Life after the RAF for a WSOP

[Eul0gy]

Good Evening ,

I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on potential career avenue's there is for WSOP's once they have left the service if they don't get to an age where they can retire?

[PingDit]

Well, I used to be a 'Wet-man' but as there are a distinct lack of submarines in the high street, I'm now a Hansom Cab Lamp Fitter.


Ping

[Sun Who]

Mate, I'm an ex WSOp. Left in 2008 and have a good, satisfying and interesting career since. Truth is, the RAF has trained you better than you suspect and in ways you won't appreciate until you've been out for a bit.

Don't limit your sights or aspirations to the obvious roles that look similar to the stuff you've done in the mob. Your core skills have less to do with flying and more to do with thinking and behaviour.

Best of luck.

Sun.

[Eul0gy]

cheers for the info.

i am currently in the process of moving over to WSOP from my current trade, but as my current trade is undermanned they have offered me a posting which would lead to some very interesting and highly payed work in civvy street in years to come, so im trying to balance out my options.

[leopold bloom]

The qualities that enabled you to succeed as a WSOP will serve you well in Civvie Street. Cast your net wide and be prepared to start again at the bottom of the pile. All of the WSOPs I know who have left the Service have gone on to successful careers "outside". Make maximum use of friends and former colleagues to get a start. Good luck.:ok:

[charliegolf]

I was a headteacher 9 years after leaving the RAF as a Puma crewman. To be fair, I was qualified before I went in. Get a degree inside. Add one year for a PGCE when you leave, headteacher 10 years later. Maybe.

CG

[BEagle]

Eulogy wrote: I was wondering if anyone could shed some light on potential career avenue's there is for WSOP's once they have left the service if they don't get to an age where they can retire?

Trainee Manager | Crew Member Jobs at McDonalds (http://jobs.mcdonalds.co.uk/) perhaps?

[NutLoose]

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/2d/His_Master%27s_Voice.jpg/640px-His_Master%27s_Voice.jpg

Has nipper retired, possibly his position?



Seriously though, do not undersell yourself, you will have skills learnt in the service that employers are looking for.

[wg13_dummy]

http://img2.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20100717060808/logopedia/images/thumb/a/a9/Mcdonalds-90s-logo.svg/200px-Mcdonalds-90s-logo.svg.png

You never know, you may get to 5 stars within a few years.

[Sideshow Bob]

BEagle,


Trainee Manager | Crew Member Jobs at McDonalds perhaps?

You appear to be confused old-timer, he said WSOP not WSO. :E

[TheWizard]

Seconds out....
https://fbcdn-sphotos-h-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xfp1/v/t1.0-9/1618689_231170353736144_1386702611_n.jpg?oh=0c5e9244109eae79 932cd01ec7003a56&oe=54B1EE31&__gda__=1425351070_8a061229d3231dd00045af23c0bab2d5https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-xap1/v/t1.0-9/1962690_231170363736143_1893322383_n.jpg?oh=4a324cb864100eb9 5bbad5e94db0f439&oe=54B167D9&__gda__=1424893680_0200e9793d74135198e21a7513703957

[Willard Whyte]

You appear to be confused old-timer, he said WSOP not WSO.

Quite right. Wouldn't want some grubby baldrick handling one's food.

[NutLoose]

http://www.whatifspecialist.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/bus-conductor.jpg

Helicopter and transport crewman position?


From
Are Your People Paying their Bus Fare? | Richard Bosworth - Business Strategy, Executive Coaching, Yorkshire (http://www.whatifspecialist.com/2013/04/are-your-people-paying-their-bus-fare/)

[Skeleton]

I left after 27 years in 2003, as a Flight Operations Manager who was finally bitten to death at the home of the then JFH.

The RAF equipped me with life skills a plenty, I wanted nothing to do with aircraft but within two years was a Benefits Manager for a large Borough Council. Im back with my aircraft now at Qantas and loving it but you have all the skills you need to succeed. You have to pick the career path though, no one can do that for you.

