Forces: Army
Danny A - SSgt
“I recommend that you have some kind of idea of the area you would like to work in; chat to your Career Consultant about it as they can help steer you in the right direction."
Danny Abdy served for 26 years in the Army before leaving in the rank of
Training Regiment Staff Sergeant. Of his time in Service, Danny says
that he thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to travel to new countries
and see how other people lived. Through these deployments, Danny found
particularly rewarding seeing the impact the Army made: "positive
changes were made to their everyday lives, either by enhancing
infrastructure or passing on knowledge".
Danny left the Army in
April 2015, with the aim of utilising his existing managerial and
teaching experiences in a second career. He began his resettlement by
attending a CTP Career Transition Workshop (CTW), where he found
learning how to establish his own self-marketing techniques and
networking skills to be particularly beneficial. To ready himself for
future job interviews, Danny also completed a CTP Interview Techniques
workshop, designed to provide the opportunity for practical application
of the skills developed during the CTW.
With the aim of seeking a
role helping children and young adults with behavioural issues, Danny
used his Graduated Resettlement Time to undertake a mental health
course, which he says, "gave me a huge understanding of how to support
young people in the future". He then went on to complete a one week
Civilian Work Attachment (CWA) with Barnardos, supporting young people
within the classroom environment. The CWA allowed Danny to experience
and expand his knowledge of working in his preferred industry sector.
It
was via networking and word of mouth that Danny came across his new
role with North Yorkshire City Council (NYCC) Children and Young People
Services. Commenting on the interview, Danny says, “The process was
straight forward; I filled out an online application and attended a
three-person panel interview in a relaxed, informal environment. Having
already conducted practise interviews in the Interview Techniques
workshop, the process was a lot easier and less scary.”
Danny’s
role with NYCC Children and Young People Services is as Portfolio Lead
for Activities, which entails supporting highly vulnerable young adults
that can display risky behaviours, as well as providing them with the
stability, skills and support they need to successfully manage the
transition to adulthood.
Danny’s advice for other Service leavers
is: “I recommend that you have some kind of idea of the area you would
like to work in; chat to your Career Consultant about it as they can
help steer you in the right direction. Don’t forget to plan your
accommodation and family transition as well as taking time out for
yourself so you can mentally prepare for civilian life. Good luck!”
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