A military recruiter’s job is to identify people who would be valuable or appreciated members of a military force and persuade them to join. These types of recruitment are frequently voluntary, and recruiters work to make military service or careers more appealing to as many people as possible in these situations. Recruiting for the military is not always voluntary. Conscription is the term for this situation, and a military recruiter’s job is less like that of an advertiser and more like that of a person who meets the conscription requirements.
Military recruiters are used in one way or another nearly every country that has a standing military force. These recruiters may be primarily concerned with assisting people who are seeking information, or they may be more aggressive in identifying and actively appealing to those who are qualified to serve in the military. A military recruiter’s job can also include finding people who meet the requirements for service and conscripting them into the military in certain countries and situations.
In countries where conscription is not used, a military recruiter’s job is to find people who might be interested in military service, suggest service to those who might be qualified but aren’t, and generally spread the word about the benefits and opportunities available through military service. These campaigns are frequently directed at young men who have recently completed their general education and are considering their options for future growth and development. Military service is usually portrayed in a positive light recruiters as an alternative to higher education or as a means of funding such education.
Military recruiters in the United States, for example, frequently make use of provisions like the Servicemen’s Readjustment Act of 1944, also known as the GI Bill, to assist in the recruitment of potential candidates for military service. They may look for people who would otherwise be unable to afford to attend college or university and offer them the opportunity to have their education funded the government. A military recruiter will frequently suggest the military as an alternative path for advancement and gaining skills that can be used for future employment to those who are uninterested in higher education.
Recruiters, too, frequently use patriotism as a source of inspiration, appealing to a person’s sense of duty to suggest that he or she defend his or her country. This has been done in a number of countries, and it is most common during times of war when a country’s population is already filled with patriotism or defensive xenophobia. The imagery used in recruitment advertisements at the time focuses on the common man or woman rising up to serve their country.