Service Leavers - What did you do for resettlement?

[Spearmint]

I'm nicely in my resettlement period now and whilst there is a plethora of official courses that can be attempted as listed on the CTP Workshop site, I am aware that there are many other options.

Now whilst I do find it tempting to bugger off somewhere nice such as Cape Town and earn a PPL by flying up and down Table Mountain for 6 weeks, I am cognizant of the potential employment opportunities with the right quals under my belt.

Background: 22yrs Elec / Avionics Engineering with considerable fast jet experience in Typhoon and F35. HNC Elec Eng and BSc (Hons) Eng Management recently earned with a desire to take up a high profile Engineering Management position with a Military Contractor such as BAE or LM.

Of course I don't need to remain rigidly within the sphere of Aviation Engineering as my recent quals show I selected them to give me more choice, so I am willing to consider other areas such as Rolling Stock, Plant Machinery etc.

What courses or training did you complete during resettlement, and how beneficial did you find it towards your second career?

Any advice goaters as always, is very much appreciated.

 

[muttywhitedog]

I used my resettlement to acquire all my HGV licences. The whole shebang cost me the princely sum of around £150, which I earned back in my first shift. I started driving trucks 2 days after my discharge date and have never been short of choice.

My current job is for 9 months of the year (although they have always asked me to stay on). Oct-Dec is the really busy time for HGV work, so I always have the fallback of that work if my 9 month contract doesn't get extended.

I also used an ELC for a CIPD qualification, which has helped me in my current role.

I had no desire to take on a high-stress senior manager role after twenty odd years of it in the RAF - my pension plus my salary is much higher than just about every senior manager where I work anyway!

 

[busby1971]

Service Leavers - What did you do for resettlement?

Good luck Spearmint, I did the CTP CIPD course, main reason was to civilianise my CV which is essential for my chosen career.

Even though I was half way through my Professional MA, I knew that I wouldn’t have finished this until after I’d have left the mob, a slight mix up at the University, so I had to get something in there to help me in the meantime.

I don’t know whether it helped or not but I had an interview in my last working week in the Mob and started a contract job the following week, not been out of work since. PS if you’re looking at contract jobs there’s not much point applying with months left, generally, they want you tomorrow.

Everyone’s resettlement is a personal journey as most people want different things from the next stage of their working lives. When I started my final 5 year plan I started by looking at about three different careers that interested me and then tried to find out what the jobs are really all about, some jobs that look interesting and promising can be quite the opposite in reality.

Once I’d chosen HR, I then looked at adverts on line, spoke to some civilian recruiters in the areas and types of jobs in which I wanted to work and then based my resettlement on this.

If I hadn’t done the CIPD course I would probably have just brought forward my last day in work and tried to get some form of placement, paid or otherwise, this would have been a better use of the time for me, rather than going off on a jolly or an experience course.

The more valuable you make yourself to the widest number of employers, the more control you can have over your working life, having this control can make a huge difference to your future happiness, I have come across many people who have trapped themselves in the wrong career and many others who could have 10 offers tomorrow if they tried, I know where I would want to be.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[vim_fuego]

I didn't have a lot of time but managed to squeeze in APM Practitioner and Prince 2 PM'ing courses. I also did a MS project course and a H&S Assessment course then I was endex.

Where do you want to live when out?

 

[Spearmint]

I didn't have a lot of time but managed to squeeze in APM Practitioner and Prince 2 PM'ing courses. I also did a MS project course and a H&S Assessment course then I was endex.

Where do you want to live when out?

Current property is in Blackpool but open to move where the work is if it's the right role for me.

 

[busby1971]

Oh yeh another top tip, don’t turn down the job you don’t want if you don’t have the job you do want, just make sure you know when it’s time to swap.

A day not earning is a day spending.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[insty66]

I'm nicely in my resettlement period now and whilst there is a plethora of official courses that can be attempted as listed on the CTP Workshop site, I am aware that there are many other options.

