Supporting Mark Waudby on his resettlement journey
Category: Success Stories
Publish date: 01/05/2020
Background
Mark Waudby left the Army in 2018 after 16 years, having reached the rank of Sergeant.
"I enjoyed my whole career in the service and it was an extremely hard decision to leave. But my family needed a fair amount of stability which wasn’t available with me being deployed for months at a time."
Mark also cites the fact that he was often expected to volunteer for extra deployments as another reason for leaving the military. Being a fully-fit soldier he accepted it was understandable that they looked to him for extra deployment, he began to feel it was happening too frequently and becoming unfair.
This work imbalance, combined with his desire to spend more time with his family spurred Mark on to begin his resettlement process with the Career Transition Partnership (CTP).
Resettlement
As part of his resettlement with Career Transition Partnership (CTP), Mark attended a Career Transition Workshop (CTW) which he found extremely valuable, along with some additional training courses:
"I found the CV writing and job interview preparation segments most beneficial! I also completed the Domestic Electrical Installation (DEI) training course, which was really well run and enjoyable."
Understanding what to include in his CV and how to prepare for interviews helped boost Mark’s confidence going into his career transition, while the additional training course meant he acquired additional qualifications that would help give him a competitive edge with prospective employers.
Another invaluable resource for Mark was his CTP Career Consultant (CC):
"Anthony Flynn was always available on the phone whenever I needed him. He was a huge help with the writing and subsequent re-writing of my CV, and always offered advice and guidance regarding any questions I ever had."
Having a good relationship with his Career Consultant helped Mark get his professional documentation in order in good time, enabling him to get going with job applications as quickly as possible.
Outcome
Mark now works as a Field Service Engineer for Smiths Detection where he’s responsible for the maintenance, call-out response and preventative actions for threat detection systems within Gatwick Airport. He has also recently taken on more managerial tasks.
When asked about any obstacles or challenges facing him when settling into his new role, Mark mentions:
"The initial change of working day and routine was a slight obstacle. I also found that some of my new colleagues had a different work ethic to myself, which again took some time getting used to."
However, Mark quickly learnt how to overcome these obstacles and is now thriving in his new role. His previous experience in electrics along with the DEI training course he undertook with the CTP, ensured that he was in good stead to succeed with Smiths Detection.
Advice
As his closing words of advice to fellow Service leavers, Mark goes on to say:
"Use the support provided by CTP to its full potential. They’re a great source of knowledge that is invaluable when transitioning. It may seem like you have plenty of time before discharging, but to give yourself the best chance in a new career, start preparing as early as possible. Nobody will push you to do these things so being proactive is key."