Quick Facts:

• Military Role → Civilian Role: RAF Avionics Engineer (Corporal) → Maintenance Engineer at Next
• Key Military Skills → Key Next Skills: Systems expertise, modification work, complex problem-solving, supervisory responsibilities → Technical troubleshooting, equipment maintenance, team leadership, process improvement

After seven years signing off on multi-million-pound jets, Josh was looking for a change and moved into a new career at NEXT. Spoiler: He loves it, and it turns out fixing conveyor belts is a sweeter deal than you’d imagine. 

Military Background

Josh spent seven years in the RAF as an Avionics Engineer, working his way up to Corporal with supervisory responsibilities. His final posting was high-stakes; four to five years with a joint Air Force Squadron at Coningsby, training Qatari pilots and engineers for their Quick Reaction Alert duties during the 2022 World Cup.

Why He Left

Despite the traditional military perks (pension at 12 or 22 years), Josh made the call to leave after seven years. His reasons? The job wasn't rewarding the right things.

"In the RAF, promotion didn’t always come from performance," Josh explains. "At NEXT, good work gets noticed straight away."

The responsibility of signing off on aircraft worth tens of millions, combined with declining training standards for new personnel, was the final straw. "You've got people coming onto aircraft who've never touched one before, and you're asking them to do basics while signing for them."
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Fair point. Nobody wants that kind of liability hanging over their head.

The Move to NEXT

Josh's transition to NEXT almost happened a year earlier, but his crucial role in the World Cup preparations meant he had to wait. Once the tournament wrapped up, he reached out to HR and found they were still keen to have him.

Smart move by NEXT. And the benefits?  Decent.

"We get an annual bonus every year," Josh notes. "I've only been here two years and it's about six or seven thousand pounds yearly; it sort of equates to what you could get for retention bonuses in the RAF anyway."

…Except you don't have to re-sign your life away for three more years to get it.

Life at NEXT

The shift from military to civilian engineering has been a revelation for Josh. Unlike the RAF, where Josh felt talent often went unrecognised, NEXT rewards good work.

"The transition was really easy," he shares. "What gets instilled into you throughout the RAF, or any service really, sets you in good stead because you do your job to the best of your ability."

The work-life balance? Miles better. After starting on rotating shifts, he's now moving to a day position working four days a week with weekends and bank holidays off. 

Why Veterans Fit at NEXT

For Josh, the connection between military engineering and civilian industry is obvious. The systematic approach and high standards drilled into you in the forces translate perfectly to roles like his, just with less pressure and more recognition for doing good work.
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So while civvy street engineers are learning how to be thorough and follow procedures, you've already mastered it under much more demanding conditions.

His Advice for Veterans

Josh's message to military engineers eyeing up civilian life is straightforward: 

"The transition was really easy. Military training prepares you perfectly for industry roles."

His biggest discovery? You can use the same skills, get better recognition, and actually have weekends off. 
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Josh's journey proves that military engineering expertise isn't just transferable to civilian industry; companies like NEXT are actively looking for people with that systematic, high-standards approach. Sometimes the best career move is realising you're already overqualified for the stress you're putting yourself through.
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Ready to discover where your skills could actually take you? Sign up to Redeployable's platform to explore career pathways that match your military experience. Time to stop settling for "grey man" treatment.

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