Our Sunbelt Rentals forces family - Jimmy Scott

My name is Jimmy Scott, and I served with 1^st Battalion The Scots Guards.

My first year of service was spent carrying out ceremonial duties in London, guarding Buckingham Palace, St James’ Palace, The Tower of London and Windsor Castle. 

I also had the privilege of taking part in the Trooping of the Colour and the Queen’s Birthday Parade, before joining the main body of the Battalion over in Munster, Germany. 

After a few months serving in a Rifle Company, I was identified as having potential to serve in the Reconnaissance Platoon and was invited to attend the selection process. I was successful and travelled to many countries, including Germany, Cyprus, Poland, Canada, Kuwait, Iran and Iraq.

In 2007/2008 I completed a tour of duty in Basra, Iraq during Operation Telic 11. My platoon was part of the main strike force in the Operation 'Charge of the Knights', to drive the Mahdi Army militia out of the southern Iraqi city of Basra.

Before dawn on 4th April 2008, UK, Iraqi & US Special Forces begin engaging gunmen in a house.

A column of British armoured vehicles of the Scots Guards Battlegroup arrived in support, led by a Challenger 2 tank, negotiating a series of obstacles placed in the road. As it turned into the street, the tank struck two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in quick succession; then, as it advanced up the street, a third IED exploded under its right track. 

When I left the Army, I found it extremely challenging. I was naïve enough to think that I would walk into a job, considering my past experience and skillset and mindset. I was very wrong, and quickly found myself struggling to find my feet.

After spending time re-assessing my options, in 2014 I was invited to an interview with Sunbelt Rentals, which was then known as A-Plant. I secured a position in one of the depots in the Northwest as a Depot Operative, and from there, my career really took off.

I was promoted to Depot Foreman in 2015 and then to Project Supervisor in 2016. In 2017 I was promoted to Project Manager. I have since enjoyed a year working in the Rail division as a Project Manager and am now a Social Impact Manager in our Social Impact Team, managing our Veterans Programme.

Transitioning from military life into a career in civilian life can often be challenging. The Sunbelt Rentals Veterans Programme aims to make that transition somewhat smoother, whilst also supporting veterans who have been out of the military for a while and are unsure about their next career move. The Programme was built by Veterans, for Veterans and helps support our service family to develop their careers across a variety of technical, support and managerial roles. Taking that next step in your career is a big decision, it was for me. As mentioned earlier, I struggled to find my feet for a number of years when I left the Army. It wasn’t until I joined Sunbelt Rentals, that I found a new purpose, and have since been able to enjoy a rewarding and fulfilling career.

As a founding member of the Veteran Ambassador Community at Sunbelt Rentals and am here to offer any advice and guidance I can. Anyone can join our Sunbelt Veterans community on our LinkedIn group - we are always here to support you. All of our latest jobs are available at careers.sunbeltrentals.co.uk. I wish you luck on your journey!