Forces: Ex- Royal Navy
Ste S - Petty Officer
“Plan your resettlement carefully, start preparing for your new career at the earliest opportunity and use the advice and facilities that are available to you.”
Background
Ste S left the Navy in early 2011, having served for 24 years as a Weapons Engineering Mechanic. During his time in the forces, Ste obtained a number of civilian qualifications; these included a Certificate in IT and City & Guilds Licentiateships in Electronics and Engineering Management. He also gained leadership, co-ordination and planning skills, along with the expansive technical ability required for his role.
Resettlement
Ste attended a Career Transition Workshop (CTW) at RRC Northolt, in which he found the CV Writing session “invaluable”. The workshop aims to equip Service leavers with an understanding of their transferrable skills so they are able to successfully market themselves to potential employers, and the CV is a key element of these self-marketing materials.
Ste also attended an Interview Techniques workshop, which enables Service leavers to successfully prepare for an interview, and also explains the interview structure and the various perspectives that interviewers may bring to the meeting. Ste says, “the Interview Techniques course obviously worked because I did two interviews and was offered both jobs!”
Ste felt that his strengths lay in his adaptability and willingness to learn, and having researched various career options, decided to make a move away from engineering and build a new career in the IT industry. The one-to-one meeting with his Career Consultant reassured Ste that his military qualifications were of relevance to civilian employers in this field, and he also explored the various training options available.
He undertook three IT qualifications to further enhance his CV; these were Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA), Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA), all provided by a Preferred Supplier to the CTP. Gaining these certifications helped Ste to validate his IT skills and back up his wealth of military experience.
Ste also made use of the support provided by his CTP Employment Consultant, who provided details of prospective employers in the area.
Outcome
It was through the advice of his Employment Consultant that Ste heard about his current role, Network Security Specialist at Fujitsu Services, a leading provider of IT services and products for the global marketplace.
The role involves providing network security solutions to a variety of customers, and these include data loss prevention, intrusion detection and firewall security. Ste says that due to the fact he has completely changed careers, the new role has been a “steep learning curve”, but thanks to the extensive training provided on the job, he is now well settled.
When asked what advice he would offer to other Service leavers, Ste says “plan your resettlement carefully, start preparing for your new career at the earliest opportunity and use the advice and facilities that are available to you.”
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