Embarking on a fulfilling career while juggling the demands of military life may seem like a daunting task, but what if we told you there’s an industry ready to welcome you with open arms and endless possibilities? Look no further than the dynamic world of energy, where Centrica stands tall as a beacon of opportunity for the military community.

For this newsletter edition, we sat down with Alexis Richards, a business development (BD) manager at British Gas, Centrica. His journey into the energy sector is nothing short of inspiring, and his story unveils the hidden gems of a career path that many military individuals might not have considered. Here’s what he had to say on the topic:

“Energy is an exciting field to work in. I left school with very few qualifications and worked in many ‘dead-end’ jobs before eventually going to study something that I loved at diploma level and then degree level. With a new hunger for academia, I quickly topped up my acting degree with a professional graduate certificate in education (PGCE) to become a qualified teacher in 2009. I didn’t achieve my maths GCSE equivalent until I commenced teacher training. On paper, there is absolutely no way I should have ever landed a job as a BD manager in Energy.

“My ticket into energy was essentially being offered a job at Npower (now E.on Next). I was thrust into a new world and was quickly introduced to Microsoft Excel. Without MS Excel (one of my transferable skills) on my CV, I would never have been given a look for my first role within Centrica as a metering settlements analyst. It’s ironic that someone with two high school GCSEs ended up validating business invoices up to the value of £1m. 

“My advice would be – whether you are not sure what you’d like to do, or if you already have an idea about what area you’d like to work in – to focus on your transferable skills, skills that you have from home, work and from your hobbies. Negotiating, planning, using a PC, presenting, organising, and budgeting are all good examples of transferable skills.

“There are many options for flexible, hybrid, and remote working roles. For our call centre/ customer service roles, you would need to be able to access the relevant office for the first eight weeks of training. Our call centre locations are Uddingston, Leeds, Stockport, Leicester and Cardiff, with our main HQ in Windsor. Post initial training, you would need to be in the office two or three times a month. For the more commercial roles – such as analyst, project manager, and account manager – you would essentially have a home-based contract, and visiting the office would be optional, and for occasional meetings. 

“Some example jobs (no qualifications needed) that we have on offer at Centrica include:

• Home surveyor

• Analyst

• Team leader

• Customer advisor

• Tenant liaison officer 

• Account manager

“Examples of jobs where qualifications are needed:

• Gas engineer

• Smart meter engineer

• Heat pump installer

• Electrician 

• Technical repair engineer 

“If you’re thinking of pursuing a new career in energy, good luck! As an Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme gold award holder, we’re really interested in engaging with military spouses and partners. Part of that engagement is helping you to realise your own potential and bring to light the amazing opportunities we have available at Centrica. We also offer ongoing support to our internal Armed Forces community in the form of a ‘buddy’ who understands military life. And we have an internal forces network for those who want to be involved. We also appreciate that some may just want to blend into the background. Either way, the Centrica Pathway team was set up to support you.” 

If you are interested in building a career with Centrica, you can contact them or learn more here:

Website: https://www.centrica.com/careers/armed-forces-pathway

Email: centricapathway@britishgas.co.uk

Socials: Please add us on LinkedIn – Laura Blair (Head), Alexis Richards (Business Development), Steve King (Operations)