Ex student talks about her new Navy career

Coral Crouch spoke to girls about her time at Bristol University’s Royal Naval Unit, which has subsequently led to a career in the navy.

She said: ‘Having got as much out of Bristol University Royal Naval Unit as I possibly could as a student, since graduating I’ve been continuing this trend at Southampton URNU as a Training Officer, while I wait for selection to Britannia Royal Naval College (BRNC) Dartmouth to begin training as a regular logistics officer.

‘My role at Southampton URNU is to teach leadership, navigation and seamanship to the 50 undergraduate students who form part of the unit.

‘This job has pushed me to extend my subject knowledge, as to be able to teach something you always have to be at least one step ahead.

‘One area in which I feel I have particularly developed is my leadership skills.

‘Being only a recent graduate myself, I am not much older than some of the students.

‘While I can use this to my advantage in that I can relate to them and them to me more easily, the challenge is balancing this with knowing when to step back and assert authority.

‘My leadership skills were particularly put to the test when I was in charge of taking a group of 10 students out to Gibraltar to join HMS Ocean and sail back to Plymouth over the course of six days.’