'When Will I Get Promoted?'

'Lieutenant Commander or Bust'
Written by USF Sierra
Adapted by Commander Lanna D'aerthe & Revised by Commodore Arzie

'When am I going to get promoted?'

         It is a question that lurks in the mind of every simmer, from Ensign to Commander. Each promotion an officer receives allows for a new responsibility on the ship. A Lieutenant could finally move pass the assistant officer point in their department and become an assistant chief. A Lieutenant Commander could become the ship's Second Officer, leading away teams and contributing much to a sim and its plot. As CO and XO of a ship, captains and commanders have vital roles when it comes to simming, but Second Officers are just as important.

          Simmers should keep in mind that the path to Lieutenant Commander isn't quick nor is it easy. Every individual matures at their own rate, even when simming. One person may make the journey from Ensign to Lieutenant Commander in a year, others in two. Some perhaps even more or even less. The OPX Sim Guide and OPX Promotion Rubric list minimal requirements simmers must fulfill before they are eligible for a promotion yet a CO is entitled to require more from his/her crew, but not to waive the minimums. If you decide to work toward the bare minimum, the time between your promotions will be longer as compared to that of someone who goes well beyond the minimum expectations.

           So now you ask yourself: “I've been a Lieutenant Junior Grade for so long, how come I'm not a Lieutenant yet?”

          Excellent question.

          There are a lot of factors a CO considers before promoting one of his/her officers to Lieutenant Commander and, in some cases, Second Officer. The following list is fairly comprehensive and is meant to be a guide to help you aim for the goal of Second Officer and most importantly, the rank of Lieutenant Commander. Rest assured that it is not an interview — just a tool left at your disposal. Additionally, lower ranking officers can also benefit by reading this list and using the information provided to further their simming skills and abilities in order to move ahead.

         While most of these questions are answerable in a ‘yes’ or ‘no’ format, you should answer them in more than one-word answers.   If yes, why?  If no, why not and what can you do to improve? Be honest with yourself and thorough when answering these questions and you will gain a greater benefit from the self assessment. The list is broken down into two categories:

General Questions regarding your performance within the sim in general

  • Do you make new crew feel immediately welcome to your sim?
  • Are you courteous to your fellow crew?
  • Do you understand the Chain of Command, and do you follow it?
  • If you have a disagreement with another crew member, do you try to peacefully resolve it?
  • If you cannot peacefully resolve it between you, how do you handle it?
  • When attention is called, do you immediately come to AA and give your hosts the respect and attention due them?
  • OPX guidelines recommend one duty and one personal log per sim/week.  Do you fulfill this?
  • Are my logs posted to the Wiki so that the Command staff can keep track of them?
  • Do you attend the sim each week?
  • Are you on time/early to the sims, stay the whole time, and not leave until dismissed?
  • Are you an active sim participant?
  • If you are not directly involved in the main sim plot, can you keep yourself occupied within the sim?
  • If you are absent, do you give your hosts advance notice?
  • If you must leave mid-sim, do you have good reason, and do you notify your Hosts about it?
  • Do you ever submit sim plot ideas to your hosts?  If so, have they been used?  If they have, did you assist in running the sim?
  • Do you ever do joint logs with other crew?
  • How do you get along with your fellow crewmates?
  • How do you get along with your Host staff?
  • Have you ever been reprimanded for anything in the sim?  If so, has the problem been resolved?
  • If you have a problem with your XO or CO, how do you handle it?
  • Are you willing to spend some time helping new simmers learn how to more fully enjoy their simming experience?
  • Have you reviewed the Outpost Phoenix Sim Guide lately?
  • Do you lead Away Teams (ATs)?
  • If you’ve never led an AT, have you volunteered to do so?
  • When on ATs, are you able to create action for your team?
  • Do you play by the rules, or do you insist on doing what you want to do, even if it conflicts with the main plot?

Your performance within your specified department, whether it be Security, Engineering, Science, Ops, Counseling, or Medical.

  • If a new crew member is placed in your department, do you take the time to welcome them, let them know the expectations within your department, and any specifics they may need to know about that particular department for your sim?
  • Are you a DH (Department Head) or ADH (Assistant DH)?
  • If a sim plot does not directly involve your department, are you still able to keep your department and people active during a sim?
  • If you are a DH or ADH, is your character somebody that the other simmers in your department can look to for leadership?
  • Have you ever shown initiative in your department? For example creating work schedules, maintenance reports, equipment specifications, training schedules, etc.?
  • Have you ever run drill/training sims for your department?
  • Have you implemented ways to improve your department?

        I hope these questions can be of some help to those of you seeking to boost your simming skills. If you feel you’re an officer who goes well beyond what is expected of any OPX simmer and is being overlooked for a promotion, contact your Command Staff. Your Command Staff should be able to provide you with feedback, tips, etc, and help guide you to your goal.

       Now you know how to better yourself and your simming abilities on OPX - good luck and best simming!

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