Ex-Armed Forces Support at Aviva

From Army Corporal to Senior Financial Crime Manager for Aviva

Di was a Corporal in the Women’s Royal Army Corps attached to the Intelligence Corps for 9 years, serving in West Germany, Berlin and Cyprus. Since then, she has had a number of roles within Aviva, starting in Customer Service and gaining experience along the way. She is now a Senior Financial Crime Manager.

Her thoughts on her experience – “I had no particular plan when I left the Army (and I still don’t!) but I have found a ‘can do’ attitude has given me opportunities not only to progress but to gain qualifications along the way. I left school at 16 and was told by my teacher that I wasn’t university material – I am very proud to say that I now have an MA in Fraud Management.”

Di has this advice for other Service Leavers – “the skills and experience you gain in the military can be put to good use in civilian life (for example, organising, planning and communications skills). You will have attributes which often just come naturally to someone with a military background (such as adapting to different situations, teamworking, reliability and resilience). Use your CV to sell your experience and explain the transferable skills you can bring to a role. Also, use any ‘non-work’ experience to your advantage – outside interests and volunteering can highlight your value to an employer. In my case, I am involved with my local Park Run – both as a runner and a volunteer organiser.”