Any forces leavers?

[Crandoggler]

Edit: Sorry, thread title should read Ex Forces.

Taking the plunge soon and submitting my notice. Unfortunately we're not in the most ideal of situations, but I don't suppose many forces leavers are in that ideal world.

Anyone who's still in will tell you that it isn't what it used to be. There's no fun left in it and frankly I don't want to spend 7-9 months of the year away now I'm married and have a child.

So who has left? How did you find it?

 

[DanZac]

Not much help but I'm just about to leave the RAF after 26 years mainly because I'm sick of being away from home all week with very little job enjoyment. Luckily I'm in a reasonably secure financial position and have plans for a month long UK bike tour as a leaving present to myself, which is giving me something to look forward too short term and something else to worry about.
Of the hundreds of people I know who have left over the last few years most have done well on the other side, with the remainder being the ones who weren't much use on the inside so I'm not overly worried about my long term prospects.
Not much helpful advice there I'm afraid but good luck and if It helps my wife who is also ex RAF has now got a good job which was in part, although in a totaly different trade and industry, due to her background within the military.

 

[screenman]

I meet a lot of people each week who are in the RAF and all seem to enjoy it when asked, which I do often as my youngest is close to signing up. Certainly a nice pension if you are up few levels, or so I hear.

The guys I know who have done well on civvy street also done well in the services, some seemed to set themselves up nicely before leaving.

 

[threebikesmcginty]

Friend of mine recently left the army and got a job in Engineering, he just finds it odd that when he asks one of his staff to do something that quite often they don't.

Welcome to the working week!

 

[DanZac]

Obviously not ex RAF then. I'm always amazed if someone's done as I asked first time or correctly.

 

[Houthakker]

I left the RAF a good few years ago now. Wanted a complete change so went from and aircraft engineer to a practice manager. As an ex memebr of the forces you have a lot of transferrable skils, you just need to get these across to any prospective employes in terms they can understand.

 

[Crandoggler]

I'm an aircraft engineer. Although currently in the Navy, not RAF.

I must say, being based at a RAF camp now, it is very, very slack compared to the Navy. However, their life is ridiculously easy in comparison to the average Matelot.

I suppose I'm looking for reassurance, but I'm well aware that most do well.

 

[subaqua]

I'm an aircraft engineer. Although currently in the Navy, not RAF.

I must say, being based at a RAF camp now, it is very, very slack compared to the Navy. However, their life is ridiculously easy in comparison to the average Matelot.

I suppose I'm looking for reassurance, but I'm well aware that most do well.

key thing to remember is that if you shout at us to get stuff done. we wont . one ex infantry WO2 learned that very quickly.

 

[Glenn]

I was in the RAF a few years ago now, in my 12 years at Kinloss, on the Moray Firth coast. I would spend approx 3 - 4 months each year out of the country, detached to various NATO bases around Europe and further afield supporting the Nimrod's navigation systems.

I think it is far easier for RAF personnel to transfer to civvy life, their job (it may have changed now) is more aligned to a civilian way of life than the Army or Navy.

Take advantage of any resettlement advice offered and use your Enhanced Learning Credits http://www.enhancedlearningcredits.com/ Have you got somewhere to live arranged, you can apply for a council house but that could take years to come through. If married with kids, are their new schools sorted, also things like doctors, dentists etc?

 

[Crandoggler]

key thing to remember is that if you shout at us to get stuff done. we wont . one ex infantry WO2 learned that very quickly.

Luckily I'm in a branch which frankly doesn't want or have the need to shout at people. It's a high pressure environment with plenty to go wrong. The last thing you need to be doing is shouting at an 18 year old lad on the back of a ship.

I was in the RAF a few years ago now, in my 12 years at Kinloss, on the Moray Firth coast. I would spend approx 3 - 4 months each year out of the country, detached to various NATO bases around Europe and further afield supporting the Nimrod's navigation systems.

I think it is far easier for RAF personnel to transfer to civvy life, their job (it may have changed now) is more aligned to a civilian way of life than the Army or Navy.

Take advantage of any resettlement advice offered and use your Enhanced Learning Credits http://www.enhancedlearningcredits.com/ Have you got somewhere to live arranged, you can apply for a council house but that could take years to come through. If married with kids, are their new schools sorted, also things like doctors, dentists etc?

This is my biggest worry. As for living, we don't own anywhere. Our plan is to move my wife and child home (rent), she is going to find work, grandparents are going to pick up the slack with childcare and kind of cuff it from there. We can afford it, even on my wage for until I leave. However, I'd quite like to have her working within the next 2 months. That gives me real time to save and sort my life out.

 

[subaqua]

I'm an aircraft engineer. Although currently in the Navy, not RAF.

I must say, being based at a RAF camp now, it is very, very slack compared to the Navy. However, their life is ridiculously easy in comparison to the average Matelot.

I suppose I'm looking for reassurance, but I'm well aware that most do well.

Are you WAFU then How's your Uckers ?

You should be fine. We have a lot of ex mob working for us. Mainly in head office on the planning side. There are lots of transferable skills as others have said .

Some of them do act like dicks but that's the same in all walks of life sadly .

 

[Crandoggler]

Certainly am! Yeah, fingers crossed that leaving isn't such a big deal as everyone makes out.

 

[ufkacbln]

One of the things (when I left) was the hit and miss nature of resettlement.

If you have a transferable trade I was a State Registered Radiographer, so there was a career for me.

If you haven't then utilise the opportunities that are available to train / retrain, but seek what YOU want as opposed to what the Services wish you to take.

Also do the "silly ones" such as writing a CV"

The advice I was given was firstly to put something in the CV that was a unique "identifier" - Mine was riding Human Powered Vehicles

Then if a job offers a visit, then take the opportunity to present yourself personally and leave a copy of your CV with the manager. That way when anonymous CVs arrive, they will (even subconsciously) link the application to the CV and you get a step up in the system.

In my case it worked!

I had applied for a post, but there was a problem and they had to re-advertise.

I had left my CV and had a phone call offering me a one month Locum contract with the Trust........... I am still there 20 years later!

 

[ufkacbln]

The down side is that you find yourself far more on your own and without support

You don't realise it at the time, but Service Camaraderie is unique and everyone supports each other, often unknowingly

The hole this leaves has been a problem for many, but providing that you realise this and have a coping mechanism then you will be fine

 

[Cuchilo]

The force was strong with me at one point but i had to choose between Jedi knight and Carpentry & Joinery . I looked at it this way . As a Jedi i would always be fighting for work but people will always need a carpenter . Plus Jesus was one and if its good enough for him ....