Now whilst I do find it tempting to bugger off somewhere nice such as Cape Town and earn a PPL by flying up and down Table Mountain for 6 weeks, I am cognizant of the potential employment opportunities with the right quals under my belt.

Background: 22yrs Elec / Avionics Engineering with considerable fast jet experience in Typhoon and F35. HNC Elec Eng and BSc (Hons) Eng Management recently earned with a desire to take up a high profile Engineering Management position with a Military Contractor such as BAE or LM.

Of course I don't need to remain rigidly within the sphere of Aviation Engineering as my recent quals show I selected them to give me more choice, so I am willing to consider other areas such as Rolling Stock, Plant Machinery etc.

What courses or training did you complete during resettlement, and how beneficial did you find it towards your second career?

Any advice goaters as always, is very much appreciated.

One of the major knocks against ex-mil is financial awareness so amongst the other stuff I did a financial/accounting course.

There are numerous folk out there with prince 2 etc including a lot of young folk who are cheap to employ.

Whatever you choose good luck.

 

[SAXAVORDIAN]

If your still searching then no harm in writing to a few companies to do a familiarisation. This way you can assess civilian attitudes. Before I left being a Heli-Refueller under my belt I contacted a few Heli companies at Aberdeen Airport. Mainly to clear the rust and cobwebs. Lucky enough Bristows were willing enough to take me on for a week. I enjoyed the work and a bit of civilian life and it helped a lot during a couple of Falklands stints later on. When I left in 1990 I just wanted to relax for several months, but eventually found work through a local Agency doing various work on long term basis. Might seem trite compared to your situation and length of service but I would keep one foot in the fire knowing you have a back up in your own field.

 

[Spearmint]

If your still searching then no harm in writing to a few companies to do a familiarisation. This way you can assess civilian attitudes.

That's certainly on my list of things to do, it's now known as a CWA (Civilian Work Attachment). I'll be doing a bit more research in this area first as it can take up a good chunk of time but I'll be aiming to use it as a way of getting my foot in the door.

 

[Max Reheat]

With an ELC, SLC and resettlement grant you could get 7 or 8 B1 classroom based modules under your belt. With your degree you’re not far off getting a C Certification if you were to join a MRO somewhere.

 

[Spearmint]

With an ELC, SLC and resettlement grant you could get 7 or 8 B1 classroom based modules under your belt. With your degree you’re not far off getting a C Certification if you were to join a MRO somewhere.

MRO? Maintenance ? Organisation (such as a CAMO?).

 

[MontyPlumbs]

Bugger all, I wanted to do Prince2, but the resettlement adviser wouldn't sign it off DT_Xtremez_35:

If you want to pursue an engineering career outside, stick to something relevant.

 

[Keyser Söze]

"With an ELC, SLC and resettlement grant you could get 7 or 8 B1 classroom based modules under your belt. With your degree you’re not far off getting a C Certification if you were to join a MRO somewhere."

Agree with 1st part of comment but not sure of second part.

Although a degree is mentioned in the CAA literature, it must be one that they endorse so not just any degree - they dont specify details.

As far I'm aware C-cert holders still require minimum 3 years certifying experience (ie you must therefore be type certified). To become a C-cert, operators place further requirements on candidates to have multiple types on their licence before the QM will support the application. Pt 145 organisations endorse the C-cert application before the application goes to the CAA.

This is my experience anyway (I also have a BSc - which was nt required)

 

[Rigga]

Spearmint said:
"With an ELC, SLC and resettlement grant you could get 7 or 8 B1 classroom based modules under your belt. With your degree you’re not far off getting a C Certification if you were to join a MRO somewhere."

I'm not too sure what you're aiming at in an MRO?

