How can you build your career in Air force?

Being a part of the Indian Air force is one of the proudest achievements one can experience in their lifetime. Established in 1932, the Indian Air Force has progressed immensely. And the perfection with which the Indian Defense Services works is known by everyone. Since the Air force is one of the strongest pillars of Indian Defense Services, air force jobs in India are highly in demand.

The recognition of the Indian Air force has been extremely praiseworthy. And before you ask about how you can build a career in the air force, decide what branch you want to choose. The options for air force jobs in India are various, you just need to make the right decision according to your interest.

So here is the list of the various branches of the air force that one can choose from;

• Flying Branch: People often think that being a pilot is an enjoyable job. But do not be mistaken with this conception. It is one of the toughest jobs. The responsibility on your shoulders is immense and you cannot afford to be careless at any point in time. You can either be a fighter pilot, a transport pilot, a helicopter pilot or a bomber pilot.

• Technical Branch: Individuals who have a degree in engineering and do not want to choose the flying branch can also choose the technical branch. The engineers working in the air force can either choose to work as aeronautical engineers in the mechanical branch or aeronautical engineers in the electronic branch.

• Administrative Branch: The administrative branch of the air force takes care of the administration and personnel management of the bases of the air force.

• Logistics Branch: The logistic branch takes care of the logistic support in the air force. The branch looks after everything that is required for the day to day functioning.

• Air Traffic Control officer or Fighter Controller

• Meteorology Branch: The day to day scientific work that takes place in the air force is taken care of by the meteorology department.

• Medical And Dental Branch

• Education Branch

How Can You Build Your Career in the Air Force

Getting air force jobs is not very easy. You need to be well-qualified physically and mentally. There will be a series of tastes you need to pass. Given that the career is demanding, you need to know what it takes to build a career in the air force.

• As the first step, if you have a goal of getting into the Indian air force, you need to pass your 12th standard in the field of science.

• After class 12th, you can directly give the exam for NDA (National Defense Academy).

• If you do not want to join the NDA, you can also pursue graduation in the field of your interest and then sit for the AFCAT (Air force common admission test).

• Keep in mind that most of these exams are conducted twice a year. So if you do not clear the exam in the first attempt, there's always a second chance.

• The age limit for NDA is only between 16.5 to 19 years.

• You can only apply for these exams if you are a citizen of India or a refugee from Nepal, Tibet or Bhutan.

• The age limit for the AFCAT exam after pursuing graduation is 20-26 years old.

• You need to have at least an aggregate of 60% in your graduation to be eligible for the AFCAT.

• Apart from clearing the exam, an individual also needs to clear the physical as well as medical criteria.

• You can also enter the air force in the short service commission. Both men and women can sit for the exam. The selection is done on the basis of the written exam as well as the other stages. The other stages of selection include the intelligence test, the psychological test which is conducted by a group of psychologists. And a group test as well as a personal interview. Last but not the least, you also need to then clear the medical test.

• A Combined Defense Service Examination (CDSE) is also conducted, but only men are eligible to sit for this entrance. And only those who have completed their graduation in the field of engineering are eligible. The first part of the CDSE exam is the written part. After the written part comes the second part, which is the SSB interview. The SSB includes the Officer Intelligence Test and a Picture Perception Test. All of these tests aim at analyzing the psychology, ability to complete tasks in a group. And the last step is the personal interview.

The Indian Air force is the fourth largest air force in the whole world. It is truly a privilege to be a part of the Indian Air force. So if you want to join the airforce, the time is now. Start preparing yourself mentally, physically and emotionally. Since to be a part of such an esteemed service, you need to be exceptional.

Sumedha is a content developer at Receptix. She is a Post Graduate in English and has the penchant for creating a variety of content that is attention-grabbing.