Finding work in a world at war

Shortly after I graduated university with a 2.2 in journalism and a dislocated kneecap, 9/11 happened in America. I was unemployed in the English suburbs, coming home after a swim to rebuild my leg muscles after six weeks in plaster. I was glued to the television, watching this historic event unfold. People went to work. They died.

If I was a character in a film it would have been the inciting incident to propel me into becoming a journalist, soldier, therapist or humanitarian to find the truth in the fog of war. The world was my oyster and I was doing nothing, even though I wanted to do something. Kneecapped in more ways than one, I needed to hone my work muscles to get work ready.

Unfortunately after your graduation shine fades, you are no longer special. I had to write my own career story with my character arc starting at the bottom and flatlining until I found my groove. It was tough as I wanted to make my family proud and have parity with my peers.

Sitting in a lounge with your family scrolling platforms for a film you want to watch is futile and hellish. Finding a job to make your family proud is not much better.

Generation War

I was annoyed with my country, feeling the social contract had been broken. My parents paid for my higher education, I had a Saturday job as a teenager and studied, now I wanted a job. While I fantasied about serving my country by going to war, I never set foot in an armed forces recruitment centre.

I was in generation war, the perfect age to serve if I was not so uncoordinated, hypermobile and apologetic for everything. I believe in the premise of serving a cause greater than our self-interest. War gives that opportunity but not everyone is a warrior and wars are fought by societies too.

The escalating tension with Russia has seen global defence risk assessments predict that 2030 could be the year that Russia tests NATO’s resolve in Europe.

What are we going to do if the world is at war with multiple battlefronts? Combat, trade wars, cyber wars, societal wars, social media wars, environmental wars, biological wars, energy wars, population wars, civil wars. Whether it is kinetic or non-kinetic war, happening here or over there, online or in-person, everyone will need to do their bit, because it can touch every aspect of our lives.

More than one way to fight

Exclusive polling by YouGov has found only 6% of people in the UK would volunteer to fight for the country in the face of an "imminent" invasion. 14% would serve only if formally called up. 17% would refuse to serve even if instructed. 52% said they could not serve due to age or disability. 53% doubt the UK Armed Forces are strong enough to defend the country.

Back when I was young, believing I was a grunt in Oliver Stone’s Platoon, I remember hearing this line in a documentary about the Vietnam War: "There is nothing more dangerous than a 19-year-old with a shotgun”, which is widely attributed to General William Westmoreland. It conveys the perils of young men, heavily armed, exhausted and frightened walking into war zones where anything could happen, be it nothing or the worst day of their life.

Will they make the right decisions if they face ethical dilemmas in the theatre of war? The rules of war are officially known as International Humanitarian Law (IHL). If following global risks and problems is the new way of finding work, studying IHL may be a good idea. As would learning about gas, oil and food security. Develop strategies for the biggest water fight of your life.

Finding purpose

If war is coming, we have to defend the homeland and everything we stand for to make the world worth saving. Instead of defining goodies and baddies, let’s reason why, do our jobs and not die. Find purpose in conflict, build skills in preparing for war and get ready for peace.

All wars eventually come to an end is emphasised in this Financial Times world at war podcast. Whether it is now, during or after a war, find a course, job or market that meets a need for defence, security and peacekeeping.

If you fear you or your loved ones may be called up to fight, and you don’t fancy an infantry role, find another way to serve your country. What are the community and employment opportunities for making the nation more resilient? What can you do to tackle yob culture and civil unrest? Technology cannot do everything. Find the gaps, pay attention to the world around you, find your tribe and be active in building your brand in education, where you live and where you work.

The Defence Investment Plan will give young people opportunities to experience military service through a ‘Gap Year’ Foundation Scheme to gain paid experience and training in the Armed Forces. Just because I ran away from serving, it doesn’t mean you have to.

Get involved

Where there is opportunity for making a fair buck, there is opportunity for crime. I would advise people to find jobs that combat fraud, scams and tax evasion. Learn how to use AI to improve compliance and quality assurance in financial markets, utility providers and the welfare state. Get involved in youth work, safer streets and victim support. War and conflict can be good for arts and entertainment. Unleash your creativity.

Find your purpose and go for it. In the Untouchables, Sean Connery’s ageing beat cop thinks he is too old to bring down Al Capone and tells Eliot Ness: “l wish l'd met you ten years and twenty pounds ago. But l just think it got more important to me to stay alive.”

We all want to stay alive but we do not always get to decide how we live or when we die. There is nothing glamorous about war and “nothing except a battle lost can be half so melancholy as a battle won”, said the Duke of Wellington after the devastating Battle of Waterloo in June 1815.

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