I was a Combat Engineer for 5 years and because it was the only career I'd had, leaving the Army wasn't easy. I was used to everything from meal times to my schedule being regimented and planned for me and it felt like a real culture shock to no longer work and live in that way. Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to access too much guidance during my resettlement but because of my experience, I was able to secure a role in construction and found that the environment does offer some of the discipline of the military for example the structure of the work day and the approach to project delivery.

I have had various roles in the construction industry and at JN Bentley, from Foreman to Works Manager (leading site teams) to what I do now as a Resource Manager (managing labour resource across multiple sites). I am motivated by the actual work as well as being able to develop and progress so the variety and breadth of projects as well as the opportunities at JN Bentley are a good fit for me.

Because of the kind of work and the similarities in terms of structure and progression, I do think the engineering and construction industry is a good fit for anyone leaving the forces. In terms of any advice I would give them, I would say don't panic. Of course it's an adjustment, but your skills and experience are immediately transferrable, don't underestimate things like being driven, punctual and hard-working and how important they are.

After serving as a Corporal Logistics Technician with the RAF for just under 10 years, health complications led to Andy ending his military career. With support from this network, he was able to pursue an opportunity in the water sector.

My career in the RAF started in logistics and after some time I moved in to buying and then project management. Leaving wasn't really something I had planned but I did make the most of my resettlement by spending the time looking for a new job, as well as enjoy some time with my family. I quickly settled within the water sector working and I do think the environment has similarities to the military, e.g. the hierarchy and mentality.

I joined JN Bentley earlier this year as a Contracts Manager (which is quite similar to a project management role in the military; leading a team of people from different disciplines to deliver a project on time and on budget) after looking at opportunities with a number of companies. Accepting the offer with JN Bentley was an easy choice; the interview was a really positive experience because it felt natural and not pressured, I left thinking that I wanted to work with the people. The culture is really important here, it's all about people and everyone is genuinely driven to do a good job.

I have been out of the military for some time now, but I still use a lot of the skills I developed there; being disciplined, focussing on delivery, thinking logically and staying calm all translate really well to this sector. In terms of my actual experience, it was put to use immediately being highly organised, working to tight deadlines and being responsible for complicated projects.

For anyone in their resettlement I would say to try and figure out what you want to do; make use of the resources around you for example the resettlement service and external events and tools. This is something JN Bentley are really passionate about doing; we attend a lot of military careers events and spend time with people really picking apart the nitty gritty of what they do to help us, and you, understand what you are capable of. I attended one recently with our in-house military recruiter Billy, and was really impressed with the calibre of the candidates.

 Jamie joined JN Bentley as a Buyer in September 2023, after serving nearly 25 years with the RAF as Chief Technician. As an engineer, he initially started looking at engineering roles but a conversation with a careers advisor during his resettlement helped him realise his experience leant itself to a much broader remit than he had originally realised.

Knowing what you want to do, or even what you can do, on Civvy Street is daunting. The support I got from the CTP and resettlement services was really good but you are going into an environment that is so different from the one you have spent your whole working life in - there are so many things to consider; everything from how your experience translates and if your qualifications are recognised in the same way, through to how to answer particular interview questions or what certain acronyms mean.

The role at JNB came about when I was contacted by internal recruiter Billy, who is also a veteran, and had found my profile online. He was recruiting a Buyer and because of his experience and knowledge, understood how my CV leant itself to this role. After chatting it through with him and understanding what the role involved, I applied and I was quickly offered an interview. The atmosphere was relaxed and I was asked challenging questions but I didn't feel like anyone was trying to catch me out, more that they really wanted to establish how my non-traditional CV translated. I had the opportunity to ask questions and understand what I needed to about the role as well as the team and culture. Within a few days a job offer arrived and I was pleased to accept. Knowing the process was being overseen by someone who understood my experience as a veteran really helped. Billy was able to read my CV and quickly pick up on why I would be a good fit but also has the industry knowledge to be able to explain that to the hiring managers. Having someone advocating for you in that way was incredible helpful, and also in my experience of job-hunting, unique to JN Bentley

Luke originally joined JN Bentley in 2018 as an Engineer and is now a Site Agent. He previously served 7 years with the Royal Marines. After leaving the military, Luke gained experience in a number of industries before deciding to complete an Engineering degree with funding from the military.

I initially applied for a design role with JN Bentley, but a conversation with one of the managers helped me realise I would be better suited to a site based role and I started a few weeks later. I had applied for a number of roles at the time and the reason I accepted was that we had already discussed my progression and I knew there was a plan for my development.

The mindset you develop fairly early on in the forces of making yourself resilient and adaptable to changing situations has proven very useful every day. The role I find myself in today, and the engineering roles prior, have always been challenging in terms of meeting the needs of a fast-paced project whilst meeting the demands of the client, subcontractors, the different departments involved in the project and the teams on the ground all without compromising on health and safety. It's the mindset, adaptability, and willingness to take control of difficult situations with a calm and methodical approach I would say are the skills I have acquired from the military that have been the most valuable to me.

In terms of advice I would give someone leaving the military, I would say to not underestimate how well your skills transfer to industry, and don't assume you have to be the finished product. I recently attended a recruitment event for service leavers on behalf of JN Bentley and met lots of candidates who didn't realise how good they were. Being onsite is a similar environment to being in the field in many ways so the skills you have developed there are instantly transferrable.

After serving as an Air Engineering Technician, Simon left the Royal Navy with a passion for safety. He was able to gain professional qualifications during his resettlement and here he explains why he chose JN Bentley for the next step in his career.

My passion for Safety started in the forces. With flight safety the consequences of getting anything wrong can be catastrophic. Making the transition to work for JN Bentley was easy as the company ethos shares many of the same values I had become accustomed to.

Values like 'commitment' to a world class safety strategy, having 'respect' for one another, 'courage' when it comes to safety leadership, and recognising that a team of people working with a unified purpose can achieve great things. Some of the skills I had developed are well suited to a SHEQ role, things like assessing risk, attention to detail, effectively communicating to diverse group of people, the ability to remain calm and getting up early!

In terms of advice I would give to someone leaving The Forces, I would say that if you can, having a defined plan about what you might like to do can be helpful. It can also really help to talk to potential employers about roles that are suited to your skill-set, this is something that JN Bentley are always happy to do with service leavers. Construction is changing and so are the attitudes including more positivity and inclusivity, it's important to make sure your values align with the companies you are considering joining.