Not sure where you get your negativity from but I would suggest that somebody with your experience of hazardous places allied to your career plan make you an ideal candidate for any prospective employer. Most employers want to know that they are employing a trustworthy individual and the more competent the better. Throw in reliability, willingness to learn, good attitude to the rapidly increased changes in technology and you have a superstar on your hands.
You could elaborate your career plan to include Diploma and Grad IOSH status and the more environmental stuff you get on board the easier finding work will be.
As I have posted on here many times if you can do Safety you can do QA, its very simple.
Get yourself a couple of good agents and away you go.

Good Luck.

I find this contradicts my experiences

Are you still "in" becuse if so you should be talking to your resettlement officer.

We have recruited a number of ex-services and they generaly come well quailfied due to the training they get at the end of their service.

FYI - I've got 4 ex service guys working for me as H&S advisors.
We like them because they have self discipline lacking in civy st and they are easy to place in projects that need security clearance.

suggest you Google "security cleared jobs" for jobs not advertised in the mainstream

thanks for the information guys my negativity only come from sending my CV out and not hearing back from anyone even if the job is a health and safety assistant not requiring NEBOSH qualification. So ive taken the steps to have my CV done by professionals i hope that may help a little. I think more than anything the time is close and Im a little nervous about the jump to civi street especially when I hear its so hard out there at the moment. thank you for your comments tho a little advice is a huge help for me.

Wil2511,

Walker makes a good point, if you are still serving you should be talking to your Unit Resettlement Officer about getting work placements and geting some experience working alongside/with another H & S Professional. It does not cost them anything.

The biggest stumbling block for anyone looking for employment is getting your CV right - particularly for when we leave the forces, make a list of all the things you have done since you joined such as; tours, courses projects etc; and try and convert them into the equivalent civilian qualification. DO NOT USE ABBREVIATIONS.

At the end of the day its all about selling yourself to a future employer/investor.

Go out and network:- Get yourself some Business Cards or Flyers knocked up and dish out at Branch Meetings.

I left the Corps in Nov 2003 after 24 years and have not looked back. If you want any help with the CV etc, PM me and I'll see if I can help.

Good Luck

Clive

I just wanted to say thanks I've had so much positive information of people. Thanks for all the comments its been well received cheers.

Reading you first paragraph Why should we take a chance with you................

I support the armed forces but what annoys me is when a person has left. Who is then an EX armed forces person who then goes on about how they are ''no longer supported by the army navy RAF etc''

Once you have left you will have no snuggle blanket, Its gone!!!,

The Army will owe you nothing and neither will the prospective employers.

Its up to you! If you get it wrong you will be the person that will be saying that rubbish above plus the added sentence of '' I wished I had never left''

if you get it right, it will be the best move you have ever made.

My advice would be prepare prepare prepare get your Cert and fire , Personnally dont bother with the environmental but use the money on obtaining the Diploma even part A is a start the diploma is essential if you want to be a health and safety professional, You also have to realise that the Cert is the bottom of the rung its not much, but its all you have so sell yourself,

I did I went to that job interview told them everything I knew, the presentation had been practiced and
I knew more about fires than all the other persons and could recite all of the HASWA and man regs
I had the fire and cert at that point, and i am now a fire safety adviser for 7 hospitals and 89 small buildings with 8300 staff

and I am more content than ever no more weekends away or deployments for months

I did 24 years in the armed forces they owe me nothing however I owe them everything because

them years trained me for my future, its not about luck its about preparation with a little bit of luck thrown in and dress to impress with a suit and tie. How did it help me having NEBOSH Certificate and fire and not the environmental, By spending the money on my diploma it showed i had committment for the future now i only have to pass part A(Law and Management) next week is the exam and hand the assignment and i have finished then its chartered membership etc

Try doing another course that can bolster your CV.

It might help if you had a PTTLS, Manual Handling Instructor or FAW Instructor/Assessor qualification or something along those lines that would give you that bit extra over your competitors.

I left in Jul 11 and after a lot of hard work and luck managed to get employment in November.

It's not all doom and gloom.

Good luck.

