Preparation and planning

As Service leavers go, ex-Army PTI Sergeant Kelly Holmes is a bit of an exception. Powering past a stunned Maria Mutola to collect the gold medal for the 800 metres in one of the biggest upsets of the 2004 Olympic Games, she reached spectacular success in a way that few will emulate

As Service leavers go, ex-Army PTI Sergeant Kelly Holmes is a bit of an exception. Powering past a stunned Maria Mutola to collect the gold medal for the 800 metres in one of the biggest upsets of the 2004 Olympic Games, she reached spectacular success in a way that few will emulate. A few days later, her face beamed at us again from the front pages as she added the 1500-metre gold to her trophy cabinet. These results did not just happen, however; she worked for them over years, sacrificing other interests and pleasures with an all-consuming singleness of purpose. She is a winner.

While not suggesting that the professional athletics circuit beckons for many Service leavers, there are lessons in her achievement that others could do well to learn.

The first is clearly a determination to succeed despite the inevitable difficulties. Holmes suffered injuries galore during her career after a difficult childhood. She has also suffered disastrous races, loss of form, whispers about drugs and the usual media intrusion into the life of anyone becoming remotely famous. Her path has not always been smooth and she is certainly not some naturally gifted wonder-child who has only to step on to a track to scoop a trophy. She has worked incredibly hard, on a training regime that few of us can appreciate, punishing her body for mile after bruising mile. The prize was obviously worth it.

Almost all people in the Forces have something in common with Kelly Holmes; that one day – and that day may not be as far away as they imagine – they will be working as a civilian. For the vast majority, the amount they can earn and the position they reach will be very important. Both of these will call for personal qualities, skills, training, experience, education, personal development and good fortune. Some of these factors are provided or developed through a career in the Services, but others depend on personal choice, determination and the ability to see what is coming.

A number of people in the Forces, however, act like ostriches; burying their heads in today’s sand rather than looking towards tomorrow’s horizon. They have perfectly good brains, they have a great deal of money provided by the system, they are encouraged and advised by line managers and education specialists, but they do not do the work required to get ahead. They make excuses to themselves, their friends, their families and their managers. They say they will think about it ‘later.’ They cannot combine it with operations, or training, or another course, or … anything.

Whether we like it or not, qualifications are more important now than ever before. The world has more laws and regulations, employees are more aware of their rights, theoretical knowledge is more in demand, and people without the right letters after their name will not get through the first employment sift. Getting on for 50 per cent of people now hold a Level 4 qualification (degree equivalent) and those that do not will increasingly miss out on jobs. The need for qualifications is becoming as true for scaffolders as it is for scientists. The ‘University of Life’ – memorably described as ‘too expensive and taking too long’ – is fast becoming obsolete as a means of proving fitness for an appointment.

To get ahead in and even ‘win’ the race of life, the vast majority of us have to work for qualifications, and work hard; just like any athlete who aspires to greatness. This cannot be achieved overnight; it takes time to build knowledge. Every obstacle has to be hurdled, no difficulty can be accepted by those with the will to succeed. The person who does not put the effort in is simply not going to collect the results; and the sad fact is that many of those who do not collect the results later turn round and blame everyone and everything but themselves.

Many civilians have just as many distractions as and much less help than their Service counterparts. Not for them the £10,000 or so tax-free total sum that can now be accessed for education over a 22-year career in uniform. Most of them will not find an employer as sympathetic as Forces managers to the idea of time off for classes and assessment in the workplace as part of a personal development plan; or, for that matter, an organisation so universally committed to mapping its in-house training to ensure that modules qualify for the appropriate external award.

Civilians generally pay for their own learning, conduct their own research, study in their own time and have nothing like the same in-house training and facilities as Service people. A very few high fliers may be sent on top-level management courses but that is about all. Few people in the Forces seem to understand just how fortunate they are in comparison to their civilian contemporaries.

The choice is simple. Work hard, train hard and enjoy the reward, or do not bother, find an excuse and do nothing. You could always ask Kelly Holmes – she knows.