Can you give an overview of your career in the Armed Forces
I joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) Regiment in 2001 and undertook a range of roles before leaving in February 2023. My military career included time in Germany working on Rapier FSC “C” Ground-Based Air Defence; multiple tours of Afghanistan in roles ranging from leading patrols as part of a Platoon, providing Communications and Electronic Counter measures as the Communications SME, support as Force Protection for the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT), and as a Joint Terminal attack Controller (JTAC) providing Kinetic effect and ISR to my Brigade.
What did you have in mind for your career after leaving the Armed Forces?
I had one job for 22 years in the military and played rugby (for England Under-19s and Northampton Saints) before that. I’d never had exposure to the real world before leaving the Armed Forces…so I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. In my last three years in the military, I researched the “real world” through LinkedIn and networked extensively; I leant hard into education, mainly driven by my appetite for learning…anything! Another driver was the degradation in my physical capability; I knew a physical job was not on the cards for another 20 years. Before I left the RAF, I completed the Chartered Institute of Management’s Level 5, 6 and 7 certifications and started an MBA.
How did you adjust to civilian life after 22 years in the military?
I realised how important it is to start planning early, to understand what’s available when you have not been exposed to it. During my final three years in the military, I networked as much as possible, talked to people in civilian life about what their jobs involved and what might interest me, then concluded what would be the best fit for me.
I also quantified my experience and skills, recognising they lie in leadership and management. Project management fits well because I’d overseen and run many different projects during my time in the Armed Forces. I just never realised they were projects.
What is your role at Leonardo and what have been your highlights so far?
I work in project and programme management on the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP), which is fantastic. Having initially started my civilian career working in an SME of 60 people, it’s a big shift going to a company of over 9,500 people in the UK. It’s a different scale of operation, and there is so much opportunity.
In the future, I would like to move into an area that harnesses the wealth of end-user experience I have and allows me to be involved in strategy and business development. At some point I want to finish studying for my master’s in business.
To date, the highlights of my time at Leonardo have been completing the Fan Dance challenge with a team of Leonardo colleagues, and being selected for the Succeed To Lead development programme.
What advice would you have for anyone transitioning from the military to industry?
Give yourself time to plan; don’t leave it until the final six months. Insight days at big companies available through LinkedIn or CTP are very useful. I’d also advise people to focus on getting one solid respected qualification, rather than loads of smaller ones or those with conflicting methodologies.
Additionally, be comfortable being an action-oriented person. It’s a good way to be, and a lot of people in the military inherently have that. By extension, trust is essential to building relationships and getting things done.
How do you maintain links with your fellow veterans?
As Co-Chair of the Armed Forces network group, I have the opportunity to speak to colleagues who are veterans and reservists, as well as to those thinking about transitioning from military to civilian life. I enjoy imparting the wisdom and experience I’ve gained during the past three years and can offer additional perspective as a result of living with Autism and combined ADHD.
