Follow Your Inner Geek: RAF Veteran Rachael Bailey on Cyber Career Success |

Now a TechVets Training Specialist, Rachael shares her RAF-to-cyber career resettlement story in her own words.

The RAF is known for being one of the world’s most technologically sophisticated and capable air forces. Rachael Bailey served in it for a full 12 years, but she still wasn’t sure her skills would pay off in the civilian world.

“Was I going to get a job? It was going to be hard to live on one wage in the house,” she admits worrying at the time.

Rachael was used to earning the stable income that many in the Armed Forces come to expect. Sound familiar? Many of us feared we couldn’t match our former earning potential when we took the leap into a tech career after military service.

(From another veteran in tech: “To leave the Marines and match or even surpass the wage which I had gotten to after 13 years of service felt like it wasn’t possible- it turns out it was very achievable.”)

Here’s how Rachael made her transition to cyber security a smooth success.

Up for the Challenge of Cyber Security Training

“I had completed my 12 year contracted time and wanted to do something more challenging,” Rachael explains when asked why she left the Royal Air Force. “I miss the laughs and the morale, but not the work as I had worked in all the areas that I wanted to work in.”

She says she was nervous and excited, but confident in her second career choice. Rachael chose to lay the groundwork for her cyber security career well before signing off.

“I have always been a geeky person so it was an easy choice to go into cyber security,” she says. “I started planning my resettlement with 2 and a half years left to serve so when I got to my 2 year point I was ready to go and I didn’t have to wait. I knew I wanted to do a BSc (honours) degree in Computing and IT (Communications and Software).”

After one year on that course, Rachael changed over to a BSc (honours) degree specifically focused on Cyber Security. It is not always necessary to have a formal degree in this industry, but it can help.

“I was so happy to be able to study my degree and apply for Cyber related roles and start the next chapter.”

RELATED: Find Your Cyber Fit

Finding the Right Career Support

Like other veterans, Rachael had already developed many qualities she needed for cyber security jobs. Reliability and teamwork skills helped her both inside and outside the military. So did a sense of community.

“TechVets has given me a community similar to the military with likeminded people in,” she shares. “They offered me spaces on some fantastic courses which have given me a great head start in my personal goals and helped me for this role too.”

Along with TechVets, Rachael connected with someone by chance who works in cyber. It’s incredibly valuable to have the support of practical, real-world members of your field (in-person or online) when pursuing a new career path.

“He did not know me, but from the start he encouraged me and helped me to realise my value,” she says. “He gave me great advice to help me get noticed when I applied for this job.”

Paying It Forward for Veterans in Tech

Now Rachael has joined TechVets as a Training Specialist:

“I saw the job advert and the first thought that sprung to mind is, ‘I can do that job.’ Every interaction I have had with TechVets before I applied for the job had been amazing and I wanted to be a part of that.”

As a training specialist, she keeps on top of current employment trends and recognised certifications within the cyber industry. That expertise helps her to provide ex-Forces personnel with more direct and guided pathways into cyber roles.

“Then they can dedicate and focus their time on the training they need, allowing them to achieve their goals and be successful in their new career change,” she explains. “I love helping people and this role allows me to pay it forward and offer guidance when it is needed.”

Rachael is also excited about “new partnerships that are being developed every week” here at TechVets (helping us provide “more support than ever before”)!

If you’re a veteran, service leaver, reservist, or military partner who wants to explore these partnerships, check out the link below. You can also sign up right here to reach Rachael and the rest of our supportive team.