Getting it right the first time is mission critical.
Like a lot of other young lads of my generation I watched the first gulf war known as Operation Granby on the TV and I knew within a few weeks i knew that I wanted to join the Armed Forces, twenty six years later I have served as both a regular and reservist in two front line Infantry units before transferring to The Royal Military Police.
Until recently soldiers sailors and airmen and women leaving their respective service had been left to there own devices to plan there next move, over the last ten years however things have changed, the decision makers within the MOD have seen the importance of the seven P’s, The same seven P’s are drilled in to every service man and woman from day one so it makes sense that as we come to the end of our service that we use the instilled disciplines we have learnt to help us plan the next phase of our lives.
Planning for the future is the easy part, making sure you deliver on that plan is mission critical............
Planning for the future is the easy part making sure for you and your family that you deliver on it is mission critical, transitional planning should be looked at like any other mission and a brew or a wet with your resettlement officer should be High on the list of priorities along with choosing the right training provider to get the all important qualifications for your future employment.
For myself I only had one plan in mind and that was to build on the skills I had learnt in the armed forces and after a career in the Infantry which saw me work in various roles including the phase one training team at ITC and then in the Military Police in a General Policing Role I knew the natural progression was to go in to security.
I completed my SIA Close Protection Course in 2010 and then started to add additional qualifications to my skill set including fire arms proficiency, surveillance and a quality medical course.
It is of paramount importance that you get your planning and preparation right.
As part of your resettlement package you will be referred to the RFEA who are pretty much your guide throughout the entire mission, you will get among other things the opportunity to attend networking events which you simply have to go too.
Your CV or Resume are similar in many ways to a set of orders, but remember the person reading it may not like you have been in the Armed Forces so instead of Section 2ic or Platoon Staff Sgt you need to use the civilian equivalent.
Deciding where to spend your resettlement grant is equally important, you need to be meticulous in the decision making but don’t get caught up in the “If you don’t go with this company you wont get anywhere debate” my Close Protection Course was with a local North East based company who after seeing some of the other courses were equally as good and offered me the start in the industry i needed.
Continuous professional development is the key to your own progression
Since completing my CP course and gaining that initial foot in the door I have met up and worked some of the best Close Protection Officers and security specialists in the Industry, I have an extensive network of people I can call on to work with us offer me advice or simply meet up with for a brew if I am in there AO and I am now 2ic at Close Protection Security LTD where I am currently working.
Remember “Continuous Professional Development“ is what makes your CV stand out in the crowd and investing in yourself is only going to pay off.
If you are thinking about making the transition yourself then please feel free to add me to your network you can find me on LinkedIn or drop me a message via our website www.closeprotectionsecurityltd.co.uk
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James Willcock
Operations Director
Close Protection Security Ltd.