#SpotlightOnTransferableSkills | Jessica Fishwick, Barclays
Thinking back on my transition I remember the impending feeling of doom and fear about what the future might hold. I joined the British Army’s Intelligence Corps at 19 and by 24 I had been through the medical discharge process; it is safe to say that is not how I envisaged my military career. As you can appreciate, joining the Army at 19 meant I did not go to University, I thought this would mean I would not find gainful employment after my time in the forces. How wrong I was. I am extremely fortunate to have secured gainful employment in the Financial Services.
Jessica Fishwick, Internal Audit Vice President at Barclays
I thoroughly enjoyed my time in the Army and I was fortunate to embark on some amazing adventures. I deployed on Op Herrick 20, supported 3* Generals with Top Secret Intelligence briefings, travelled to numerous different countries to represent the Intelligence Corps Ladies Football and Netball teams and most, perhaps most importantly, met some amazing people. I wasn’t ready to leave when I did but life had a different plan for me.
During my resettlement I was fortunate enough to come across the Barclays AFTER Team. The team, with support of the Barclays Military Resource Group, run multiple initiatives to support service personnel in their resettlement period such as CV & Interview Skills Workshops, Military Talent Days, Military Placement Programmes and a Military Talent Scheme. I benefitted greatly from these initiatives and was able to network with some incredibly helpful and knowledgeable individuals, both ex-military and civilian. With the support of the AFTER team I transformed my CV and had the opportunity to experience life in the Financial Services through the Military Placement Programme.
It was eye opening for me to see how many different roles there are in the Financial Services, I suppose from the outside you don’t really think about the work that goes into making banks run. What became clear to me is how the skills of ex-service personnel can benefit the Financial Services. Some key skills I would call out are:
1. Interpersonal skills – in the military we work with personnel from all backgrounds and we tailor our approach to working with individuals based on their background;
2. Risk management – due to the high risk nature of military life we become adept at managing risk, whether that is performing risk assessments for PT sessions/ranges, ensuring we protect and handle protectively marked material in line with requirements or assessing physical security measures, without realising it we are often performing risk management activities;
3. Communication – the ability to communicate complex information in a clear and concise manner is a trait many service personnel have. Whether that is through intelligence briefings, conducting training sessions or through operational briefings, many of you will have had the opportunity to refine your oral and written communication skills throughout your time in the forces;
4. Leadership – the promotion courses in the forces provide exposure to leadership techniques in challenging environments. They provide opportunities to enhance leadership skills to become a more impactful leader. Leadership is an important soft skill to have, successful leaders drive teams forward as a unit and improve the efficiency of businesses;
5. Adaptability – the ability to adapt to change quickly and seamlessly is a very important skill to have and something the military etches into you. This skill is extremely useful in the Financial Services where there is a requirement to chop and change across various different projects and initiatives.
I would be lying if I said I did not find the transition from the military overwhelming. I joined Barclays in Jan 2018 as a CASS Quality Assurance Analyst in Glasgow, I was offered this role off the back of the Military Placement Programme. I had never intended to settle in Scotland as my home was in Preston but I was also concerned that I might not have any alternative if I did not accept the role. I found the work extremely interesting and exciting and I was charged with a lot of responsibility which led to a recommendation for promotion to Assistant Vice President (AVP). I was promoted and relocated to the Manchester office in Jul 2018 as AVP Controls Assurance Manager for GDPR Operations, it was just after GDPR had been introduced so there was a lot of work on. I felt the pressure, I was suffering quite badly with imposter syndrome and I did not have a network to lean into for support. I knew for self-preservation I needed to leave so I went to work for Emirates for 18 months while I came to terms with the end of my military career and gained confidence in myself.
When I re-joined Barclays in 2020 as a Trade Surveillance AVP it was amazing to see the size of the military network and how it had grown exponentially over the 18 months I was away. I joined the network and offered support to the Military Talent Scheme to support other service leavers in their transition. In Aug 2021 I was promoted to Vice President in Chief Controls Office providing assurance over Markets controls. It has been an interesting journey and one that I have thoroughly enjoyed, although it is fair to say I wouldn’t have survived the second stint in the Financial Services without the support of the amazing military network.
My top tips are:
1. Network, this is so important, get your name known learn more about different businesses and demonstrate proactivity;
2. Don’t be afraid to ask questions, no question is ever a silly question when you’re stepping into a new career;
3. Take the rough with the smooth and ask for support in the tough times, life out of the Armed Forces is interesting and rewarding but can be a rollercoaster;
4. Take responsibility for your own development, in the military we typically have set time frames in which we promote. That is not the case in the civilian space and you must drive forward your own development if you want to advance in your career;
5. Enjoy the ride, you will meet some amazing people on your journey, it won’t always be easy but life never is.
Jessica Fishwick
Internal Audit Vice President
Barclays