Thinking of Leaving the forces...
Discussion
Hi guys,
Currently serving in Afghanistan and nearing the end of my tour which takes me nicely to my 4 year point. After a short time in service which i have enjoyed I'm thinking of returning to civvy street next year to be with my family more. Missing too much of my kids growing up and it's beginning to hurt watching them grow without their old dad.
Is there anyone on here that's made the transition to normal life recently? Or know of employers that are fond of army leavers? By the time it comes to sign off I'll have a diploma in telecommunications, nvq level 3 engineering, C+E and hazmat under my belt. I have considered working offshore (I know it's still time away from the family) but the money appears to be 2/3 times my current salary.
Any advice would be appreciated
Cheers
Danny
Currently serving in Afghanistan and nearing the end of my tour which takes me nicely to my 4 year point. After a short time in service which i have enjoyed I'm thinking of returning to civvy street next year to be with my family more. Missing too much of my kids growing up and it's beginning to hurt watching them grow without their old dad.
Is there anyone on here that's made the transition to normal life recently? Or know of employers that are fond of army leavers? By the time it comes to sign off I'll have a diploma in telecommunications, nvq level 3 engineering, C+E and hazmat under my belt. I have considered working offshore (I know it's still time away from the family) but the money appears to be 2/3 times my current salary.
Any advice would be appreciated
Cheers
Danny
I think all employers would regard ex forces very highly.The important thing is to find out what type of work your skills and experience would suit.My son left after 11yrs with the Royal Signals,just that on his CV got him straight to the interview.He now travels the world as a radio frequency planner working on mobile phone networks,earning huge sums.Good luck,you deserve it!!
Even with your driving qualifications though you will need to start at the bottom with agency work , thats after you do the cpc and buy your tacho card. Plus be aware than most lorry drivers dont get to spend a lot of time with their kids either
I'd think long and hard , leaving the forces is something you really need to plan for, get as much education as you can done to smooth your transition and really research what you want to do
I'd think long and hard , leaving the forces is something you really need to plan for, get as much education as you can done to smooth your transition and really research what you want to do
I'm in a similar position as you, however i'd be leaving to start a family / change in career to enable me to see loved ones alot more.
To be honest, leaving the Navy after bieng in since i was 17 is a daunting experience and its one i'll attack with mixed feelings i.e. daunting = not knowing if you're going to get a job by the time you had in your ID card, excited = you know you're not going to get stitched with 20 days notice to fly out to the Gulf for a 6 month tour.
When i was away on deployment for 6 months a chap i work with was telling me how his son doesn't engage/talk/play etc with him, i.e. like a father/son relationship should be, and that was due to him not bieng around. harsh but true, It soulds like you've already made your decision and best of luck to you. I'll be logging onto JPA in a few years after completing 12 years service to click that button.
As mentioned above, use your ELC's to get some courses under you're belt, If you don't use em.. you lose em!.
Gaz
To be honest, leaving the Navy after bieng in since i was 17 is a daunting experience and its one i'll attack with mixed feelings i.e. daunting = not knowing if you're going to get a job by the time you had in your ID card, excited = you know you're not going to get stitched with 20 days notice to fly out to the Gulf for a 6 month tour.
When i was away on deployment for 6 months a chap i work with was telling me how his son doesn't engage/talk/play etc with him, i.e. like a father/son relationship should be, and that was due to him not bieng around. harsh but true, It soulds like you've already made your decision and best of luck to you. I'll be logging onto JPA in a few years after completing 12 years service to click that button.
As mentioned above, use your ELC's to get some courses under you're belt, If you don't use em.. you lose em!.
Gaz
I can remember my son getting sent a Royal Signals resettlement news letter regularly,full of jobs,advice etc.There must be a similar type in your regiment? I have to admit though my son did take a while to adjust to life out of uniform.He missed the adventure,(discipline?),camaraderie,military "family" etc.One silly example,he found it strange that no one in the office called the boss SIR!.One thing,as ex army you may be tempted by offers of all sorts of well payed "overseas work",beware,it can be very dodgy.
