An Interview...

How did you identify your career goals and interests in the civilian sector?

When making the daunting decision to finally hang up my uniform, strangely I didn’t know what I wanted to do, where I would fit in or how my skills would be relevant in the ‘real’ world. I had a year from handing in my notice (or as the Navy call it, handing my Chit in) to decide, I went to interviews for all sorts of roles, with plenty of rejections, mainly because at that point I didn’t know how to communicate the skills I had to potential employers. However, over time I improved, through failed interviews and talking to friends about their experiences. The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) course I completed, available to all services leavers, really changed everything for me, it taught me how to sell my skills, write my CV and find out what I wanted to do. Within three days of completing the course and re-writing my CV, I had recruiters on the phone constantly and interviews lined up for weeks ahead.

A year is a long time to give as a notice to the Navy, however, it actually gave me the time to fail, it gave me the time to develop and prepare the best I could for a new beginning. I always thought I was a ‘lifer’ and that I would struggle to fit back into civilian life, but the opposite has been true. Being patient is the one bit of advice I would give to myself looking back.

When did you join G&T and what was the role? What is your role now?

I joined G&T in February 2023 as a commercial manager, completing a year at the time of writing this, in that time I have managed to promote in my role with the client in a short period and now that I am settled, I am looking at my long-term plans within G&T, hoping to continue with progression.

What drew you to G&T?

Out of all the companies I applied for G&T made me feel wanted, that I could become a valuable part of their team. I still had three months left of my notice period when I interviewed for G&T, they were the only company that would wait for me. Straight after the first interview I knew that this was the business I wanted to be part of. G&T found a role that fits my skill set. I was advised on potential progression, something that played a big part in my decision to join and to date this has been true.

What specific skills or experiences from your military service have you found particularly valuable in your career at G&T?

My role is within procurement for the MOD, I believe that my biggest asset is that I myself have used the kit I am buying and I have been that person on that front line unit so I get to see the other side of the operation, I can assist project managers and functions with my wider defence knowledge.

The military also gave me several other skills that have become useful, small things from being confident when giving briefs to large crowds, leadership, managing projects, marks of respect, and doing all those things while being resilient and calm under pressure.

Have you received any particular support in regards to training/qualifications after starting your role at G&T?

In my time at G&T, our team has run several seminars on procurement and there are online courses I use to broaden my knowledge base. I also get regular emails about what training is available to me.

One thing that helped me is that there was always a colleague available to help if I got stuck on a piece of work. This was particularly useful at the start.

There is also the G&T Academy Portal - an invaluable resource for becoming knowledgeable about the industry and staying up to date with construction technologies, a Career Action Plan to ensure you're on a strong path, and more structured training programmes which are also very well run.

Favourite part about working at G&T?

My favourite thing about G&T is the flexibility and variety of work I am given, if I want to progress or change up my work I will be supported in my decision. I also enjoy the trips to London for a monthly social and it is always nice to get out of Bristol where I am based.