Post RAF career

[TheFungle]

I'm approaching 21yrs in the RAF and whilst signed on for 30, '22' is certainly a milestone that is playing on my mind.

I've been fortunate in my current role of the last 3yrs to have spent a lot of time with industry and quite frankly, have thrived in that environment.

I was browsing LinkedIn and noticed that the Civil Service are recruiting for roles that match the job that I am currently doing and depending at what level, either match or exceed (by quite a margin) my current salary.

I guess I'm thinking out loud here and trying to reconcile the safe & secure job I have at the moment - which still offers a lot - vs. the promise of a job in the 'real world' which is an area I really want to focus on.

What I've always been clear on is that when I do leave, it won't be for a self-stacking job which is what some choose to do.

[Stuart70]

Civil service is nowhere near the real world, in my experience.

[TheFungle]

Stuart70 said:

Civil service is nowhere near the real world, in my experience.

I guess 'real world' having spent 20+ years in the RAF, is somewhat of a subjective term!

My area of expertise is Digital so I'm looking at roles within GDS or similar. The digital teams appear to have a healthy culture and perhaps not one traditionally associates with the CS.

[shouldbworking]

Join the MoD? Or perhaps seek a posting there to see whether it suits?

[ChevronB19]

TheFungle said:

I'm approaching 21yrs in the RAF and whilst signed on for 30, '22' is certainly a milestone that is playing on my mind.

I've been fortunate in my current role of the last 3yrs to have spent a lot of time with industry and quite frankly, have thrived in that environment.

I was browsing LinkedIn and noticed that the Civil Service are recruiting for roles that match the job that I am currently doing and depending at what level, either match or exceed (by quite a margin) my current salary.

I guess I'm thinking out loud here and trying to reconcile the safe & secure job I have at the moment - which still offers a lot - vs. the promise of a job in the 'real world' which is an area I really want to focus on.

What I've always been clear on is that when I do leave, it won't be for a self-stacking job which is what some choose to do.

Ex forces are very popular in the nuclear industry.

[GiantCardboardPlato]

Stuart70 said:

Civil service is nowhere near the real world, in my experience.

I don’t want to derail the thread, bit there is no such thing as a single real world
Everybody’s world is different. They are all real.
A police officer’s is different from a checkout cashiers is different from a doctors is different from an ‘executive’s’ is different from a civil servant is differerent from a professors.
The idea of a real, genuine and superior “real world” is just snobbishness.

[vaud]

TheFungle said:

I guess 'real world' having spent 20+ years in the RAF, is somewhat of a subjective term!

My area of expertise is Digital so I'm looking at roles within GDS or similar. The digital teams appear to have a healthy culture and perhaps not one traditionally associates with the CS.

Look at the consultancies- Accenture, PA Consulting, IBM, etc - all have RAF and others as key sectors.

[LimaDelta]

GiantCardboardPlato said:

I don’t want to derail the thread, bit there is no such thing as a single real world
Everybody’s world is different. They are all real.

As someone who prides themselves in having never spent a single day of their adult life in the 'real world', I concur.

What trade/role do you have in the RAF OP?

We have a few ex-forces (all branches) in our line of work. Lucrative, enjoyable, offers a similar common-purpose camaraderie, and not even slightly real-world.

[Carguy44]

Agree about the real world, being in the RAF is just another version of the world that's all.

I think you will struggle more on civvy street if you do 30 than if you do 22.

[TheFungle]

Carguy44 said:

Agree about the real world, being in the RAF is just another version of the world that's all.

I think you will struggle more on civvy street if you do 30 than if you do 22.

I'm fortunate to have spent the last few years embedded with industry plus my home life (live out / civ wife) has hopefully kept me grounded, at least as much as it can do. Looking around I see folks who joined at 18 and have lived in MQ their entire career, I'm glad I'm not in that position.

I do take your point that leaving at 30 I will have age against me to a degree and that is something to consider.

[Stuart70]

GiantCardboardPlato said:

Stuart70 said:

Civil service is nowhere near the real world, in my experience.

I don’t want to derail the thread, bit there is no such thing as a single real world
Everybody’s world is different. They are all real.
A police officer’s is different from a checkout cashiers is different from a doctors is different from an ‘executive’s’ is different from a civil servant is differerent from a professors.
The idea of a real, genuine and superior “real world” is just snobbishness.

