Post RAF career paths - which one did you take?

[Xchen]

Very interesting thread, nice to see that the majority seem to be getting good recognition for their experience - puts my mind at ease!

PVR due in, 1 year ROS then thats me out! Enjoyed the time served but I have now started to see some tempting offers via LinkedIn.

The RAF has been good to me, I've bled them dry in a short time period for courses & Q's, especially through the use of ELC's and free/subsidised courses, puts me in good stead for when I leave!

DT_Xtremez_14:

 

[Dark Helmet]

Left in 2000 after 24 yrs. Ex Rigger now a software engineer for a company that specialises in defence and law enforcement software. Excellent pay and building up another good pension.

Do not let your exit date creep up on you: plan, plan and plan.



Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Warwick Hunt]

I am due out in April after 22 years in TG17. Ideally, I want to join the police however my local force aren't recruiting and may not be for a long time due to cuts. I recently did a tour in Works Services and Infra Management and am currently doing a Level 3 Certificate in Facilities Management via distance learning over two years. For my resettlement course, I am doing the NEBOSH General Certificate in Health and Safety and want to head down the facilities and estates management as an aside if I can't get into the cops.

I'm looking forward to leaving, however I am still reticent about going. This is all I've ever done after all and the money is decent and it will be missed when I go, that's for sure. Also, promotion is very unlikely to happen so I have to face facts that I am going to leave in a few months time. We can all acknowledge that things aren't what they were and that the next couple of years are going to be even harder for everyone, with the onset of SDSR II so deep down, I think that as much as I don't really want to leave, that it is actually the right time.

 

[briggfairy]

I left after 10 years as a leccy then a fairy just over a year ago and I am currently an instrument technician on a comah top tier site, I am also the deputy supervisor for the maintenance department, a role i was offered 6 months after joining them. my employers have also given me the opportunity to study a BENG in electrical and electronic engineering part time to take full advantage of the "free degree scheme".

I would echo the advice of identifying where you want to work, in what role then getting every qualification you can to help you achieve your goal.

my other bit of advice is don't be afraid of peoples experience, just because someones been in their job for 20+ years doesn't mean they are doing it properly things have changed in industry over the last decade or so and a lot of people are resistant to the change

 

[vim_fuego]

my other bit of advice is don't be afraid of peoples experience, just because someones been in their job for 20+ years doesn't mean they are doing it properly things have changed in industry over the last decade or so and a lot of people are resistant to the change

Wise words BF. In my experience some people you will come to work with have been winging it for decades and your new company know no better...until you walk in the room.

 

[Mag2grid]

I am due out in April after 22 years in TG17. Ideally, I want to join the police however my local force aren't recruiting and may not be for a long time due to cuts. I recently did a tour in Works Services and Infra Management and am currently doing a Level 3 Certificate in Facilities Management via distance learning over two years. For my resettlement course, I am doing the NEBOSH General Certificate in Health and Safety and want to head down the facilities and estates management as an aside if I can't get into the cops.

I'm looking forward to leaving, however I am still reticent about going. This is all I've ever done after all and the money is decent and it will be missed when I go, that's for sure. Also, promotion is very unlikely to happen so I have to face facts that I am going to leave in a few months time. We can all acknowledge that things aren't what they were and that the next couple of years are going to be even harder for everyone, with the onset of SDSR II so deep down, I think that as much as I don't really want to leave, that it is actually the right time.

Life in " The Job" isn't all that good at the moment, it's not going to get better any time soon. Getting into the Police is also a ballache compared to 15 years ago, now you need a CKP/degree/PLC depending on the force you apply for, I'd never have done it if they needed me to jump through all those hoops, lucky when I left the depot all I needed was a Day 1 and 2 recruitment. I haven't looked back now I'm not dealing with neighboirhood stuff, love it.

 

[ChocMonster]

I left the RAF in 2006, luckily I was working on the Typhoon Field Team at BAE Warton looking after ESS at the time.

Managed to swap straight across to the BAE ESS team so walked out one day as RAF and walked in the next day as a civvy. Stayed within that team doing Software Design for 18 months, moved to Simulation within BAE, for 4 years as Hardware Design.
Left that job and managed to get hands on with Typhoon as a Systems Engineering Specialist, doing 2 years in KSA and now back at Warton working within Flight Development working on tomorrows Typhoon.
DT_Xtremez_19:

 

[iainrm]

what ever your skill set

what ever your skill set

Project management is a possibility.
When you tell me no experience I'll ask what mess function have you organised, how many dets have you planned etc
You need a good Bull Sxxt detector and lots of common sense.
Learn some buzz words and its another option.
The team I worked in had
RAF cpl plod
REME staff sgt
RSM logistic corp
RAF FS admin
RAF C/T l tech FS
We all did some project management