I have given it thought and don't plan on jumping straight into it as I couldn't afford to leave a good career for something plain and under paid.
I was searching around the fire service in my area but recruitment isn't often and could be waiting years before the next batch are selected. I would be willing to wait for this as it sets a good career and pension after wards and still a hands on with danger aspects that I enjoy. I recon that's due to the army. Would also allow me to stay in the TA in my local unit so I could keep my childhood dream alive every now and again.
I'm in a challenger 2 main battle tank regiment, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, so a lot of my experience heavy maintenance. Or firing the 120mm gun, not sure if there is many companies looking for that though?
I was searching around the fire service in my area but recruitment isn't often and could be waiting years before the next batch are selected. I would be willing to wait for this as it sets a good career and pension after wards and still a hands on with danger aspects that I enjoy. I recon that's due to the army. Would also allow me to stay in the TA in my local unit so I could keep my childhood dream alive every now and again.
I'm in a challenger 2 main battle tank regiment, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, so a lot of my experience heavy maintenance. Or firing the 120mm gun, not sure if there is many companies looking for that though?
Hey mate, I was in a similar situation to you earlier this year. All I can say is get as many qs under your belt as possible, get a decent cv together, and be able to show how your army training/experience is of benefit to potential employers.
Is it possible to get a SC/DV clearance in your line of work?
Is it possible to get a SC/DV clearance in your line of work?
Hello,
Assuming R SIGNALS? What trade are you? Is the RCMO available to have a chat with? Tp Boss?
Remember that HERRICK will be shutting soon so the rotations will drop.
Quite a few lads I know of were leaving to basically become Operators on rigs earning 40k. These jobs are very hard to get apparently!
Assuming R SIGNALS? What trade are you? Is the RCMO available to have a chat with? Tp Boss?
Remember that HERRICK will be shutting soon so the rotations will drop.
Quite a few lads I know of were leaving to basically become Operators on rigs earning 40k. These jobs are very hard to get apparently!
When I was in the forces everyone who came back after leaving was earning lots more money and enjoying an easy life, not being messed around as much etc etc , in reality they were full of it and missed the job really badly, there is a lot more to the forces than the wages , in civvy street all you have is the wages.
Dont believe what other people say they are earning but do your own research.
I'm not saying dont leave , everyone has to some time or others but dont believe the hype , most companies couldnt care less you are ex-forces , the only reasons lots of haulage companies have lots of ex-forces is that many do their HGV tests as resettlement courses
Everytime there are cut backs in the military there are more people on the job market with the same or better qualifications and experience than you , hence the need to push for extra qualifications while you are still in
Dont believe what other people say they are earning but do your own research.
I'm not saying dont leave , everyone has to some time or others but dont believe the hype , most companies couldnt care less you are ex-forces , the only reasons lots of haulage companies have lots of ex-forces is that many do their HGV tests as resettlement courses
Everytime there are cut backs in the military there are more people on the job market with the same or better qualifications and experience than you , hence the need to push for extra qualifications while you are still in
Thanks for the replies guys.
I've spoken with my troop leader and he's advised the same.
I'm not R Signals but my job requires us to be fairly qualled up on the radios and systems used. Like I said, I should have a diploma in telecommunications (not sure how recognised this is on civvy street), also a few years of experience operating the kit.
Ben, could you explain sc/dv? Never heard of it
Thanks guys
I've spoken with my troop leader and he's advised the same.
I'm not R Signals but my job requires us to be fairly qualled up on the radios and systems used. Like I said, I should have a diploma in telecommunications (not sure how recognised this is on civvy street), also a few years of experience operating the kit.
Ben, could you explain sc/dv? Never heard of it
Thanks guys
SC is Security Cleared (or words to that effect) which wil help with some contracting roles when you get out. Makes you a bit more attractive to employers.
DV is Developed Vetting - a lot more in depth, interviews for people who know you etc and costs a fortune to get outside of the forces so if you can get it done whilst you are in it will open up a lot of defence industry jobs for you.
