My resettlement journey

Ex-RAF Corporal Royston Beddis tells Quest readers what it was like for him

It was a Friday afternoon in August 2002. Royston Beddis, 40, was going on leave, with less than eight months of his 22-year engagement left to serve. He had attended a Career Transition Workshop in April and completed a First Aid at Work Instructors Course in July. His service had taken him to signals units throughout the world, finishing at the Technical Training School at RAF Cosford. Qualifications gained included a Level 3 Electronics NVQ, an Electronics HNC and a NEBOSH Health and Safety Certificate. This is his story …

I checked my e-mails and found one from Carolyne, my CTP consultant. ‘Royston, you have less then eight months left. Why haven’t you been in touch? What are you doing? Time is running out! Where is your CV?’

I had planned to crack on with things after I had been on leave; eight months is plenty of time to look for a job, isn’t it? What was all the fuss about?

But the e-mail made me feel guilty, so I settled down to the nitty-gritty and started to polish my CV. Finally, with a sense of satisfaction, I hit the send button. That would keep her off my back until I came back from holiday.

As I was online, I thought ‘Why not submit my newly created masterpiece to the numerous Internet recruitment sites?’ I worked my way through the list, filing my particulars, registering names, passwords and so on. After about the tenth site I got bored, but I could report back to Carolyne that I had made a start. I could go on holiday and still have seven months left when I got back.

Monday morning came – start of leave. I rolled back over in bed. it was just after 9am and I was enjoying the luxury of a lie-in, when the phone rang. ‘Hello, is that Mr Beddis?’ said a woman. I was a bit sharp; I did not want another credit card or to subscribe to any magazines. ‘I’m Claire from Jam Recruitment. I’ve just read your CV. Would you be interested in pursuing a position that matches it?’

I was silent for a few moments, then replied, ‘It’s a joke isn’t it? I only submitted my CV on Friday afternoon. You must get thousands of them over a weekend.’ Claire reassured me that she was not winding me up, and explained how they used keyword filters to extract relevant CVs and that mine had popped out.

After the initial shock, Claire asked me about my employment history, why I was looking for a new job and what my expectations were; most of the topics we had covered in the CTP’s Cottesmore Regional Resettlement Centre workshop. She then briefly explained the job criteria and location, which was Essex – a long way from Wolverhampton.

‘When could I start?’ We had discussed this tricky question in depth at Cottesmore. I explained that I was not available for work until at least Christmas, and not due to leave the RAF until the next April. I asked when the start date was. ‘As soon as possible – end of September at the latest.’

‘Oh, well, that’s me out of the frame then.’

‘Why not submit your CV, and see? You’ve nothing to lose.’ She was right, so I agreed to let her forward it to the company. I had very mixed emotions: excitement that I had got a very quick result, disappointment that the location was so far away, and frustration that, because of the early start date, nothing would come of it.

The weekend approached, and the family was getting ready for our camping trip the following week.

The phone rang; it was Claire. My CV had been short-listed by the company, and was I interested in an interview? My first interview! Of course I was interested. OK, the job was miles away and they wanted someone in four weeks but, as I had been told so many times, it’s the interview experience that counts.

‘When?’ I asked.

‘Not for a week or two as they want to interview as many people as possible over two days. I’ll phone you next week.’

Needless to say, I was very excited and nervous. Then it hit home that I was really leaving the RAF, and it was not some distant event that wouldn’t happen to me. Suddenly, seven months was not long. What had I been playing at? My thoughts raced and panic set in. I had an interview coming up, no suit and nothing prepared! Make a plan I thought. ‘Go on holiday and relax,’ Claire said. ‘When you get back, get busy.’

On the fourth day of the trip, my mobile rang, and it was Claire. ‘Royston, it’s good news. The company wants to interview you on Thursday at one o’clock.’

‘Thursday! It’s Tuesday already,’ I exclaimed in a state of shock.

I had not prepared anything; my mind went into turmoil. ‘OK, brilliant, I’ll be there.’ It was the quickest we had broken camp – ever. By lunchtime we were back home and shopping for a suit and shoes.

Next, I blew the dust off my CTP material. I went straight to the interview pages and my notes, and decided to produce a portfolio, to hand in at the interview. We had discussed this in some depth during the workshop. Some people had dismissed it, but I liked the idea.

What to include? I had been award runner-up in the RAF Return to Learning Awards, and this had been published in many publications, including Quest. I also had copies of my annual assessments, letters of thanks, and my educational and service certificates. By midnight, I had produced what I thought was a comprehensive portfolio.

Wednesday was spent on the Internet, finding out everything I could about the company and planning my journey.

I set off early on Thursday, travelling in jeans and T-shirt – another tip from CTP. I found the company easily, but there were no parking spaces so I left the car in a café car park down the road. After lunch I changed in the washroom.

Tony, who would be conducting the interview, met me in reception. I was given a 20-minute tour of both factory and company with him asking questions and pointing things out. The Training Manager met us at the office with a further round of introductions. My CV was scrutinised with questions on the content. When would I be available? That question again. I explained my circumstances. The interview ended shortly afterwards. Claire called on Friday to ask how I got on. I felt the interview had gone very well but suspected that my unavailability would be a problem.

On Monday I was back at work, and got a phone call from a very excited Claire. ‘Royston, good news. The company really liked you and want to make a formal offer to start on the 30thof September. They want to know that you’d be able to start then because of your circumstances. But they need to know by the end of the week, as they have a reserve person.’

I was gobsmacked, but set to work juggling leave on the calendar, trying to make four months stretch into six, but it wouldn’t work. Someone mentioned that people on a 22-year engagement could leave three months early on the strength of a formal job offer, without loss of pension or gratuity.

I found the Queens’ Regulation and sought advice from the administration staff. I qualified! They got my file out and started to work out my leave entitlement. I could leave on that Wednesday, but I opted for the Friday as I still needed to get permission to work while on leave and hand in uniform.

I started work as a customer trainer at Raytheon Systems Limited just six weeks after Carolyne’s e-mail.

For the first few days I found things strange. I called the boss ‘sir’ and had to resist telling off people with long hair and hands in pockets, much to the amusement of the others!

In my first meeting, I had to keep asking what new acronyms meant. The company’s flexible approach to working hours was also new. It was frustrating at the start; the person you wanted to speak with had either not got in yet or had just gone home. However, when I’m not instructing, I can be home on a Thursday evening and travel back to work on the Monday morning.

I train a wide range of customers on the equipment they have bought. I’m currently working on 10 different projects, and responsible to the respective project managers. I’m also responsible for the training budgets for each project – currently around £750,000. Managing a budget was quite scary at first. There is travel involved, sometimes at short notice. I’ve already been to Rome and the USA, and with trips planned for Malaysia, Cambodia and Brunei next year.

Raytheon is very focused on personal development, and I’ve been given day release to complete the degree that I started in the RAF. When I had about four years left, I realised that unless I did something, I would leave the RAF with minimal qualifications, so I embarked on an education journey.

My number one tip for Service leavers is to take the Career Transition Workshop as early as possible. Time will fly, and unexpected things will happen. Do not leave everything to the last minute. Accept that you will be leaving the Service, and plan early, including your last tour of duty if possible.