I joined the Royal Marines for the variety of the roles they offer, the opportunity to travel and to have the chance to do something different for a job. My first role was a General Duties marine based in Scotland where I later went on to work with the Commando Helicopter Force in a ground force protection troop.
How did the skills and values that you gained during your time in the armed forces, as well as the challenges you came up against, help you to carve your current career?
The confidence I gained from the military has helped to take on new challenges and integrate quickly within Methods and understand a client’s needs to gain their trust. Managing my work and time has ensured I am not holding anyone back or delaying a project I am working on. Proving my adaptability to overcome new challenges has helped me learn new skills quickly, whilst being able to deal with setbacks when things are not going as planned, has ensured I can stay focused on the task set. Maintaining integrity has helped myself, and colleagues, manage expectations of what can be achieved and can assist with any future development.
What would you advise to someone who is looking to seek employment post a military career?
Emphasise the core skills you have learned through the, military; attention to detail, time management, organisation skills, teamwork etc. They stand you in good stead for a civvie job. Extra skills (like project management) that you have learnt from your spec, are a bonus to have and show how they can be adapted and incorporated within an organisation.