All my "civvie" bosses love ex-military men, we are taught to be at a certain place at a certain time and we get the job done whatever. They love that.

[charliegolf]

Other than those occupying roles that may aid the OP in his request (I really CAN see BEagle as a burger flipper?) all the officers should fall out, aka Foxtrot Oscar.

CG

[5aday]

I left from Kinloss in 75 as an AEOp. At Nairn Labour Exchange I signed on as a killer of subs - it was trainee brick layer at the oil rig yard at Ardersier or nothing, and we had a house we could not sell for a year and a half. Desperate times called for desperate measures so I asked the CAA about the same ground school course that Mil Pilots did at Oxford (then called the ACP course)and they said yes - at the Chief Ground Instructors discretion. All went OK and then I did the Approved Flying Course (summer of 76 was fabulous weather so I did some times 4 student trips a day - but mostly 3 of about one hour each) From Oxford I went to Woodford, (none pilot job on the AEW) Aberdeen with Loganair, then JEA in Jersey as the boss, then Maersk Air in Copenhagen, Monarch in Luton and finally BA at LHR finishing as P1 for the last 3 years until 2002. Also running my own company from 97 doing weather forecasting for certain motor race teams in F1(which also led to some really great jobs such as the Opera in Verona and Flower farms in Tarlton, S.A.
Basically, I snatched at almost every opportunity, put in some horrendous hours in some really dull and very boring jobs along the way - and made a lot of friends along the same way (and probably a few enemies ). My message is only you can do it and don't expect too much help from anyone.

[NutLoose]

Well said :D summer of 76 I was in Wales at Saints doing my mechs course :)

[nutnurse]

@ Eul0gy

Do you have other interests/hobbies?

I used to know a struggling, full-time cellist who was interested in IT. Eventually, he became a well-off IT consultant and semi-professional cellist (and got more bookings after he no longer needed them to pay for food and mortgage).

An academic art historian of my acquaintance who enjoyed drinking fine wine when looking at pictures took early retirement and went to the local CFE to train as a sommelier. Eventually, he became a wine importer who was good at spotting up-and-coming vineyards and up-and-coming artists in the same locality while he was about it. ;)

[5aday]

Quite a few actually. If you are referring to me , I rebuilt most of this house, i have two British sportscars, I import all my wine from the Fattoria Camerone in Castel Bolognese and have enough to see me through the next 10 years, and I'm just (hopefully) being recertified for open water diving, I've got a small boat on the Thames and I'm learning the piano.
Dave M

[charliegolf]

I rebuilt most of this house, i have two British sportscars, I import all my wine from the Fattoria Camerone in Castel Bolognese and have enough to see me through the next 10 years, and I'm just (hopefully) being recertified for open water diving, I've got a small boat on the Thames and I'm learning the piano.

Idle bugger!:ok:

CG

[Toadstool]

5aday

when the day comes, alas, when you shuffle your mortal coil, you certainly can say that you have lived your life. :D

[glad rag]

I left after 27 years in 2003, as a Flight Operations Manager who was finally bitten to death at the home of the then JFH.

The RAF equipped me with life skills a plenty, I wanted nothing to do with aircraft but within two years was a Benefits Manager for a large Borough Council. Im back with my aircraft now at Qantas and loving it but you have all the skills you need to succeed. You have to pick the career path though, no one can do that for you.

All my "civvie" bosses love ex-military men, we are taught to be at a certain place at a certain time and we get the job done whatever. They love that.

Whilst that is an exceptional attitude, a modicum of circumspection would be advised in all circumstances. :hmm::hmm::ouch:

[glad rag]

5aday, saluté!!

:D:D:D:D:D:D:D

[Al R]

Train driver and unmanned/remote submersible pilot seem to be popular at the moment. Train drivers can make £50k or so, not to be sniffed at, and as for ROV pilot, lots of tax benefits to be had floating around the global oggin for months at a time.

