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for Veterans by Veterans

Finding Purpose in Your Second Career

Leaving the RAF was a choice for me - I had been disengaged for some time, disillusioned with the career choices available to me and feeling that serving was preventing me from having a stable, connected home life.

That being said, it was not necessarily an easy choice, and I was keenly aware that my next steps were uncertain; I had the usual random range of Qs and ticks, but nothing much that would lead me directly to a particular field in the civilian world. I had already been preparing myself for the next chapter, having started studying for my Certificate in Mortgage Advice and Practice (because people will always need mortgages, right?!).

Still, it was my experience of the training environment that would be the key to developing my identity after I took off my uniform.

As fate and the universe would have it, as I was coming to the last few months of seeing out my time, an opportunity arose that seemed ideal; it made use of my teaching and assessing qualifications and put me in an environment that felt like a soft release (policing).

Starting my role as a Learning Support Advisor gave me the space to begin exploring adult education in a lot more detail; one of the things that frustrated me about military service and moving around every two years was that it was never possible to develop a state of mastery, so here was my chance to go really deep into this part of my professional identity whilst also being in a place with a good few other veterans and a uniformed mindset. Shortly after starting this job, I decided to dust off my learning credits and use them towards a Masters in Education - this would prove to be a pivotal decision.

Through my Master's, I started finding my voice, and I realised that education really was where my passion lay. Not everyone was on board or enthusiastic (!), but a few people I could see were inspired by what I was trying to teach, and that made me feel like - yes, actually, I am doing something worthwhile.

After a year of giving myself a break and considering whether it was really a wise move, this year I started my first year of a professional doctorate in education. For me, this is a commitment to my craft, looking towards the leading edge of my chosen field. It's a personal journey too, as my research topic is focused on the inclusion of autistic adults; I was diagnosed as autistic in 2023, which had a significant impact on the way I perceived myself, and it has driven me to want to improve things for others.

All of this gives me my purpose: to try to be the best possible educator I can be, and to influence change in other people's practice.

Considering what advice I would give to others contemplating what leaving the military means for their identity, my key points would be:

This is a perfect chance to rebrand. If you want to stay in the type of work you have been doing then that's cool. But don't be afraid to look at things you have maybe not considered or done before.

When you find something you are passionate about, not everyone will share that passion. Many will be ambivalent, some will be outright dismissive or even hostile. Build a network of people who share your enthusiasm and drive your 'why', but don't be closed off to the alternative perspectives of others.

Don't talk yourself out of it. Imposter syndrome happens - for me, it was looking around me at all these other people with years and years of teaching experience and thinking, wow, what on earth do I have to offer against them…but you do, there is no reason you can't be part of that group, just believe in the validity of your contribution.

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