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.

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.