Forces: Ex-Royal Marines
Kevin J - AWO2
"My transition from the RM to civilian life was pretty painless to be honest; I planned what I wanted to do, I used the skills I already had, I used every bit of the resources I had at my disposal to enhance these further and I talked my plan through with my Career Consultant."
Kevin J served for almost 28 years in the Royal Marines, starting off with general duties and later specialising as a Driver and then Works Liaison SNCO (Estates WO). Kevin says the best aspect of service life was simply ‘being able to say I was a Royal Marine Commando. It doesn’t get better than that.’ However, in April 2011, Kevin felt that the time was right to leave and utilise his skills elsewhere, so embarked upon the resettlement process with the CTP.
Kevin attended a three day Career Transition Workshop (CTW) at RRC Plymouth, and says ‘It made me focus on the fact that there was an end in sight, and that I had to prepare to make some changes.’
Kevin had already made use of the Enhanced Learning Credits available to him and had gained the NEBOSH National Diploma in Health and Safety Management in 2010. So with a career in health and safety in mind, Kevin met for a one-to-one with his Career Consultant, and discussed his career aspirations and the various training options available. Kevin decided to use his remaining Enhanced Learning Credits to complete a NEBOSH Diploma in Environmental Management, and also made use of the free follow-on workshops provided by the CTP, attending a Financial Aspects of Resettlement briefing and Interview Techniques workshop.
Adding the Environmental Diploma to his existing NEBOSH qualifications along with Dangerous Goods Safety Advisor, gained during his time in the Marines, Kevin felt well-placed to seek a position in the health and safety sector. He also had additional City and Guilds qualifications in PTLLS (Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector) and CTLLS (Certificate to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector), and therefore aimed to use these skills in a teaching or training position.
Kevin began his job search early, and applied for a variety of positions on RightJob. He was offered a job with Princess Cruises, and was able to gain early release from the Marines in order to start the role. Kevin now works as Occupational Safety Advisor for Princess Cruises, which is part of the Carnival Corporation. He works worldwide across the Princess fleet, providing assistance, training, coaching and mentoring to onboard Safety Officers, and is therefore able to draw on both his health and safety and teaching skills. Kevin says ‘my NEBOSH Diploma helped in getting the job, as it added to the overall health, safety and environmental element of my CV.’
Kevin says he faced no real obstacles when settling into the role, and his advice to other Service leavers is: ‘Plan early; don’t bury your head in the sand - look for something you enjoy doing. Talk openly with the Career Consultant, they are there to help you. Use the money and resources you have wisely and don’t waste them on qualifications that you might not use in the future.’
To sum up, Kevin adds: ‘My transition from the RM to civilian life was pretty painless to be honest; I planned what I wanted to do, I used the skills I already had, I used every bit of the resources I had at my disposal to enhance these further and I talked my plan through with my Career Consultant. That was key, because family and friends are too closely involved and if my plan was wrong, I needed someone to say "hang on, have you thought about this or that”.’
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