How Chartered status helped Gavin Hendrie transition out of the military

Leaving the military is like learning a new language, says Gavin Hendrie CMgr FCMI. 

Gavin knows from personal experience. He reached the rank of major while serving and then faced the “huge challenge” of trying to translate his military experience to success in the private sector. 

“There is quite a lot of ignorance from people who haven’t served in the military, through no fault of their own,” says Gavin, who now works as head of entity governance and compliance at PwC in Belfast. 

• “Being a Chartered Manager has really opened doors”

“They don’t understand the difference between a sergeant, sergeant major and a major. Unpacking it can be quite a challenge.” 

While he says the onus should be on the service leaver to translate these terms when entering civilian jobs, they often don’t know how. 

“Knowing what I have to offer, but having an uncertainty around how to articulate that, is something I’m still trying to get to grips with,” he says.