Henry Boyde served 11 years in the Royal Navy, completing his service as Lieutenant in 2022.
He was Officer of the Watch, responsible for ensuring the ship / submarine remains undetected, safety of navigation and providing leadership and guidance to Warfare Specialists. Henry’s final role was working as a RN COVID Cell Team Leader. This small team was responsible for coordinating and advising delivery of pre/post deployment testing, quarantine and isolation facilities for operational personnel / units.
Patience and adaptability are Henry’s two key skills acquired during his military service; “Due to the nature of the role as an Officer of the Watch, you are predominantly deployed on a front-line unit, I have been fortunate to serve on both ships and submarines, which can often be daunting. However, having the ability to wait (if the situation allows!), to reassess, be patient and deliver a safer and effective solution is far more beneficial than making pot shot decisions. Adaptability is also an essential skill, as it is highly unlikely that the first plan you prepare to execute is the one that is used! Last minute programme changes certainly require you to be flexible and adaptable to maintain professionalism and achieve the aim…”
Henry gained his current role as Project Manager for Mace Consult through BuildForce; a career in construction was always of interest but he wasn’t quite sure where he would fit. The BuildForce team were able to identify his transferable skills and map them across to the sector. They then connected Henry to a Mace mentor; a RN veteran who understood his experience as a submariner and further identified how it would benefit the Devonport Royal Dockyard project, resulting in interview and PM role secured.
The support of other veterans working on the same project, sharing their experiences and hurdles faced whilst transitioning, was the greatest support for Henry making his way in civvy street. Being a member of the Mace Military Network, with other like-minded people, supporting each other with top tips and advice has been his greatest support over the last year.
The uncertainty and concern of securing a new career was Henry’s greatest challenge during his transition. However, whilst these stresses had affect, they also acted as a driver to ensure he succeeded and interviewed well. Henry had the mis-conception, that his job search would be impacted without a degree but Mace were able to look at his skills and experience he had to bring to the programme rather than the degree he hadn’t studied. However, more visibility of courses on offer and the flexibility to use his learning credits would have supported Henry in further courses to aid a more successful transition.
In his new role as PM, Henry is assisting the updating of existing and the delivery of new infrastructure supporting submarine maintenance in Devonport. He likes the fact that no two days are the same, keeping him on his toes without the concern of becoming stagnant. A typical day involves monitoring progress on various packages of work, liaising with other project teams on their deliverables and fighting the next fire!
Adaptability, problem solving and communication are the key military skills Henry now uses every day; finding a solution when things aren’t going to plan, rather than complaining and finding blame, always gets things back on track.
Henry’s advice to someone leaving the Armed Forces and seeking a new career in construction is:
“Have a look at the wide range of roles available, don’t fall into the traps of typical transitional roles. A career in construction is so wide and varied it is worth investing your time and looking at all opportunities.”
And the three words to describe a career in the construction sector?
Progressive, Inspiring, Fulfilling!