History of service
Paul joined the Army in 1991 as an apprentice fitter and turner. He enjoyed a 25-year Army career.
As an armourer, Paul worked on artillery and armoured vehicles across locations in Australia and overseas. He built on his skills with state-of-the-art Army training and became skilled in areas such as organisational leadership, continuous improvement and risk and change management.
Paul wanted to leave his Army career on a high and continue to develop his skills and experience in the civilian workforce. Paul undertook what was to be an extensively planned and executed transition process.
Challenge
Paul left the Army as a highly competent and skilled soldier. Twenty-five years of military experience did not specifically train Paul for the basic interview and resume skills he needed, but provided the necessary skills to able to demonstrate his knowledge and capabilities throughout the recruitment process. After being offered the job Paul had to discover for himself a different way to manage a team in the civilian workplace.
Outcome
- Paul applied his military skills to his civilian job interview and went on to win a senior management position at Wallenius Wilhelmsen Logistics.
- Paul was confident undertaking the selection process for the job. He felt there was a large gap between how he managed soldiers to how he needed to manage civilians. Paul used mentors to help him adjust his management style to the new context.
- Paul owes his success in the corporate world to the training he received in the Army. He says, “The courses and support provided by Defence are second to none and has set me up to succeed in the corporate world.”
- If Paul could see improvements to transition, it would be robust mentoring programs. This type of support would help a veteran succeed in those first few months after they won a job. “Adapting to the new context is hard,” he said.
- If Paul could give one piece of advice to anyone looking to leave the Defence Force it would be: “Time spent in reconnaissance is seldom wasted. Research, research, research!”