Ex Military - How many civilian jobs?

[Phoenix]

For all those ex-military people (regular only please) I'm interested in how many civilian jobs you have had, I recall seeing something saying that the average ex serviceman had four jobs before settling down. Obviously the fluid employment market these days makes this something of a moot point so lets keep it to the first 5 years after leaving the forces.

Ian

[resting rifleman]

polled 2-3 but in actual fact all were running concurrently,
marched straight into a nightclub bouncer job, and shortly after began skippering dive/angling boat, which i fished commercially during the winter,
packed up bouncing this april (50th birthday stocktake, is it rational to be butting heads with the young herberts at 50?) packed up fishing commercially 9 or 10 years ago, still skippering and hoping to keep going for a while yet!

[gunsentry]

IT contracting for 1st year or so.

IT Consultancy 2nd and 3rd year. Perm.

IT \ Network Systems engineer 3rd year. Perm.

4th year and onwards Systems Engineer with global communications company still going strong.

Started off on poor income and steadily increased every year now on comfortable income with good prospects for more of the same.

Your info was correct about 4 - 5 jobs to settle down.

[Bogwoppit]

Worked for the same company since leaving 8 years ago.. Luckily i have moved through about 8 accounts in that time which has kept things nice and fresh..

[Chris Hall]

I left the RAF in 1997, and have worked as:

A HGV Driver,
then a Scuba Instructor,
a water sports co-ordinator on a cruise ship,
next it was back on the trucks,
then Assistant Convoy Manger for The Queen's Jubilee Baton Relay,
then worked as a HGV ADR driver,
and the last job was as a self employed home improver, bathroom fitting & painting, etc.

Now retired as a disabled person, trying to make the most of life.

[Paul Oliver]

Started as a Surveyor in the Mobile phone market for 2 years.

Got bored with the incompetence in the market and got the Immigration Officer Job.

Did a bit of Agency HGV driving during job one (to pay for the diving habit) and whilst waiting for the start of the IND job which takes a while to get going, so about 4 months of truck driving (which was very nice and stress free ).

So i ticked 2-3.

Very happy with the Immigration job, very stress free and rewarding, just has possibly the most incompetent levels of management imaginable

[Alan]

Left army, finished UNI and went started with PwC, then Deutsche Bank and finally UBS before realising the banking industry was more institutionalised than the army.

It was easier for me, what you really need to look at is the poor souls suffering from service enduced stress, who either committed suicide, became alcoholics or just dropped out of society.

MOD did'nt do a great job of looking after them.

FACT: My father lost more men (his soldiers) through suicide than terrorism!!

Left Army, worked for a big Telco Company for 4 1/2 years then started my own business.

[Mark Davies]

Squaddies make bloody good police officers. No doubt the best I've ever trained by far were ex-forces. I appreciate many just want to get away from uniforms but if you're casting about for something you can settle down to it's worth considering.

And you don't have to give out speeding tickets. I never do!

[Phoenix]

Originally Posted by Mark Davies

Squaddies make bloody good police officers. No doubt the best I've ever trained by far were ex-forces. I appreciate many just want to get away from uniforms but if you're casting about for something you can settle down to it's worth considering.

And you don't have to give out speeding tickets. I never do!

Funnily enough I applied to join Hampshire when I was leaving the RN but the process was taking way too long (c. 18 months at the time) so I ended up moving onto other things and by the time I could have joined it would have meant a pay cut so not an option really.

Ian