Callum Buchan

I joined the army in 2016, passing out of the Infantry Training Centre Catterick. Upon completion of training, I joined the 5th Battalion the Royal Regiment of Scotland (Balaklava Company) where I spent four years. During this time, I undertook the Royal Guard at Balmoral, three times, whilst also conducting training exercises in Kenya, Kuwait and Oman.

From here, I joined 1 Scots in Belfast in the summer of 2020, where I spent time in the jungles of Belize and a bit of time in Africa, before the battalion re-rolled into The Ranger Regiment. During my time in Belfast, I gained promotion to Lance Corporal.

Upon leaving the forces, I heard about the opportunity at Stork through LinkedIn. I began my career with Stork in February and have since completed my rope access training and gained valuable NDT experience both on and offshore. At first, I was slightly apprehensive with my career change, the fear of the unknown when leaving the army and all the changes that come with it. However, all the apprehension was soon alleviated not long after joining Stork. Everyone made me feel welcome and part of the team from day one.

The transition from the forces to civilian life has come with many challenges but working at Stork has made the transition as smooth as possible and I now feel extremely settled and focused on my new career. The highlight of my time so far is my first trip offshore, conducting rope access scopes high above the installation.

My goals for the future are to get multiple NDT tickets under my belt and be able to perform as a successful NDT technician, with the support of my colleagues. One piece of advice I’d give to service leavers looking for a new career is to put yourself out there as much as possible. Don’t be afraid to promote yourself, through the use a good CV and tools such as LinkedIn. Networking is key.