- physical fitness and endurance
- patience and the ability to remain calm in stressful situations
- excellent verbal communication skills
- the ability to work well with others in a team
- concentration skills and quick reactions
- the ability to accept criticism and work well under pressure
- thinking and reasoning skills
- to be flexible and open to change
- to be thorough and pay attention to detail
- to be able to carry out basic tasks on a computer or hand-held device
You’ll specialise in a particular role, like:
- acoustics operator - using radar and sonar to search for and monitor submarine and surface shipping movements
- loading aircraft, including weapons, supplies, parachutists, and troops
- helicopter winch operator for search-and-rescue operations
- electronic warfare systems operator - tracking movements on land, sea and in the air, relaying information to commanders about the position of units, and working on early warning defence systems
- linguist - monitoring electronic surveillance equipment, translating radio and telecommunications traffic, and taking part in search-and-rescue operations
You could work in a warzone or at a military base.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding.
With experience and further training, you could progress to flight sergeant, then to master aircrew. You could also apply to become a commissioned RAF officer.
You could go into a wide range of careers once you leave the RAF, depending on your skills, training and qualifications.
The Career Transition Partnership, Quest and Troops to Teachers have more information on careers outside the armed forces.
You'll find more details about working in the RAF through RAF Careers.
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