So, you've decided to leave one of the most secure professions known to man. For centuries men and, more recently, women have served with the Forces for the best part of their working lives. They have served all over the world on many fronts for what they believed was just and fair.

You are now on the brink of leaving this elite group of people and the journey ahead of you is, without doubt, going to be one of the hardest you will make. You are about to leave behind a whole host of benefits and perks for which those in civilian-street would snatch your hand off. I am talking about the medical treatment, the wide range of financial packages, the postings, the lifestyle, the promotion prospects and, of course, the camaraderie.

I've got something you can use. Come and get it!

That's what your CV should say to a potential employer. Not literally of course. The message should be hidden in what you write, and how you present your CV. The only thing you need to do is make sure the intended message is the only one that gets through!

You've looked at the title of this chapter and decided already that it does not relate to you. How can it; it's all about stress? You probably think you don't suffer from stress and reading the following pages will be a waste of time.

The majority of you have spent a great deal of time in situations where to show a weakness would be seen as being a wimp, not being able to hack it etc. Some of you may have patrolled the streets of Belfast, others the streets of Baghdad. Some may have cut their teeth completing some form of gruelling physical tests. Whatever you have put yourself through you have never shown weakness, it just doesn't happen.

You've had your CV accepted: the potential Employer wants to see you. The day of the interview arrives and you open your cupboard. Now is the time to take a step back and a deep breath. What 'first impression' do you want to give to the Employer? What's the lasting image you want to leave in their minds?

As Service Leavers, it goes without saying you've been trained to present yourselves at the highest standard. At one point or another you have stood on a Parade Square and been inspected by senior officers. Take a moment to remember those times and the preparation that went before the moment the officer walked past you.

As you produce your game plan for the coming months prior to you leaving the Forces, you should be aware of the various Recruitment Agencies that are there to help you as you make the transition from a member of the Armed Forces to civilian life.

If you have yet to secure employment but have a rough idea what it is you wish to do, you could do a lot worse than to visit and enrol with a selection of agencies. These can be specialised or general agencies whose aim is to match people to vacancies as they arise.

So, you've impressed with the CV. They have decided that you are one of the few they will invite for interview. Well done. You can afford to congratulate yourself, not too much though. You must now prepare for phase two; meeting your prospective employers face to face. No more hiding behind a CV or telephone. You will probably have less than an hour to clinch the deal. As with other phases, get it right and you can move again. Get it wrong, and it's the end of the game.

The pension offered by the Armed Forces is, in many ways, one of the best on the market. After only twenty-two years Service leavers will receive a full pension payable on a monthly basis for the rest of their lives. On retirement they will also receive a one-off lump sum of three times their annual pension, Tax Free! The Armed Forces pension cannot be matched by the private sector and is therefore unique.

"When I leave, all I need is a little job to top up my pension"

A popular phrase within the Armed Forces. You may have heard it, you may have used it. It's fair to say, in today's climate of exercises followed by operational tours where your life has been, quite literally, on the line; you've earned the right to retire to the 'easier' life. In fact, I would seriously doubt if anyone would blame you for wishing for a more relaxed pace of life. However, the reality, as always, tends to get in the way.

Every process has a system

As all Service Leavers will know, the Armed Forces are made up of people who have been trained to within an inch of their lives. The reputation of the British Armed Forces is, simply put, second to none. The training they have received has been developed over a period of years and continues to develop as modern warfare procedures dictate. Without this constant development, the hard fought for reputation would begin to crumble at a rapid rate.

That constant development of training is part of a system developed to ensure optimum effectiveness of those it impacts upon. In light of this system, and in order to deliver a familiar process, the RUBICON Pathway has been developed to further aid Service Leavers as they prepare for their move into civilian life.

So, are you ready to leave now?

Only you can give the answer to this question. You have decided to leave the confines of an organisation that has looked after you for a considerable amount of time. For some this might have been five years, for others twenty-two, possibly more. However, regardless of how long you serve, there is one factor you cannot ignore: you will serve as a civilian for a lot longer than you served as a member of the Armed Forces.

Only you will know if you are fully prepared for the outside world and all it has to offer. You must, however, remember one thing. From the moment you leave your uniform behind and take your first steps towards the gates of civilian-street you will be on your own. You will be responsible for the direction of your career and the welfare of both yourself and your family.