The ability to get this done is IME based on the PID that you fill at your job (each job in the Army has a PID, and your service number ties up with the PID to show it is filled). Next to some jobs you will see criteria such as DV / Para Trained etc meaning that you need to post a soldier (or indeed Officer) in with those quals, if he doesn't have them then they will put you through it.
DV is Developed Vetting - a lot more in depth, interviews for people who know you etc and costs a fortune to get outside of the forces so if you can get it done whilst you are in it will open up a lot of defence industry jobs for you.
The ability to get this done is IME based on the PID that you fill at your job (each job in the Army has a PID, and your service number ties up with the PID to show it is filled). Next to some jobs you will see criteria such as DV / Para Trained etc meaning that you need to post a soldier (or indeed Officer) in with those quals, if he doesn't have them then they will put you through it.
ArchieRx8 said:
I have given it thought and don't plan on jumping straight into it as I couldn't afford to leave a good career for something plain and under paid.
I was searching around the fire service in my area but recruitment isn't often and could be waiting years before the next batch are selected. I would be willing to wait for this as it sets a good career and pension after wards and still a hands on with danger aspects that I enjoy. I recon that's due to the army. Would also allow me to stay in the TA in my local unit so I could keep my childhood dream alive every now and again.
I'm in a challenger 2 main battle tank regiment, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, so a lot of my experience heavy maintenance. Or firing the 120mm gun, not sure if there is many companies looking for that though?
I take it that you are at least a Chally 2 crew mech after 4 years (unless that got scrapped recently) I'm at work at mo but will reply later.I was searching around the fire service in my area but recruitment isn't often and could be waiting years before the next batch are selected. I would be willing to wait for this as it sets a good career and pension after wards and still a hands on with danger aspects that I enjoy. I recon that's due to the army. Would also allow me to stay in the TA in my local unit so I could keep my childhood dream alive every now and again.
I'm in a challenger 2 main battle tank regiment, Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, so a lot of my experience heavy maintenance. Or firing the 120mm gun, not sure if there is many companies looking for that though?
Taita
I'm pushing to get this done, hopefully by becoming the arms store man, and also sure you need some sort of clearance for advanced signals. Cheers for the info, will look into in more depth with the boss.
Wolf, they scrapped the whole mech thing a while back. Now it's just overall crew tasks in depth, so both gunnery and D+M. Not sure if the quake are the same however I highly doubt it. Which ever trade you do in phase 2 is classed as your apprentice, so mines is gunnery. When I do my JCC next year, I'll just become advanced in both subjects. No more quals from it
.
I'm pushing to get this done, hopefully by becoming the arms store man, and also sure you need some sort of clearance for advanced signals. Cheers for the info, will look into in more depth with the boss.
Wolf, they scrapped the whole mech thing a while back. Now it's just overall crew tasks in depth, so both gunnery and D+M. Not sure if the quake are the same however I highly doubt it. Which ever trade you do in phase 2 is classed as your apprentice, so mines is gunnery. When I do my JCC next year, I'll just become advanced in both subjects. No more quals from it
. Probably a good thing they ditched crew mech as it too watered down so we ended up with crewmen who knew too little about each discipline.
Have a word with the education centre as you should be able to apply for equivelent civy qualifications etc (used to be BTEC etc) should just be a case of getting the forms and having your training wing confirm your army quals. If you can stomach a bit longer it would be worth pushing hard for your instructors as you can get a fair few boxes ticked with that.
Other than that a lot of the lads work as contractors for the yanks in Germany or Kuwait etc on their armour (Spams don't seem to want to work on their own kit) the money is good but it's time away etc.
Other than that use the resetlement as much as you can and the learning credits when you get out if they still do them.
I left as a Chally 2 crew commander and D+M instructor. Took pretty much any job I could get untill I found something that I liked doing that paid decent money.
