They have great training to provide you everything you need in your chosen career from engineering, IT, cyber, nursing, aviation, diving, Project Management, administration and support services.The opportunity to travel is fantastic to experience different places and cultures around the world, but it's not a cruise. You will be doing drills and workups before going on operations such as fire fighting and damage control but if you have a sense of adventure then this is the lifestyle for you. We are one of the best paid defence forces in the world and the benefits are fantastic for you and your family but expect extended and lengthy time away from them if you want to deploy, up to 6 months of the year, but it's a rotation so you move from seagoing to shore positions often and you do have a say in where and what you want to do.

Pros

Excellent training, pay and personal and family benefits.

Cons

lengthy time away from family when deployed

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An enjoyable career

Work Health and Safety Coordinator (Former Employee) - Cairns QLD - 8 August 2020

Would go back, continue to learn, the hardest part is the time you are away from your family and friends. You do miss milestones in your life, keep in mind its still just a job.