I went for an interview today a week after passing my C+E. it was with a local static caravan transport company. As I’ve said before I have some resettlement time from the Army which allows me to carry out unpaid work attachment for a period of time with a company so as to gain experience in a chosen field of employment post service. Well, this company saw this as a free lacky to do odd jobs around their farm for a couple of weeks! What a load of BS. After qualifying up to masters degree level in management I was quite insulted that these ‘people’ thought that I was actually born yesterday… Despite sending emails of interest a week ago!
It was kind of funny that whilst being shown around the farm by the ‘PA’ of the owner (because he was on the phone for the hour I was the waiting to see him for the interview) being told that I would be expected to help out for the son’s wedding and odd jobs about the place and having them thinking they were doing me a favour! Comical is an understatement!
Please, people, understand that being in the Army for 20 years = a well trained, self motivated individual that can work well in a team as well as an individual. We are adaptable to dynamic changes, solution solving and thinking on our feet. We can also see when a no mark on society is trying to have our eyes out!
I am sure that this will be a one off incident which I find funny because of a lack of understanding on the part of these inbred s, but by god was I fuming at having my time wasted!
The thing that grips me the most is that I could be a manager somewhere, but I really really want to be a trucker. The life style of a trucker has some similarities to the Army, moving about, decision making on the hoof and ensuring the task is complete in the time given.
It’s something that is in my blood, my dad was a soldier and is now about to retire from trucking after 30 years. It’s as though it is my natural progression. I have/am done/ doing agency driving so as to be best employable when I have to leave in two years time.
I love trucking and now that I can drive c+e I know that love will become everlasting, but by god people can be a funny sort
You are probably going to say “Not you again!” and I am risking your wrath but feel that I must warn you. The army is not a good background for some jobs and it is for others. For instance; prison regimes, security and companies that love ex forces will want to snap you up BUT there is a common belief that soldiers are institutionalised and can’t think for themselves as they have done nothing but follow orders and are incapable of thinking outside of the box. This is what I faced when I left the army and I had only been in 3 years LOL Don’t take it personal I am just saying what barriers you may come across. Reading the above situation the jobs market is dire and you will get gits like this trying to take you on as a lackey and they obviously thought you were naïve but just politely say “no thank you” and chalk it up to experience.
No wrath from this callsign , you are perfectly correct, I definitely got the impression that they thought I was some uneducated idiot! As you say I will just put it down to experience. The good side of the experience is that I have just had my first interview in over 20 years, and I now can see that not all employers will have the same professional standards as I am used to.
Anyway, got a class 2 agency job on tomorrow. The agency I’ve signed up to will let me do some class 1 when I get my licence back from DVLA…
Yeah just keep plugging away arn1e you will get there mate. As you have already seen civvy street is dire compared to the army. You are bound to miss it especially the comradely and mates watching your back etc. Well done on getting your class 2 work I am just starting to try for jobs.
, you are perfectly correct, I definitely got the impression that they thought I was some uneducated idiot! As you say I will just put it down to experience. The good side of the experience is that I have just had my first interview in over 20 years, and I now can see that not all employers will have the same professional standards as I am used to.