Case Study 20.02.17

A career at Vigilance Properties

When changing job role or industry, one of the biggest concerns might be not knowing how you’ll transition and whether your skills and experience will be transferable. However, as addressed in our previous blog post on employment at Vigilance Properties, for ex-Services personnel, a career at Vigilance Properties in an ideal next-step.

Vigilance Properties maintains many of the same principles as the Armed Forces and its job roles require many of the same skills; we work to reintegrate ex-Services personnel into careers at Vigilance Properties.

One employee having experienced this is Service Manager Adam Ball, who previously served 11 years in the Grenadier Guards, latterly as Lance Sergeant. Adam was seriously wounded while serving in Afghanistan, and still undergoing treatment when joining Vigilance, so a flexible working arrangement was essential in developing his role with Vigilance Properties. This is what he had to say:

What was your previous employment before working with Vigilance Properties?

Working as a Lance Sergeant with the Grenadier Guards carrying out many public duties such as Changing of the Guard and Trooping the Colour at Buckingham Palace, St James’s Palace and the Tower of London.

What was it that interested you about working with Vigilance Properties?

I was preparing to leave the military after getting injured and I didn’t have a clue what to do next. I found out about the job, through a connection from the Armed Forces who was working at Vigilance Properties, and from the military there’s the most transferrable skills to security so it made sense at the time, and still does.

Can you give a brief description of what your job involves?

I joined as, and still am, the Services Manager. Day-to-day my role varies but it’s mainly quality management of the services being delivered which involves: visiting sites across the UK to ensure that health and safety regulations are met, that documentation is up to date and resolving any issues that the staff on site might have.

What are the key skills you use in your current role? Have you obtained these since working for Vigilance Properties or were these transferable from your previous role?

A lot of the skills I acquired from the Armed Forces were transferrable to my role at Vigilance Properties, organization, leadership and a military eye for detail being the main ones. It was a smooth transition to make, all my previous experience came into play naturally. However the one thing that took some getting used to was the change between a military and civilian role. Although, having had experienced it before, the existing staff members made it as easy as possible.

Can you give an example of when you have had to use these skills in your current role?

Across the board really. Day-to-day my role varies but I always have to be on guard to deal with any problems and support the staff at each site to ensure that standards remain high.

What is it about your role/working with Vigilance Properties that you find most rewarding?

One of the things I enjoy most about my role is that I’m never in the same place and each day is different; I’m always visiting new sites, meeting new people and facing new challenges. I turn up to each site and have to deal with whatever issues they may have, it’s challenging but rewarding.

What I like most about working with Vigilance Properties is the way they run as a company and the way they conduct themselves. The majority of the staff have a military background and so it makes it enjoyable to work with them.

Why would you recommend a career at Vigilance Properties to others similar to yourself?

I would recommend a career at Vigilance Properties to ex-Service men and women because even though it’s not the military, the connections, the atmosphere and the comradery feel the same. Also because of the trust there is between colleagues. Due to the structure of my role I am away from the office a lot but there’s no micromanaging and they trust me to get on with my job and do it well which really builds self-confidence.

Is there anything else you would like to add about your employment with Vigilance Properties?

On a personal note, I’ve always felt so supported by Vigilance Properties. At a point in my life, and career, when I was unsure what to do next they gave me an opportunity. They have always been so understanding of my individual circumstances but still never treated me differently because of my injury.

 We’re committed to improving and enhancing our Corporate Social Responsibility agenda by acting ethically, assisting charitably and engaging with communities whenever and wherever possible. We’ll continue to have a close connection with the Armed Forces to source and support ex-Services personnel to continue their careers.