Leaving the forces

iwannabefree

Well, I have finally made a decision and have decided it will soon be time to leave the forces. By the time I leave I would have completed 24 years, nearly 25, but I can't see the benefits of staying in to complete LOS30. The pension is likely to change, and probably not for the better as of 2015, so I have made a decision and a plan for the future.

To start a new career in my early fourties is going to be a little easier than if I waited til my 49th. It's not going to be easy anyway, and it's a scary thought leaving the security of the military and jumping into the abyss that is civvie street. My gratuity will be a deposit for a house, my pension the mortgage payments.

While still serving, I am intending on using my ELC to take up a Health and Safety assessor course, get the NEBOSH certificate and hopefully gain employment within a H&S consultancy firm. The money is quite good in this line of business, and I can take elements of my current skills and employ them in this sector.

It's all scary 'Jumping ship' so to speak, and I know others have done it in the past, but the forces is all I have really known. I have started resettlement twice before as I was within 2 years of leaving the service only to be offered further extension to service. But this time, it is me calling the shots, i'm the one making the decision. It affects all my family, my OH, children, but i'm hoping that this plan will work. It is not a decision I have taken lightly, but it is time to go onto pastures new. I am shortly to start a new posting with new challenges in itself, but it gets me to the area we want to settle down in. BTW, they don't know i will be putting in my PVR next Mar, good job really otherwise they probably wouldn't accept me there. But hey ho, i've got to think about me and my family and our future.

Well, i'm glad I got that off my chest.

Has anyone else gone into the H&S sector of the market and can you offer any advice on the subject? I will be speaking to the resettlement clerk in due course, but any info from the shop floor would also be useful.

Thanks for your patience in this War and Peace effort.;)

peteuk

I hope your plan goes well, Sorry I cant help with the H&S...

I think there will be more like you, who after redundacies are over (for a short period anyway) they will turn around and jump ship.

The MOD I am sure will realise this and factor it into there plans (who am I kidding)

Good luck again!

herewegoagain2010

It;s a massive step and my hubby is starting to wish for pastures new. He's just into his LOS30 and starting to think about the making the change. We've got a 2 plan to save like mad, pay off our debt and keep adding to a house fund. Hubby has discussed H&S, but is still undecided. I'm worried about putting all your eggs in one basket so would be tempted to try and get your hgv licence as a back-up plan. Good luck, must be great having a date in mind to push that button. If all else fails there's always MPGS.

iwannabefree

Thanks HWGA2010, I agree, a back up plan is always a good idea and I too thought about HGV. TBH my current job could be transferred to the civvie world, albeit restricted to airfields only, but I really do fancy a change. In my role I am responsible for Flight Safety so, these skills could be transferred across, and fortunately I have friends who have contacts out in civvie world who may be able to help.

The H&S route is not really restricted in location which is another reason for choosing this. Plus, i can be like a mini detective finding out causes of accidents, and giving out advice on preventative measures.

Well, at least I have a plan, lets see how it pans out. Wish me luck!!

PaulF81

iwannabefree wrote: »

Thanks HWGA2010, I agree, a back up plan is always a good idea and I too thought about HGV. TBH my current job could be transferred to the civvie world, albeit restricted to airfields only, but I really do fancy a change. In my role I am responsible for Flight Safety so, these skills could be transferred across, and fortunately I have friends who have contacts out in civvie world who may be able to help.

The H&S route is not really restricted in location which is another reason for choosing this. Plus, i can be like a mini detective finding out causes of accidents, and giving out advice on preventative measures.

Well, at least I have a plan, lets see how it pans out. Wish me luck!!

If you are involved in aviation, cranfield do decent courses in investigation.

Use your remaining service time to suck up as many courses as possible.

HIRAC, safety management systems, prince 2 risk analysis, human factors and DAEMS are all courses that will help. If you can manage it, pick up risk analysis work up as a secondary or affiliated duty. Courses are one thing, real world experience gets you employment. Even if you have to extend, it may be worth it to get some risk assessment time under your belt.

ulysseuk

Join the Linked-in network and get yourself advertised on there! Also, can you join a professional institute? The GCGI's you can get from the forces are pretty worthless, but if you can get a good institute eg MIET for Engineers, it will help a lot.

Good Luck and don't be too scared about getting a job until the last few weeks of your service. 'Outside' don't often give jobs with 6 months notice, when they want people, they want them now!

herewegoagain2010

I agree Linked-In is a great networking tool and seems to work well as an 'old-boy network'. Hubby is on it and has built up plenty of contacts in the civvie world.It's exciting times for you leaving the bubble, I don't think it'll be too long for us! We've got a 2year plan and will have to sit and save like mad until then! You'll be fine just enjoy the freedom without the fod plods lol! x

wonkytechy

As someone who is about to start their third career ( first in hmf) I would offer this one piece of advice. It's not what you know it's who you know - network network network. Get out there - smile - accept all advice.

Milliecope

Don't forget that as a subsidary to any job you could always use your qualifications to register as a Freelance instructor - I work for a training provider and we are always looking for instructors. There are different awarding bodies for every industry so worth looking into. You never know it could supplement your income but also enable you to use all the skills you have learnt.
My hubby has two 1/2 years left in before he is 55 - so we will be in the same boat! Good luck everyone:)

Julzed

I left the forces at the end of last year and got a job as a management systems tutor. we run implementing and auditing courses for many of the ISO standards including ISO18001 which is occupational health and safety management system standard. I ran a course on Information Security Management and an old colleague getting ready to leave the mob was on the course. within 3 weeks he'd been offered a job with us and he starts tomorrow! as molliecope has already said, there is a real growth in training and ex military guys seem to do this well. good luck.

iwannabefree

Thanks for all the replies. Well, the goalposts have moved slightly. Staying in now until the children have finished gcse's which is an extra year longer than originally planned. Well according to the new pensions calculator I will be roughly £5000 better of for the extra year in. However, I have now gained a qualification as a teacher in the Life Long Learning Sector, which I am sure will be useful in the future. Next stage is to settle in new posting and job, then start researching H&S courses and then apply. The beginning of the three year plan starts now.