Chris Holland's Success Story
Category: Success Stories
Publish date: 01/08/2022
Chris left the Royal Engineers after serving for over 7 years. Having held a variety of roles during his time in service, Chris reached the point where he felt it was time for a new challenge, outside of the Armed Forces. His enrolment onto the CTP’s resettlement support was the logical next step:
"I really enjoyed life on camp and the time away in places like Jordan and Canada. Having fitness as part of my daily working routine, and the fact that every day guaranteed a laugh were key reasons I enjoyed my time in the military."
Resettlement
Once registered for his support, Chris attended a 3-day Career Transition Workshop (CTW) and undertook the L3 Diploma in Gas Utilisation and ACS Assessments training course at our Aldershot resettlement centre – helping to enhance his employability within the civilian market:
"Upon leaving the forces I decided to become a Gas Engineer as I wanted to have a skilled job where I could work autonomously at different locations, and it just seemed the perfect fit. I acquired my ACS qualification with the CTP, and attended their CTW which I found to be very helpful, especially in improving my CV writing skills and interview techniques."
Chris also undertook a Civilian Work Attachment to gain some first-hand experience of the gas industry. He also found attending a CTP Employment Fair really beneficial as a way to network with relevant employers, and established a good working relationship with his CTP Career Consultant, which provided him with the expert support and guidance he needed throughout his resettlement:
"I attended a CWA which enabled me to complete my on-site portfolio – an essential component of my ACS qualification – and gave me a great insight into the work I would be doing once qualified. The Employment Fair was a good experience, albeit slightly overwhelming with just how many employers there were!
"My Career Consultant was most helpful and maintained regular communication. He really helped me bring my CV up to a good standard."
Successful Outcome
We’re pleased to share that Chris is now an Area Supervisor with Aaron Services Ltd:
"The first few weeks were really rewarding as I felt a great sense of achievement from passing my ACS and securing a job in which I could put my newly acquired skills into practice. Since starting as a Gas Engineer, I’ve been promoted twice and am now an Area Supervisor – responsible for managing all existing and future Engineers.
"I believe my military experience has equipped me with the self-belief and discipline to undertake and overcome new challenges, and it’s through applying the military core values that I’ve been able to stand out and get recognised for my efforts. My can-do attitude has also gone a long way and helped to create excellent opportunities for me within Aaron Services."
Advice
As a final piece of advice to fellow Service leavers, Chris says:
"Transitioning from the military can be daunting and so I’d definitely recommend fellow Service leavers look into the gas industry. It’s a highly skilled and rewarding career path offering lots of variation; and as Aaron Services are a large and expanding company with opportunities at various levels of the organisation, there really is something for everyone.”
If you’d like to find out more about the wealth of training courses available through the CTP, please click here.. And if Chris’ story has inspired you, you’ll find plenty of opportunities with Aaron Services available on RightJob.