Page 18 - SyI Quarterly - Q3 and Q4 Edition 2023

Know your Institute
Know your Institute

The transition from a

military veteran into the

private sector - My journey

By Wes Norton CMgr MCMI - Operations Manager

I joined the British Army (Coldstream Guards) and started my
military training in November 1998, I initially planned to do three
or four years and then move on but as they say in the military,
‘no plan survives contact.’ This was certainly the case for me, and
after joining my regiment in the summer of 1999, I eventually
retired over 22 years later. I found my time in the military
packed full of opportunities to travel which included overseas
exercises, adventure training, educational courses, promotional
courses, and of course operational deployments.

After completing my first promotion course in 2002 to Lance Corporal (Household Division Parachute
Regiment Centralised Courses), this laid the foundation for my leadership and management journey.
It was at this point that my experience and knowledge started to grow at a rapid rate. I undertook
a Section Commanders Battle course, Light Role Reconnaissance Commanders’ course, Platoon
Sergeants Battle course, as well as, what seemed like hundreds of short add-on courses. After
postings away from my Battalion and several operational tours in Northern Ireland and the Middle
East, I went from Company Quartermaster Sergeant (Facilities Manager) to Warrant Officer Class 2 in
2017. I was conscious that I only had three years left before I would finally become a civilian and so I
spent a lot of time during this rank conducting plenty of personal development activities. This included
attending networking opportunities and career fairs, as well as signing up for courses to further
enhance my chances of employment. I tried to plan early to ensure I was in a good place to hit the
ground running when I finally became a civilian. The military service offers many perks and benefits
that can easily be overlooked whilst serving, this includes, a guaranteed income stream, job stability,
and affordable living accommodation. These perks quickly come into focus as you turn the corner
onto the ‘final approach’ towards ‘Civvie Street.’ It is certainly a daunting prospect to leave behind the
military support framework.

Regardless of all my preparation, there was always
the doubt that would cross my mind with every
potential opportunity. However, with every ‘what
if’ I would quietly sit and plan a workable course of
action, should things start to go wrong. I used this
mindset because of my military training when faced

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