Forces: Ex-Navy
David H - Warrant Officer
“The ‘can-do’ attitude of Service personnel is a rare commodity and something that is highly valued by employers in this particular industry sector. Make the most of it when presenting yourself at interview or on work experience.”
Background
David served in the Royal Navy for 24 years as part of the Submarine service, where he managed the Trident Weapons System Weapons and Navigation teams. He had become slightly disillusioned with Service life when postings took him to a variety of locations away from his family, and made the final decision to leave the Forces after a conversation with a neighbour, who advised that his skill-set would be attractive to employers in the offshore sector.
Resettlement
As part of his resettlement, David attended a Career Transition Workshop (CTW) at RRC Rosyth, which he found very helpful; in particular, he notes that the interview techniques and rehearsals were of great assistance, as he had an interview scheduled following the workshop.
With an offshore career in mind, David used his Graduated Resettlement Time (GRT) to complete his Basic Offshore Safety Induction and Emergency Training (BOSIET), with CTP preferred supplier Petrofac Training in Aberdeen. This proved to be a wise move, as David secured his first interview thanks to networking whilst on the BOSIET course and was also offered another role with a German windfarm company during the course! David therefore didn’t need to utilise the support of the RFEA, but knows that RFEA is a lifelong employment service and says he would definitely consider using them if the need arises in the future to look for alternative employment.
Outcome
David’s current job title is that of Integrated Services Contact Team Leader, for Wood Group PSN. He is based on the Brent Delta platform which can be found midway between Shetland and Norway in the chilly waters of the North Sea, and he currently works a 2-2-2-4 week rota. He is specifically responsible for the maintenance (electrical, mechanical and instrument) engineering, deck services and fabric maintenance teams on the platform. He operates as the senior company representative on the platform and carries out appraisals and performance management of the team members, totalling up to 60 at any one time.
David also deals with HR issues with the onshore support team and is responsible for the safe working of all those under his leadership. He also forms part of the platform management team for running the platform and dealing with emergency situations. Further to this extensive list of responsibilities he also gets involved in selection interviewing whilst onshore. It is not all plain sailing, especially in the North Sea, and David admits he has often had to change his way of working and get used to a more conciliatory way of asking for tasks to be done. He also has the challenge of dealing with a wide and varied workforce from a range of backgrounds, experience and ages. When settling into the role, David often found it a challenge to get to grips with the “offshore” way of working, as many do when they first leave the military.
David highly recommends the offshore sector as a route for Service leavers and encourages people to network as widely and often as possible in order to enhance their employment opportunities; “keep plugging away” if you wish to get into a particular field. He says that “the ‘can-do’ attitude of Service personnel is a rare commodity and something that is highly valued by employers in this particular industry sector. Make the most of it when presenting yourself at interview or on work experience.”
David also stresses the need to practice your interview techniques, saying that a good interview will certainly get you nearer to the dream job you are after, and the confidence gained whilst serving in the military will show through.
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