Stacy Irving
After serving 25 years as a Regimental Sergeant Major, Royal Logistics Corps (RLC) Regular Soldier in the Armed Forces, Stacy Irving sought a new career path that aligned with her passion for helping people. “I love working and helping people and after I left the armed forces the NHS was something I was passionate about,” Stacy shared.
Support and Guidance from Step into Health
“I attended a career fair in Lincoln where I first was introduced to Step into Health,” she recalled. Upon applying for a job at Sherwood Forest Hospitals (SFH), Stacy received invaluable assistance from Shana McCullagh, Recruitment Officer at SFH. “Shana helped me with the application process, sent me details on the trust to familiarise myself with, and when I was shortlisted for an interview, she helped with questions,” Stacy explained.
Overcoming Employment Challenges
Transitioning from the Armed Forces to a civilian role posed several challenges for Stacy. “I struggled with explaining the relevant transferable skills and how to implement them into civilian terminology. I also never had a job interview in 25 years,” she admitted. The guidance from Step into Health, particularly Shana’s support, was crucial. “Shana was always available to discuss any issues or help with any contact details for those I needed to contact prior to an interview,” Stacy noted.
Starting Role and Transferable Skills
Stacy began her NHS career eight weeks ago, as a specialty general manager for women and children. And in that time has successfully applied several key transferable skills. “Leadership and management skills, core values and standards, problem-solving, and project management,” she listed as the most frequently used skills in her role.
She has also enjoyed using her new role to actively learn and gain relevant experience.
Advice for Armed Forces Community Members
Stacy offers three top tips for members of the Armed Forces community applying for vacancies in the NHS:
- Reach out to the team in the role you are applying for.
- Research the organisation.
- Link in with the Step into Health Recruitment or anyone in the Armed Forces network within that trust.
Recommendation for Step into Health
Stacy strongly emphasises the value of Step into Health to members of the Armed Forces “I would recommend anyone to link in with Step into Health as a new career in NHS as it opens up avenues you might not have thought about. It also helps with transitioning into a different organisation,”