Out of the silent service

Mark Turner’s Royal Navy apprenticeship led to a project management job with BAE SYSTEMS via the Open University

It would seem unlikely that I could move from the torpedo room of a nuclear submarine to an executive position in a leading avionics company within two years, but I discovered that the skills needed for both roles are very similar.

I joined the RN as a Weapons Engineering Artificer Apprentice in 1989. Scrawny, shy and unsure of myself, I quickly learnt that, with determination, imagination and a bit of luck, almost anything was possible. This even included finishing the damn assault course!

Returning from my apprentice year at sea, I volunteered for submarine service and, after additional training, found myself working as a torpedo system maintainer at the base in Faslane. With my apprenticeship now finished I decided to study for a science degree with the Open University.

My next seagoing draft was to the nuclear submarine HMS Spartan. I made use of the ship’s personal computer to help with my degree, and soon I was being asked to help with all the computers on board. Unfortunately not all of my work was on disk so I had to sleep with half a dozen textbooks crammed under my mattress.

These computer skills were noticed, and I joined the Engineering Planning Office back in Faslane. I quickly picked up project planning tools and settled into office life. In 1999 I was awarded the Captain’s Prize for Initiative for my design of the department’s web page. The following year I sat my last OU exam, passing with second-class honours.

Working in an office made me realise that I did not want to return to sea. In ten years the nearest I had ever come to firing a missile was launching model rockets with my local rocket club; my wife complained about the smell of oil and diesel on my clothes; and I missed my kids. So I submitted my 18 months’ notice and applied for the Career Transition Workshop at RAF Cottesmore.

Almost all of my job searching was based on the Internet. I signed up for several e-mail notification services, and organised a filing system to keep track of my submissions. On a good day I would receive over 200 job opportunities of which I would apply for about 40. I did not limit myself to engineering, but tried thinking about my other transferable skills.

After some initial disappointments, I was invited for an interview as a project planner with BAE SYSTEMS. Eagerly, I drove down to Essex to meet the manager, but the interview did not go well. The manager used jargon I did not understand, and the fire alarm went off halfway through.

Two days later I was offered the position. The starting salary was £28,000 and I could begin in two weeks. Although excited, the poor interview had put a question mark in my mind so I asked for a second meeting with the manager before I made a commitment. We met the following week, and he introduced me to some of the other planners in the department. This gave me a chance to ask them about the job and the company. Satisfied with their comments, I accepted the following day.

I started the job in February and, within weeks my worst fears were realised. The jargon was common throughout the company, and I found myself struggling to cope with new information. I needed to learn a new software package and get to grips with a complex financial reporting system. I raised my concerns with my manager, who transferred me to the highest-profile project on the site. I was now working for a project manager who was able to turn my natural ability into a successful output, and within a month I was much happier. The company even sponsored me to rejoin the OU to study the Professional Certificate of Management, which I successfully completed in December 2002.

After 15 months the company restructured, and several new management positions were created in the planning department. My boss suggested I try for the new position of Project Office Manager. One month later I was appointed with a modest pay rise and a new executive contract. I now lead a department of 18 project planners working on several million pounds’ worth of contracts.

That is how I went from torpedo engineer to company executive in two years. I have absolutely no regrets about leaving the Navy, although it gave me self-confidence, it sponsored my degree and it provided me with a set of memories I will always treasure. Most importantly it gave me the opportunity to develop the skills most prized by industry: independent thought, self-reliance and a determination to succeed at whatever I put my mind to.