I joined the Army in 2004 and commissioned into the Royal
Engineers in 2005 and served in the UK, Iraq, Kenya, Germany, Canada and
Afghanistan; leaving in April this year. I was lucky enough to complete a fair
amount of construction and design project management, particularly on
operations, and finished my time as an armoured engineer squadron
second-in-command on Operation HERRICK 16.
Highpoints were independent command of a bridge build in the
Mt Kenya National Park and controlling the Squadron on Operation HERRICK 16 –
throughout my career I worked with great people who worked hard and were great
fun.
During my resettlement I did an ILM Level 7 Award in Executive
Management including PRINCE2 through Bristol Management Centre which involved 3
weeks of classroom tuition and two essays. The tutors were extremely
professional and experienced and I really enjoyed it. One of the best things
about courses like this are that they get you thinking about civilian work
environments and what you can add to businesses – they are great interview
preparation. The executive management part has proved very useful in a general
way but I view PRINCE2 or APMP as must haves for forces leavers trying to get
into project management.
I currently work in the nuclear industry for Atkins, an
international engineering and design consultancy. It’s my first role since
leaving – I started work in the month prior to leaving. As a consultant each
day is different but days are characterised by switching between different
projects for different clients in a couple of different locations, which is
challenging but keeps work interesting. It demands good planning, time
management and people skills; all of which were extensively developed in my
military career.
The best aspect of my current role is the people I work
with! This is a dynamic and active place to work, most people seem to be
triathletes or doing various charity challenges, and the ethos is very similar
to the military which has made transition much easier. Also, there are quite a
few ex-forces employees and there is an Ex-Forces Network which is really
useful.
Looking to the future, I’d like to see myself managing
increasingly complex projects for Atkins and possibly gaining some experience
in other industries. As for advice to those currently in resettlement looking
to make the transition into a successful civvy career I’d recommend that they
complete a Civilian Work Attachment if possible. Plan ahead a year in advance;
use the ex-Forces networks effectively and base your career choices on a 5-year
plan, not the most attractive offer initially!
Atkins currently has
over 100 live positions – visit www.atkinsglobal.com/forces or email forcesrecruitmentinenergy@atkinsglobal.com to find out more.