I would take any chance at all. Like I said there has been a lot of really good advice Thanks very much. I have sent my CV of to have it to properly and I am taking all the advice on board. Thanks

It may be worth offering your services to companies / charities for free just to help you gain some industry experience. I left the RE in 2009 and like your self struggled to get anything, in the end I sent my CV to the local council who offered me some work experience, this then led to some more work experience all of which I did for free whist I was on leave. By the time I came to leaving my CV was looking a whole lot better and subsequently helped me get the role I am still currently in. In terms of development I would defiantly listen to the guys who have mentioned getting your Diploma and would consider PTLLS. What you need to remember is that times are hard and where as couple of years ago their might have only been 5 or 6 people applying for positions you now have 50 or 60 which is making it difficult for anyone to get a role in H&S. It is difficult but well worth it.

Good luck

Thanks mike I've had a look into PTLLS courses as its been mentioned before and its looks like a good little number to have, I have had a sit down with my SQN QM and he has mentioned the same course and some others. AS for work experience I've sent an email to my local council and I would be very happy to do any sort of work experience so Thanks for that advice. Cheers

Thanks furze ill keep that in mind if and when I get a job to be honest I've had some great help of the Royal Engineers on the forum and its been a huge help already and its really made me want to work for it. So its on with the courses and a big push for the finish. Thanks and Thanks to everyone else.

id be very happy with working anywhere in the world Darren thats something for me to think about for sure. thanks very much

Cheers fullest, I've done IOSH managing safely I've sitting my NEBOSH general test march and I've got my Nebuchadnezzar fire & risk management and environmental in 3 weeks through my resettlement and I'm a member of IOSH. I'm also getting my self loaded onto a few more courses as recommended from the guys on the forum. Thanks very much.

Bob

I was always under the impression that 'once a sapper, always a sapper'.

REgards

There has been some first class advice given on this thread, all acknowledged by the OP (a rarity). A great advertisement for our Institution.

I think one point in particular is worth repeating: most employers, recruitment agencies and HR people have zero knowledge of what military personnel do, other than what they see on TV and movies. It is therefore essential to get across in CVs and accompanying application letters the skills, abilities, knowledge, achievements etc that are useful and transferable to the organisation to which you are applying. Management skill, organisational ability, leadership, creativity, work ethic, reliability all count highly.

You could also upload your CV to jobsites and consider joining up to Linkedin.com

I suggest in your CV you make the most of your risk management skills, dynamic risk assessment skills, difficult situation handling and if you can top that with office/organisation or man management skills - you'd be doing great.

Good luck and welcome to the wonderful world that is H&S!

Just to be provocative - if you used REgards instead of Regards - some would consider you overlook spelling mistakes and details........ lol :)

Will,

As an Engineer have you thought about the construction certificate? You may have numerous transferable skills that the construction industry may be looking for.

I am a former Bootneck, started with the general then moved onto the Diploma. You will have experience, its a case of looking at what you have done in your military career and how that transfers into civvie street.

regards

Tony

Cheers Allan. It is hard at the moment I've sent my CV out to a lot of people and not one has come back with anything, but I can understand why like you say alot of employers wont understand that we deal with H&S everyday just like any other job they just think we run around shooting guns and shouting at each other and I cant blame them. It really is all about that first chance.

wil2511,

You heard of Training4forces? Look them up as, owners are both ex-RE (Maj & Capt)..good rates for NEBOSH etc and they have ex-mil trainers who know the outside world. Also look into what you can get out of RE CPD..you could get a Bursary.

I'm former Ops Officer for RE CPD & left the Corps in 2004. Got head hunted by an ex-colleague in 2007 and I'm now now CMIOSH. Took me 4 years so keep your head up & keep the professional attitude. Also might be worth subscribing to Linkedin..loads of ex-mil/RE & good for networking. Try & get some work experience too. I'm in construction so it's important to know the industry as you come up against very professional & knowledgeable people in a very fast paced environment. You need to be practically minded, proactive etc etc.

PM me no prob's..happy to help if needed!

REgards

Neil

PM me & I'll send the link