Have a word with the education centre as you should be able to apply for equivelent civy qualifications etc (used to be BTEC etc) should just be a case of getting the forms and having your training wing confirm your army quals. If you can stomach a bit longer it would be worth pushing hard for your instructors as you can get a fair few boxes ticked with that.
Other than that a lot of the lads work as contractors for the yanks in Germany or Kuwait etc on their armour (Spams don't seem to want to work on their own kit) the money is good but it's time away etc.
Other than that use the resetlement as much as you can and the learning credits when you get out if they still do them.
I left as a Chally 2 crew commander and D+M instructor. Took pretty much any job I could get untill I found something that I liked doing that paid decent money.
Wolf, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing now? Are you using the quals gained from the army or did u start fresh? I've read a lot of places are fond of ex crew commanders.... Not sure if it's worth staying in a few years to get it or if I would be just wasting mine and the regiments time
If you dont like being away from your family in the Army, how will working offshore change that?
btw I left the forces and worked offshore and I now have a normal job, the attraction of a high paid offshore job vs seeing your family everyday is not worth it tbh, unless you are doing it to save some money up.
At the moment, I would say stay in the armed forces while you have a stable job.
btw I left the forces and worked offshore and I now have a normal job, the attraction of a high paid offshore job vs seeing your family everyday is not worth it tbh, unless you are doing it to save some money up.
At the moment, I would say stay in the armed forces while you have a stable job.
ArchieRx8 said:
Wolf, if you don't mind me asking, what are you doing now? Are you using the quals gained from the army or did u start fresh? I've read a lot of places are fond of ex crew commanders.... Not sure if it's worth staying in a few years to get it or if I would be just wasting mine and the regiments time
At the moment I work for the aa as a roadside patrol. Money is decent ( in the past 4 years i haven't earned less than 37k) but the hours can be a bit carp. It was my D+M quals that got me a foot in the door and I just blagged my way through the actual interview.I didn't bother looking for a job before I left and didn't bother with resetlement as I pvr'd so wasn't in the mood to hang around any longer (15 years served when I left) as soon as i got home I initially signed up with a few agencies and did some 7.5t work. I spent a very short time working at an estate agents (office work drove me nuts) then did some work driving a taxi. After that I spent a few years building truck bodies whilst buying and selling cars and running a small van ply lining buisness till I started my current job.
Maybe the crew cmdr stuff impressed the aa but it wouldn't have happened if i hadn't grilled the education centre about equivelent civvy qualifications for my D+M and instructors.
The way I saw it was I'd had to change roles so many times in the army that doing it in civvy street would be a doddle.
If you have an industry in mind then it may be worth your while doing a bit of research and seeing what courses you can blag that will help and also can the Army fund any corespondance courses etc (I believe you have a yearly allowance that you can use for this, just most squaddies don't bother)
I've been to the education centre out in theatre today and they are going to square away what course my ELC's can contribute too and also what ones will be best for my current quals.
As for working offshore, the money would provide a better standard of living for me and my family when I am at home. Just now for grafting my balls off wether on tour or normal camp routine, clearing £1500 allows me to keep the car on the road, pay the mortgage and send money home for the kids while I'm not there, not leaving much for living on or saving. When I go on leave (a considerable amount less than on the rigs) the money spent for travelling and normal living doesn't leave much for going on holiday with the family or for special days out. It would still be time away, however time at home would be better and more enjoyable for the kids.
Wolf, you seem to be happy with your choice and the advice has been sound. Thanks for replying
As for working offshore, the money would provide a better standard of living for me and my family when I am at home. Just now for grafting my balls off wether on tour or normal camp routine, clearing £1500 allows me to keep the car on the road, pay the mortgage and send money home for the kids while I'm not there, not leaving much for living on or saving. When I go on leave (a considerable amount less than on the rigs) the money spent for travelling and normal living doesn't leave much for going on holiday with the family or for special days out. It would still be time away, however time at home would be better and more enjoyable for the kids.
Wolf, you seem to be happy with your choice and the advice has been sound. Thanks for replying
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