Forces: Ex-Army
Kevin K - Staff Sergeant
“All skills learnt such as discipline, selfless commitment, leadership, cultural awareness and trade skills have been extremely useful in my transition to civilian life.”
Background
Kevin K served for almost 23 years in the Royal Signals, leaving as a Staff Sergeant in early 2013. He enjoyed many aspects of his Service career, citing comradeship and the opportunity to travel as his personal highlights, but having completed his 22 years service, Kevin felt that the time was right to embark upon a new civilian career. During his time in the military, Kevin gained experience in IT and Telecoms, backing this up with City & Guilds qualifications in Fibre Optic Cabling and Copper Cabling, along with a Professional Recognition Award at Graduateship (GCGI) level.
Along with his vocational qualifications, Kevin also cites a number of soft skills gained during his career: “All skills learnt such as discipline, selfless commitment, leadership, cultural awareness and trade skills have been extremely useful in my transition to civilian life.”
Resettlement
Having registered for resettlement via his second line Service Resettlement Advisor, Kevin began the process by attending a three day Career Transition Workshop (CTW) at RRC Tidworth. He says, “The workshop facilitator was extremely informative, providing the information pitched at the right level for all in attendance, giving clear guidance on all aspects of transition. I think her delivery of the workshop content made people feel at ease with the process and certainly helped me understand how to get out into the marketplace and sell myself.”
Kevin says that he found the CV writing and interview techniques areas of the workshop most helpful, and that “this I feel helped me prepare fully for the career I am currently undertaking.”
Although not part of his resettlement training, Kevin was also able to complete an ITIL Level 3 course during the Regiment’s Special to Arm training, which fitted perfectly with his plans to pursue a career in IT or telecoms. The course, which is the most widely accepted approach to IT service management in the world, provided Kevin with all the relevant information for his current employment.
Outcome
Once ready to enter the job market Kevin uploaded his CV to a number of job sites, but like many Service leavers, his route into civilian employment was via his network of existing contacts. He explains, “I gave my CV to a colleague who knew somebody employed within the company. He then gave my CV to one of the business heads and the job was offered.”
Kevin now works as Network Team Leader for Capita Secure Information Systems, and his role involves the daily management of network engineers, approval and authorisation of changes, and ensuring that tasks are completed in line with customer Service Level Agreements. Kevin says the only obstacle faced when settling in was “understanding the customer and financial elements of the business” but has now been in the role for several months and says there are many similarities between his civilian and military careers.
Kevin’s final words of advice to Service leavers are, “Don’t panic or stress about the thought of working within a civilian career. You will find it very similar in many ways to that of the military although there are some minor differences like customer environments and some organisations aren't as structured or disciplined as those of the military.”
“Enjoy the role you undertake and you will find you fit in just fine, transition is easier than you think. Be yourself, don’t be afraid of change, and to bring an old cliché into the mix, no question is a stupid question always ask and it will be a doddle.”
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