Resettlement
Making the most of a new career Looking to make the move into civilian life? David Parker served in the British Army for 24 years before pursuing a career in the mine action industry.
H
e completed tours in Bosnia, Kosovo, Northern Ireland and Afghanistan. It was a natural transition for him, and it was not long before he found himself operating alongside others with a military mindset. David worked in the mine action industry for several years before joining TDI however, when the chance to join TDI arose, he leapt at the opportunity. “TDI is like a family, so I have not regretted coming to work for them even once.” David
is currently a Programme Manager for TDI in South Sudan. Below, we chat to him about his move from the Army to the civilian world. YOU HAVE TRANSITIONED FROM A MILITARY CAREER TO THE MINE ACTION INDUSTRY; WHAT PROMPTED THIS CHANGE? I served in the British Army for 24 years before retiring. I transitioned immediately from the Army into the mine action industry as it was like the military. I think that your
military experience and the ethos it gives you are priceless. The skills you receive in the British military place you at the top of the skill pool. The projects active in countries where I have worked before are generally staffed by people with a military mindset, offering similar work to what I did in the Army. This made the move to the civilian world easier. I was ready to leave the Armed Forces and have not looked back since. PLEASE TELL US ABOUT YOUR WROLE WITH TDI I am a Programme Manager for TDI and ultimately responsible for the conduct and professionalism of the TDI personnel on my project. This
is my first role as a Programme Manager, but I have done some Operations Manager work, Senior Technical Field Manager and Lead Mentor work. I regularly liaise with the client to ensure tasks are conducted in line with their priorities. I support my Operation Managers who manage their teams and ensure that all taskings are in line with TDI protocols. In addition to this, I am also responsible for some daily administration, including writing reports, detailing how we are doing as a contract and dealing with any in-country issues. ARE THERE ANY SIMILARITIES BETWEEN YOUR CURRENT ROLE WITH TDI AND THE ROLE THAT YOU HAD WITHIN THE ARMY? The people and the work are very similar. I was a Warrant Officer Class 2 in the military, so I assumed the Operations Manager and Programme Manager roles quite easily. Some of the staff are from the military or police but others have somehow gravitated to it. There is a quasi-military ethos and sense of humour, where people are maybe more robust however, that does not mean that we do not value everyone regardless of where they have come from. There is zero tolerance on my project and across the industry for racism or sexism. Everyone has the right to respect. Every place you go is only as good as you make it. If you assume that everyone is going to get your military humour and that you will automatically be the life and soul of the party because you had a good mess life, you may be disappointed. ARE JOB OPPORTUNITIES WITHIN THE MINE ACTION INDUSTRY EASY OR DIFFICULT TO COME BY? Depending on your skillset and the type of role you wish to do, opportunities are available. You should not assume that because you have attained a certain rank in the military, the positions you will be offered will be the same to those in the mine action world. Before I left the military, I contacted people on LinkedIn and Facebook to get advice on jobs and how the sector works. There
44 Easy Resettlement Magazine Autumn 2021
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