[Vim_Fuego]

I was a dry man. Left 3 years ago. First interview got me a job as a project manager at a large defence contractor. Got bumped up to senior project manager this summer. Project management is mainly being organised and leading a team (slight generalisation but let's roll with it for now) so I fitted in and excelled due to my background and in-service training.

[5aday]

Toadstool,
loads of fabulous things to do, loads of places I haven't seen, and next year my no.1 car is back on the road and planning going to Le Mans Classic, Also planning on importing 2014 Millenium Riserva which should see me through until I'm 80+. So not planning on going anywhere for a while.
Dave M

[nutnurse]

Vim's being modest - he's OC The Goat as well now. :D:D:D:D:D:D (shh)


@ 5aday

I was addressing Eul0gy. Let's face it, you're an idle fellow: you've only got a small boat, and you've said nothing whatever about painting the bridge at Marlow. That's the way my father thought and he meant it. We used to drink our lunch in the pub at Little Marlow on 6th Form geography field trips.

[5aday]

What a small world.
I live next door to the Kings Heads' garden and the Queens Head is three gardens away. We are at SL7 2JR and it its the one set back from the road.
I drink in the Queens and the Royal Oak on the other side of town where a bunch of long haul pilots gather on Thursday(All very pissy as its a four hour session) However the brewery in Marlow Bottom has absolutely free and very excellent beer and now, as I'm semi retired it's a great place to socialize.
The bridge has just been restored but the rowing club burned down about 3 years ago and a brand spanking new one is nearing completion with what will be a super bar overlooking the river.

[BEagle]

While it always guarantees a bite to suggest to non-pilots that they can always apply to MacDonald's for a second career, actually it shouldn't be dismissed.

Some years ago an RAF VC10K GE decided to look into the possibility of working for MacD's. With his proven outstanding team management credentials and 'can-do' attitude, they snapped him up and within a year he was managing one of their restaurants in Florida - and doing very nicely out of it!

[NutLoose]

A move up in the world too, perhaps a few from the other ex fleet may consider it, tri stars to five stars :D

It seems a waste of a skill set though.

[nutnurse]

@ 5aday

Sounds great! I haven't been there for decades and I'm very creaky and so not that mobile these days. Still, one day...

I recall also a pub at or near Hurley Bottom which seemed to be in the middle of nothing in particular. We sat on settles round the sides of an enormous, single table. Our orders were fetched from elsewhere - a bit like 'The Saracen's Head' in Dublin. No doubt all has changed. The 'developers' won't have shifted Ashley Hill, though.

[NutLoose]

5aday I would take your post code down

[thing]

Was an avionics guy for 22 years. Well, Nav Inst, Flight Systems then Avionics. Same job different title. Left in '95 and it seemed the natural career progression was to become a peripatetic music teacher in schools. So that's what I did.

I turned my hobby into my job and my job into my hobby, so I play music for four days a week then with the rest of the week and the 17 weeks holiday I give myself (I think that's sufficent actually, anymore would just be lazy) each year I happily pole light aircraft around. It's as good as it sounds.

I still apply what I absorbed during my time in the services every day and as a result became successful at what I do now. You can be anything you want to be as an ex serviceman because you have the motivation and discipline to do it.

[Elastoboy]

Was at a recruiting fair here in the great white North oil patch, our group was there looking and hiring - Two recently retired CF18 ground crew chiefs from Cold Lake came through looking and handing out their resume - it turned into a "slave auction", us and other companies started bidding to hire them, right there on the spot! We stopped at $150K cdn / year, they were both hired for alot more than that. They are now leading the commissioning of new build land based oil rigs, same company as us, just a different division - We only have ten years worth of back orders!
Remember your military training and skills are very valuable and very valued! Please don't under sell yourself!