What life after the army? Not always easy to go back to the classic labor market … at 47, Cédric, a former soldier, had to learn to “sell” and translate his skills. A turn that he was able to start thanks to a specialized firm. He tells us.
A little over ten years ago, Cédric made a 180 degree turn in his professional life. At 40, this former soldier – more precisely an old combat swimmer – decides to hang up the uniform after being injured by shot during a mission. A shock, but also a click. He realizes that it may be the right time to turn the page, take advantage of this exit door and try something new.
Before thinking about his professional retraining, Cédric lived a careful career in the French Navy special forces. Former swimmer commando, he was part of this handful of overtrained men capable of intervening where little ventured. Their field of action? It is divided into two main types of missions: those carried out under the direct authority of the navy, often turned towards the fight against piracy or drug trafficking on the high seas, and those, more confidential, orchestrated by the command of special operations (COS). The latter may include land infiltration, hostage releases or assaults led from the air.
Within this elite, combat swimmers occupy a very special place. “”Their specificity, in addition to that, is to be able to do underwater infiltration or actions, therefore under the sea“, He explained with clarity. An engagement at all times but which does not necessarily lead to a delusional salary as one might think.
“”I was, all of them included … about 3000 euros, even a little more“, he told us. In this environment, the remuneration depend above all on premiums, which vary according to the missions, the qualifications or the unit of assignment.”There, what will make the premiums is if you are in a paratrooper unit. For example, there you have a bonus which is linked to the fact of making parachute“He said. The basic salary remains aligned for all soldiers, in grade and equivalent seniority. For a lieutenant under contract, it takes € 2,618 gross per month after a first year in the regiment, excluding premiums, according to data from the Ministry of the Armed Forces.
But, after spending years running the seas and conflict zones, an injury comes to stop its trajectory. “”I was injured by a ball during a training. I could hardly go back to operational units“, He remembered. Cédric then chooses to leave the army, but he does not turn his back on his passion for the sea. He begins a retraining in leisure diving and spent three years supervising outings in the south of France. A change of radical decor, but not so simple to reconcile with his family life.”My children lived in Paris while I was in the south of France. When you do leisure trades, you work when others are on vacation. So basically, from Easter to the end of the summer, I did not see my children“He noted.
It is in this context that he comes into contact with the nugget cabinet, founded by Clément Têtu, a specialist in the retraining of the military. The objective of nugget: to help the former committed to identify, enhance and transfer their skills acquired in the army to the civil world. A kind of professional translator between two universes that do not always speak the same language. For Cédric, it’s a turning point. Thanks to this boost, his operational experience takes a new form on his CV, with more readable words for recruiters.
And this time, conversion is bearing fruit. Cédric manages to set foot in a universe that remains close to his, while valuing his technical and managerial skills. “”Today, I have worked for a subatal exploration company of the underwater with specific devices as manager of a site in the Mediterranean“, He said. A position of responsibility which allowed him to preserve his standard of living:”I tried to make sure, at least, to keep my salary level of what I had in the army.“Each year, from 20,000 to 30,000 soldiers leave the army around 30, assures the cabinet.
