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Service Leavers

At every rank and whatever your length of service, leaving the Forces and the transition into civilian life can be daunting. but finding a new job is the first step in the process to starting the next chapter of your life. The good news is that your career in the military has given you qualifications, training and experience that will be a huge asset in the civilian workplace. Whether you are interested in retail, IT and Communications, logistics, project management, transport, engineering or construction, there are plenty of jobs out there for you, whatever you decide you want to do.

British companies are increasingly realising the tremendous value of ex Service employees. They are beginning to understand that in producing high-quality service men and women, the military also produces highly productive citizens. We have all had education, qualifications, training, opportunity and a system of values thrown at us in a way rarely seen in civilian life, and as such we all have a lot to offer to businesses. As well as producing fantastic quality servicemen and women, what they are also doing is creating excellent citizens and members of society, the bottom line is that service leavers like you are a fantastic national asset!

Whether you've been out of the Forces a while or are looking for your first job in the civilian workplace, there are a few key factors worth bearing in mind.

Civilian employers work on different timescales to those in the Armed Forces. It may take longer than you anticipate to successfully find a new job and similarly notice periods you are used to will be different too. You have been used to a level of benefits – free clothing, grants, qualifications, facilities, generous leave, medical care to name a few – that very few civilian companies will be able to match. Similarly, pensions you may have received in the Forces will be difficult to match.

When you are preparing your CV and attending interviews, remember to sell yourself: service leavers need to learn to sell themselves better; this is one thing they don't do very well. People in the Armed Forces don't interview for jobs so they have minimal experience. It might be worth looking into getting some interview coaching. In the civilian workplace interview skills are crucial because the market is very competitive. Employers want to meet people who show initiative, can work as a team, have a good understanding of the sector (eg Construction, Engineering etc), have researched the company and show enthusiasm for the role. But you also need to show you are a self starter too. You may well come across employers with pre existing opinions on ex service employees. They will probably expect you to be a strong team player but will be concerned that you are less good at thinking for yourself. There is still, unfortunately, a stereotypical view held by some, that Officers only give orders and Soldiers only take orders! So whilst teamwork is certainly important in the civilian workplace, the ability to think for yourself is seen as equally vital, so this is something to be aware of and work on if you aren't used to it. This whole process, including preparing your CV and preparing yourself for that first interview, is something we will return to in future posts.

If you’re applying for a leadership and management role, make sure that you can demonstrate a collaborative management style but that which, when required, is underpinned by an incisive ability to make decisions. A common mistake made by ex Services when they join the civilian workforce is to continue to use a management and leadership style that was right for the Armed Forces but not right for the civilian working environment. We tend to continue to use a task-orientated management and leadership style, not a collaborative one. This is really important: don't change what you have – adapt what you have. Too many people come out of the Armed Forces – and this is not a criticism because they are operating in a pretty surreal environment - with a task-orientated management style at what we term 'unit level'. So they talk in terms of: “Your job is to take out the enemy” or “Your job is to secure that village in order to …” and everyone knows what their job is. For a lot of people in a civilian environment, they're likely to turn around and tell you to get lost – or words to that effect. The best way to succeed is by getting 'buy-in' and letting co workers or those working for you contribute and add value throughout the planning process, do not feel that it's only up to you. Self-awareness with regard to other people's perceptions of you, and having an element of humility always goes a long way, and is pretty alien in a military setting. Involve people, listen to them, encourage them to think and come up with solutions. Use questions like “how best can we do this?” – even though you may well know the answer!

weServed will be launching our Employment Services section later this year. This will be the ideal bridge between servicemen and women leaving the military and industry who desperately need the skills and work ethic that the Armed Forces has instilled. Sign up now to be the first to know when we launch.

Andy McNab CBE, DCM, MM, DArts

Making the UK the best country in the world to be a Veteran