Preparation and Planning

As this month’s ‘One man’s resettlement’ feature clearly shows, a committed, graduated personal development programme can lead to great things in your military, professional and personal life. But it requires determination to succeed. The good news is that almost everyone in the Forces has the necessary character to achieve this, but surprisingly few link this to their inevitable future – working as a civilian. They have the personal qualities, skills, training, experience, education and opportunities for personal development, however they also need to make the necessary personal choices and be prepared to carry them out.

Too many act like ostriches: burying their heads in today’s sand rather than looking towards tomorrow’s horizon. They have perfectly good brains; they have a great deal of money provided by the system; they are encouraged and advised by line managers and education specialists; but they do not do the work required to get ahead. They make excuses to themselves, their friends, their families and their managers. They say they will think about it ‘later’. They cannot combine it with operations, or training, or another course, or … anything.

Whether we like it or not, qualifications are more important now than ever before. The world has more laws and regulations, employees are more aware of their rights, theoretical knowledge is more in demand, and people without the right letters after their name will not get through the first employment sift. Getting on for 50 per cent of people now hold a Level 4 qualification (degree equivalent) and those that do not will increasingly miss out on jobs. The need for qualifications is becoming as true for scaffolders as it is for scientists. The ‘university of life’ – memorably described as ‘too expensive and taking too long’ – is fast becoming obsolete as a means of proving fitness for an appointment.

To get ahead in life, the vast majority of us have to work for qualifications, and work hard. This cannot be achieved overnight; it takes time to build knowledge. No difficulty can be accepted by those with the will to succeed. The person who does not put the effort in is simply not going to collect the results; and the sad fact is that many of those who do not collect the results later turn round and blame everyone and everything but themselves.

Many civilians have just as many distractions as and much less help than their Service counterparts. Not for them the £10,000 or so tax-free total sum that can now be accessed for education over a 22-year career in uniform. Most of them will not find an employer as sympathetic as Armed Forces managers to the idea of time off for classes and assessment in the workplace as part of a personal development plan; or, for that matter, an organisation so universally committed to mapping its in-house training to ensure that modules qualify for the appropriate external award.

Civilians generally pay for their own learning, conduct their own research, study in their own time and have nothing like the same in-house training and facilities as Service people. A very few high fliers may be sent on top-level management courses but that is about it. Few people in the Forces seem to understand just how fortunate they are in comparison to their contemporaries.

For the technician reading this edition, we offer articles on mechanical engineering, and computing and IT. As with many areas of modern life, there are strong links between them; it is rare to find an engineer who does not use an extensive range of ICT software and hardware. Construction, another Quest favourite has clear links with project management. Horror stories of the impact of one of these sectors on the other exist everywhere, at enormous expense to the client (or the tax payer). The media make much of high-profile examples but numerous cases occur monthly in every city, town and county in the UK. Indeed, the sheer number and complexity of construction projects make such problems almost inevitable.

Life in the oil and gas industry has always been rugged and demanding. Although leave periods are generous, life on an oil rig is hard and short of creature comforts. Even plentiful food, TV and DVDs, and learning opportunities cannot disguise the discomfort of living and working in such a harsh environment. Similarly, the life of a freight transport driver and manager can be a difficult one. Periods on the road, particularly given the freedom of the European Community, can be long and arduous; while huge amounts of legislation have turned a comparatively simple sector into a complex one.

Although more popular with immigrants than with the home-grown population, the hospitality industry offers a number of opportunities for second careers for Forces leavers and should not be ignored. Similarly, the unglamorous world of facilities management has many similarities with the sort of tasks undertaken by many Servicemen and women. Both are coming more into their own as the importance of service industries and business support become ever more apparent.

As usual, there is something in this month’s offering for everyone.