CTP Success: Michael Savage on his resettlement journey
Category: Success Stories
Publish date: 02/12/2020
Michael Savage left the Army as a Defence Advanced Search Advisor in 2020 after serving for 14 years. After taking stock of his career, Michael decided that it was time to embark on a new journey, and decided to engage in resettlement support with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP).
"I enjoyed travelling around the world and visiting places I would never have seen, as well as the camaraderie with my colleagues.
However, after 14 years in the Army I felt I’d come to a crossroads; either commit to full engagement or change my career. Ultimately, I felt my skills could be put to better use outside of the military, and so decided it was time for me to make the change back to civilian life."
Resettlement
Once registered with the CTP, Michael attended a 3-day Career Transition Workshop (CTW), as well as a CTP Employment Fair:
"I found the CV workshop element of the CTW most helpful as it enabled me to draft an impactful CV that was ready to be sent to employers.
I also attended a CTP Employment Fair where I was able to see the different opportunities available to me. At this event, I met people linked with the CTP who passed my CV on to the ULC Robotics, where I now work."
Michael also undertook a PRINCE 2 training course, as well as a Civilian Work Attachment (CWA), both of which worked to make him more attractive to employers and helped him gain a better understanding of what would be expected of him in civilian working life:
I did a week CWA at Balfour Beatty, shadowing a Site Supervisor. It allowed me to see the day-to-day running of a site and helped me understand some of the issues a supervisor had to deal with.
Successful Outcome
Michael is now a Field Supervisor for ULC Robotics. While he was able to quickly settle into his new role because of his previous experience, Michael did face some challenges:
"The qualifications I gained during my military career are hugely beneficial to my role - helping me understand the electrical aspects of our systems; however it was tough adjusting to the pace of civilian work – it’s much faster than in the military!"
Advice
And as his closing words of advice to fellow Service leavers, Michael goes on to say:
"To anyone who is leaving or looking to leave the military, make sure you’re leaving for the right reasons. Also, never undersell yourself; ex-military personnel offer a wide range of transferable skills that fit perfectly into a civilian job."