I applied in-person. The process took 6 months. I interviewed at US Navy
Accepted offer
Positive experience
Difficult interview
Application
I applied through a recruiter. The process took a year or more. I interviewed at US Navy (Saint Louis, MO) in Apr 2011
Interview
The hiring process begins at a military entrance processing center then boot camp, then 1.5 years of rigorous training to finally become qualified. The training is broken up into 3 distinct parts. In each part, the candidate learns skills and information vital to different aspects of the job. There are several checkpoints at with the candidate is evaluated by written and oral examinations, as well as OJT-style evaluations.
There is no real interview for the US Navy but there is an extensive vetting process to determine what type of job you will obtain. It is a smart idea for anyone that doesn't have a plan to join.
I applied in-person. The process took 4 months. I interviewed at US Navy (Mayport, FL)
Interview
To become enlisted you take the ASVAB to see what job you qualify for. You then fill out a contract with what job you want and some background check forms. Afterwards you enter DEP (delayed enlistment program) until a space is open for you in your rate. It could be days, weeks, or a few months. The recruiter has a quota and will stretch the truth to get you to sign on the dotted line.
I applied through a recruiter. The process took 8 months. I interviewed at US Navy
Interview
Applied at the recruiting office and took the ASVAB exam. Score requirements changes year to year depending on the needs of the navy but for Nuke it is around 75-99. While at boot-camp, there is a tiny interview process where 3 Navy personnel tell you what the big three rates are like (roughly) for ET, EM, and MM and you write down in order of preference what you would like to be rated as. After that, they go into an office to deliberate and once they come out your fate is determined and you are now rated as one of the three.