You state that you qualify for a stand-alone CAT C licence...for which you only need 1 years’ experience - however, a Stand-alone CAT C cannot sign any paperwork other than the Base Maintenance Certificate of Release to Service (which is also very different to the Mil CRS). I'm quite sure they are not very common, in Civvy St, when held without a CAT B1/B2 (through which you might build trust in your capabilities and possibly get a Type Rating). I'm assuming this is because a Stand-alone CAT C would be impractical/uneconomical in an MRO environment.

Also, I am an MRO Quality Manager and, as stated by Keyser Soze, despite the issue of a CAT C Licence, I personally would not allow such a qualification to be used for "quite some while" until fully satisfied that the holder is fully familiarised with all the protocols, procedures and practices in the company/hangar before being allowed to sign anything. An aviation QM can do this despite the requests of any other managers in any organisation.

In my opinion an engineering management degree is not an engineering degree, but the CAA can decide your fate on that one. If you do get a CAT C you will still need a Type Rating, which nowadays should include a few weeks of prescribed practical training within the course. Again IMO, a company would give a massive leap of faith to let you have a TR 'soon' in your employment. Subsequent TRs are not required to be full courses and Familiarisation courses should be permissible.

Finally, and as a reminder, in Commercial Air Transport such as airlines and freighters, an MRO and CAMO are two different organisations although there is often some bleed across them in certain contracts. Normally, Tech Services and Fleet/Maintenance Planning functions are all CAMO (Part M) not MRO (Part 145).

When I left (19 years ago) there was a slightly different resettlement regime and I chose to lie about what I was doing - for 16 weeks - during which I started work for an MRO as a Quality Engineer. I have since had several posts in quite different organisations and I have a wide variety of EASA Parts M, 145, 147, 21, EU-OPS and Simulator experience to boot. My current projects are to open new civil MROs in Morocco and Dubai.

I hope that this advice is of some use to you and that it may divert you from errors you may be building into your escape plan. Whichever way you go, please continue to get advice and adapt your plans accordingly - I do admire that you have qualifications and pursuing more before you leave.

All the best
Rigga

 

[Keyser Söze]

Thanks Rigga you've explained things more fully than in my post.

I think that many of the Pt 147 schools 'sell' the idea of "Pay £10k for our degree courses and jump up the career ladder.......simples" to fill their classrooms quota

The reality, as highlighted, is quite different. No commercial operation should allow a CRS signatory (or other responsible position) without a robust proven track record.

Qualifications are all well and good, but they should underpin a demonstrable and proven track record in the work-place.

Sadly their are too many individuals who have a solid-gold CV (brag-sheet) with impeccable qualifications who fall short once in the real world. One of my snr bosses is a prime example (ex army) and is about to come unstuck :/

 

[Keyser Söze]

Incidently

MRO = Maintenance Repair Overhall. These would be the Pt 145 Organisation ie "the repair garage"

In RAF speak Pt 145 = AMF Hangar carrying out Base Maintenance type tasks (big schedule maintenance checks & fault diagnosis) ) or Squadron = Line Maintenance

CAMO = Part M environment.

 

[unruly1986]

I didn't have a lot of time but managed to squeeze in APM Practitioner and Prince 2 PM'ing courses. I also did a MS project course and a H&S Assessment course then I was endex.

Where do you want to live when out?

Vim,

How did you find the APM course? Was it worth the time and effort?

 

[FOMz]

In my last 2 years I took the RAF for every H&S course I could do (all free and great on the CV) I used my ELC's to pay for my civil Dispatch certifications and in my resettlement period I did Prince2

 

[vim_fuego]

Vim,

How did you find the APM course? Was it worth the time and effort?

I use the stuff I learnt on the APM course today...Its a book of knowledge that you can apply to most projects rather than a methodology that you sprinkle over one.

Fecker of an exam mind....

 

[unruly1986]

I use the stuff I learnt on the APM course today...Its a book of knowledge that you can apply to most projects rather than a methodology that you sprinkle over one.

Fecker of an exam mind....

Thanks for the info.

I have the course and exam (APM PMQ) next month... wish me luck..!