Today Charlotte Cooper, Pensions Consultant shares her Resettlement tips and experience…
“After 2.5 years in the Royal Navy, I withdrew from Phase 2 training because I felt a career as a Warfare Officer wasn’t suited to me. I had a very brief resettlement process, which included meeting with the Release Team and the Career Transition Partnership (CTP) representative. The CTP representative signed me up and gave me a short brief. I quickly completed my profile on their website and began searching through job boards. I also approached CTP and Officers’ Association for help developing my CV.
At first, I focussed my job search on the CTP job board because I felt that companies that advertised on there would have a better understanding of the skills I had developed in the military. It was via CTP that I came across the job posting for the Forces Pension Society. My knowledge on Armed Forces pensions was limited to the short brief we were given during Phase 1 training, so I felt that the role would be beneficial for me and allow me to learn new information and skills.
I would advise anyone who is shortly leaving the services to make use of the help available on how to write your CV, where to research for jobs, and how to present your skills to potential employers. The CTP do a fantastic job of keeping in touch during the job search, and it was very reassuring knowing that there was someone I could go to for help if needed.
At the risk of repeating myself, Resettlement is not something that’s done to you but something you undertake. It’s a process you need to control. Seize it and exploit every opportunity to educate, train and develop. And vitally, UNDERSTAND YOUR PENSION. If you’re not already a Member of the Forces Pension Society, we look forward to welcoming you to join the 62,500 or so existing Members who value the support we provide and who appreciate the fact that we give them – and the wider military community – a voice where it counts, on the representative bodies for Armed Forces and Public Sector Pensions.”
Charlotte Cooper, Pensions Consultant
Tomorrow you can hear from Matthew Lowe, Chief Operating Officer