Defensive or philosophical GCP? Anyway, my experience is my reality, thanks.

[GiantCardboardPlato]

Stuart70 said:

Defensive or philosophical GCP? Anyway, my experience is my reality, thanks.

Which is a fair point - in your world there can be a real world.

not civil service but some people (“enough of experts”) might attack my own profession as being divorced from the real world. So perhaps a bit defensive, mostly philosophical. I guess professions to an extent create the world they need to function. Maybe those worlds change slowly, and as the wider world(s) change around them chasms can appear. Professions (worlds) all adapt and catch up (or die - met many abbots recently?) in the end.

None of this is much help you fungle, sorry.

[vaud]

Carguy44 said:

Agree about the real world, being in the RAF is just another version of the world that's all.

I think you will struggle more on civvy street if you do 30 than if you do 22.

Depends. If the OP flips from RAF digital to being on the consulting side into MOD there will be a culture change, but all of the language, understanding of hierarchies, acronyms, etc will be the same… and the money probably much better as the OP would be an experienced hire…

[deckster]

vaud said:

TheFungle said:

I guess 'real world' having spent 20+ years in the RAF, is somewhat of a subjective term!

My area of expertise is Digital so I'm looking at roles within GDS or similar. The digital teams appear to have a healthy culture and perhaps not one traditionally associates with the CS.

Look at the consultancies- Accenture, PA Consulting, IBM, etc - all have RAF and others as key sectors.

I'd agree with this, or perhaps a software vendor. I learnt very quickly that when selling into the armed services, speaking the right language and having a forces background is hugely valuable and the big boys will pay handsomely for that.

Also, having had to deal with GDS numerous times in a professional capacity, I'd personally not be working there.

[vaud]

deckster said:

I'd agree with this, or perhaps a software vendor. I learnt very quickly that when selling into the armed services, speaking the right language and having a forces background is hugely valuable and the big boys will pay handsomely for that.

Yup.

OP if you want a chat via PM then happy to exchange off forum.

[RizzoTheRat]

Take a look at securityclearedjobs.com for defence related stuff. For civil service there's a lot of options like dstl (mainly Porton and Portsdown now I think), DE&S in Abbey Wood (Bristol) as well as MOD main building in London, plus international civil service like NATO. Don't underestimate the "soft skill" you have of understanding how the military works, which is very useful to a lot of civilian organisations who have a very different way of working, language and culture.

[nebpor]

I was at PA Consulting for ten years, working alongside many ex-mil. I got in the lift in 123 one morning and realised there was this presence .... followed by a voice .... I completely and unconsciously stood up straighter .... turned round to see the big saddle-bag eyes looming over me ... we had just hired Sir General Mike Jackson

I also think it's a great shout to seek out consulting / tech companies. My current firm hires a lot of ex-forces as well. I love working with them. No crap, very driven, helps me and others focus as well.

[TheFungle]

deckster said:

Also, having had to deal with GDS numerous times in a professional capacity, I'd personally not be working there.

Interesting - is there anything in particular that has made you say that?

[deckster]

TheFungle said:

deckster said:

Also, having had to deal with GDS numerous times in a professional capacity, I'd personally not be working there.

Interesting - is there anything in particular that has made you say that?

Reasonable question. Bear in mind that this is entirely from the point of view of external consulting & pre-sales; the reality of actually working there may vary. But in no particular order:

• A lot of what they do is standards setting and gatekeeping. There may be implementation work, but in my experience a lot of that is done by external consultants and other government departments.
• There is nothing especially cutting-edge going on. I do get that government websites need to be functional first and flashy second, but when single-sign-on is still a stretch goal you know you're in for the long haul.
• You are entirely subject to the whims of your elected overlords. Call me fussy but the amount of time and effort spent ensuring that every web page, every application, and every document are translated into Welsh seems excessive.
• There's no nice way to say this. But the people that work there have never come across as being especially dynamic and the whole place feels very...governmenty. Which may be a good thing, if you like low-stress jobs and a 9-5 (10-4) existence. But I've never got the impression that people go there because they have an excess of drive and a passion for excellence in digital services.

[Collectingbrass]

I work for a large healthcare provider and we have an armed forces leavers support programme for both clinical and non clinical roles. Drop a PM and I can put you in touch with the programme lead if that would help?