How My Military Experience Led to a Rewarding Career at Thales

Transitioning from military service to a civilian career comes with its challenges, but for Cat Yates, it was also an opportunity to build a rewarding future at Thales. 

Name: Cat Yates

Pronouns: she/her

How long have I been at Thales? 

2 years.

What is my current role?

System Safety Engineer

What was my role in the forces and how long did you serve?

I was a flight operations assistant (TG9) in the RAF and served 8.5 years

What attracted you to a career at Thales?

Thales was a company I had heard about during my time in the RAF but I was unaware of the scale of the organisation. I love working in Safety and I wanted to stay in defence, and the role of System Safety Engineer offered me that opportunity. Since then, I have found a wide range of benefits available as a Thales employee. 

What is the best / most interesting thing you get to do in your current role?

The safety team get involved with all projects. I find this varied and challenging. Additionally, you get to meet a wide selection of people and I find building relationships with them rewarding. 

In what way has Thales helped you transition from the forces?

I have been out of the RAF for over 10 years. It was a bit of a culture shock at first but soon you get to build up networks and find there are a lot of ex-service personnel out there who understand and can help, such as the Armed Forces Network here at Thales. 

What advice would you give to others in the Armed Forces Community when starting their transition into civilian life?

Don’t get disheartened, especially when applying for jobs. You will have many attractive and transferrable skills but you need to think how that will apply to civilian roles. Find networks or groups you are interested in; it is a good sense of community, and help and support.