6 years ago I worked for a consultancy company that was the biggest military specialist consultancy entity in Oz.  we had 85 staff.  10 of those guys were ex sabres, one was SBS.  they earned a schitt load more money than any of the rest of us.

 

I spent 2 years with that company thinking that there were only 6 ex-specops blokes in the company.  It was only when we had a farewell bash for some staff who'd resigned to take up crewing jobs in the middle east that I found out that we had 5 more.  The big lesson being that these blokes never spoke about their past, and for 2 years managed to stay so low in profile to be humungously embarrassing to those of us who thought that we were "observant".

 

Its a salutory lesson on the avg mindset and persona of people in the trade.

 

as my dad used to say, "listen more, speak less and colour yourself grey"

Did MI-6 take on any of SOE's direct action activities or did all of it go to the Defense Ministry?

Dang Jason, you have no idea what you are talking about. Most SEALs have college degrees (about 75% from what I have heard), and an Ex-SEAL has many options when he retires from the Teams. Just some jobs: Law Enforcement SWAT, Civilian Contractor, CIA SAD ,any kind of job that requires the use of a gun and/or the use of H2H skills, and he can also go into the career field that he got his degree in.  Trust me, companies will probably give the ex-SEAL an edge if him and another canidate are equally qualified; the reason being that if he can make it through BUD/S and excel in modern combat, then he can handle just about anything. 

 

SOF is absolutely not for people that don't know anything, that is probably your most ridiculous statement yet. Not only are SOF mental requirements the highest (outside of certain fields like nuclear and Submarine), but SOF operators almost always score higher then their fellow non-SOF service members in tests given (I forget the exact name, but it is basically the Militaries IQ Test). SOF members are highly motivated, and have a desire to be the best (one of the reasons I want to be in the community), serve with the best,  never quit, and be challenged. You typically don't join a Specops unit for higher pay or for a job training for the private sector, we aren't talking about truck drivers or auto mechanics here.

 

College degrees are all good and wonderful, but hardly central to the "what can they do now?" question.

 

Google organizations like Triple Canopy, Blackwater, Olive Group, DynCorp to name just a few of the contract companies that are dying to scoop up former SEALs, SF personnel, CAG operators, etc. 

 

Most everyone (I thought) has heard about the money contractors are making over in war zones ($4-500/day is low end) but there are also all kinds of jobs stateside or in other civilized locations where no one is shooting at you that pay something along those lines.  Especially guys whose career path takes then into the intelligence or medical side of the SOF community.  There's similar money to be made doing PSD work for the uber-wealthy and the like -- rock stars and Hollywood dimwits like washed up linebackers for bodyguards, but the billionaires running big companies tend to like former been-there-done-that types.  Et cetera.

 

Contract work did not get invented in 2001, but post-9/11 it has really exploded.  A bubble burst a couple years ago, salary wise, but it still pays well . . . if you have the resume to get into it.  And it does not show any sign of slowing down, as far as I can tell.

Out of simple curiosity, concerning Private Military Companies who deal with security work for Iraqi basd companies, and also for protection of oil workers in Nigeria etc - do they only look to recruit ex-"special forces"?

 

To use myself as an example, say when I was 25, with a degree to my name, and 7/8 years in army reserves, including various infantry courses et al (but assuming no time in regular service, except perhaps an operational tour or two), would that CV be enough to gain any decent paid PMC type work?

 

 

 

Depends on the company, but the other big earners are the loggies.... A loggy will always get a job in the private sector or PMC's  (unless they are a complete knob)

Just to add to what GF said, the type of former military people companies like BAE Systems, General Dynamics, Boeing & Lockheed etc look for are loggies and maintenance guys.  We also like to have a few "Users" around specific to the project we are developing or testing (Mainly to bring a voice of sanity and reason) but those guys are usually short term, 5 or 6 years. 

 

Experienced guys from the Logistics Corp or REME however are hugely sought after.  The reason being as military hardware becomes more complex the ability of your 18 year old kid straight out of boot and MOS school to maintain this equipment is rapidly diminishing.  Defense contractors see a major busines opportunity in providing this type of activity way down the chain.  It will never reach Unit Level Maintenance, but 2nd level and above will definitely happen.  Heck it already is, BAE already "Manage" several Naval facilities in the US.