Life after serving as a Combat Engineer

[ShadyBrah]

Hey all,

I am wondering if anybody on here has served or knows anybody who has served as an Engineer and is now working in the Civ. world. The Forces website tells me there are a few jobs relating to Combat Engineers, but I would like to know how Combat Engineer is received by potential employers. Obviously the CF looks great on any resume, but would a Construction Foreman, for example, say "Hey this guy was a Combat Engineer, I should/shouldn't take him over this guy that went through a college course for this"?

I ask because I have two trades on my application that give me the chance to test the Red Seal Certificates if I were to leave the army (ED Tech. and Vehicle Tech.) Combat Engineer has always sounded like my dream job, but my parents and girlfriend convinced me to leave it off the app because they think there is no future with it if the military life doesn't work out. (Which I'm hoping it will work out as a life-long career)

Basically I know the jobs of a CE, but I don't know anything about what they teach in construction related college programs, and if either is seen as a better choice over the other by a potential employer.
Thanks!

 

[McG]

... I know the jobs of a CE, but ...

"CE" would suggest construction engineering in the context of base CE.  You mean to ask about Cbt Engr.

There are a few on this site who have gone on to successfull civilian employment.  You will not get a college equivalent construction training anytime quickly.  Over the course of a career, the training adds up, but it is not one course.  You can get into specialty fields that will bring such recognizable skills more quickly, taking heavy equipment or EOD training.

 

[ShadyBrah]

Sorry! Still trying to learn all of the terms/abbreviations.

Yes I understand I wouldn't come out knowing every aspect of the trade in a short time, but say I serve my 4-5 years (Whatever the starting contract is) and realise the military life is not in the best interest of my family... In that time would I have obtained enough training/any specialty training that would give me a chance at say Heavy Equipment Operator, or Rough Carpenter, outside of the military? Either way I am pumped to add Cbt Engr to my application, I'm just trying to get an idea of 'worst-case it doesn't work out'.

Thanks for the response!

 

[Fishbone Jones]

There is only one expert on this forum, that has the experience, who can answer your question.

Ask Kat Stevens.

 

[Smirnoff123]

I have worked with a guy who is also an elevator mechanic, who tells me that he was a reg force field.engineer many years ago. He was able to do quite well for himself in the civvie world.

Many people in his family were in the elevator industry which provided him the opportunity, however he claims that being an engineer (any trade for that matter) instilled his work ethic which is an attributing factor to his success.

There is also a program called helmets to hardhats that helps military members find employment in the trades. I got into my trade through a relative, however when the union discovered I was a reservist, I was also put into the helmets to hardhats program which I assume helped push me along.

 

[Eye In The Sky]

There is only one expert on this forum, that has the experience, who can answer your question.

Ask Kat Stevens.

IIRC, Capt Happy is a ret'd Cbt Engr as well who went civie recently as well.

 

[Kat Stevens]

There is only one expert on this forum, that has the experience, who can answer your question.

Ask Kat Stevens.

Thanks for the vote of confidence, RG, I'll try not to disappoint.  My experience is as retired corporal with 23+ years as a combat engineer.  How successful you are as a former Sapper depends on a lot of factors, mostly to do with qualifications and rank attained while you served.  Many Sr NCOs and WOs get good positions with small to medium municipalities as public works directors and supervisors, also in the private sector as road and infrastructure managers.  My own experience as a retired Cpl is not so glamorous, but I do okay.  I was fortunate enough to get pretty much all the "Gucci" courses available to a Sapper, less the earth moving stuff that really wasn't my bag.  When I retired, I left the base on a Thursday, and was working as a service manager in a commercial water purification equipment company on the Monday. In the past four years I have spent my summers and a good chunk of the winters doing UXO\EOD work in Petawawa for the 450 MHLH Sqn, CSOR, and TAPV barn facilities land clearance projects there.  My results may not be typical, but neither are they unrealistic.

 

[Nfld Sapper]

Kat you didn't make the earth flat but came as the next best thing....you ensured we could assault bridge it.... ;D

 

[Kat Stevens]

The earth isn't flat, because the Armoured Engineers don't want it to be...yet.

 

[ShadyBrah]

Thank you all for the replies! And Kat, you didn't disappoint

 

[392]

IIRC, Capt Happy is a ret'd Cbt Engr as well who went civie recently as well.

Negative, still slogging away in the salt mines....still have a couple years left in me....

 

[Eye In The Sky]

Hmmm.  Musta been thinking of someone else.  Thought they went to a Fire Station or something along that line.

Maybe I'm just getting old, or I really did eat too many decadent packs that stuck on the bread...

 

[armybuck041]

Negative, still slogging away in the salt mines....still have a couple years left in me....

Yep... Soon gonna be time for both of us to catch a ride up to the reality called civvy street

 

[392]

Hmmm.  Musta been thinking of someone else.  Thought they went to a Fire Station or something along that line.

Maybe I'm just getting old, or I really did eat too many decadent packs that stuck on the bread...

I think you're thinking of Towards the Gap

Don't know about you, but I never did like the taste of those desiccant packs. I was more partial to the ration water in my canteen cup....

 

[Eye In The Sky]

:facepalm:  Yup, getting old(er) and stupid(er). 

 

[392]

Yep... Soon gonna be time for both of us to catch a ride up to the reality called civvy street

Too true. Where does the time go? Seems like it was just yesterday I arrived all bright eyed and bushy tailed to 2 CER fresh out of Chilliwack.

 

[armybuck041]

Too true. Where does the time go? Seems like it was just yesterday I arrived all bright eyed and bushy tailed to 2 CER fresh out of Chilliwack.

As someone pointed out to me the other day: "When you mentioned Chilliwack, you just dated yourself"

 

[dapaterson]

Greg's Place

Earthquake Annie's

The Jolly Miller, home of huge 25 cent wings on Wednesdays and 2 for 1 shooters on Thursdays (which my course WO declared to be within the base "for course purposes", which was nice, considering we were confined to the base and the mess was off limits)

 

[392]

I had the pleasure of stopping in to the Miller a couple years' back while in Chilliwack on TD. Even though it looks very different now, it still felt the same....

 

[392]

As someone pointed out to me the other day: "When you mentioned Chilliwack, you just dated yourself"

You and me both are dating ourselves in more ways than using Chilliwack in conversation