Leaving the armed forces is a significant change. Many service leavers find it harder than expected to secure a civilian career, with several factors making it difficult. Some people may be unfamiliar with how the civilian jobs market works, unsure how their military skills and experience translate into civilian roles, or simply be unclear on what to look for in the first place.
The good news is that there are thousands of job opportunities for veterans across the UK. Indeed, many employers actively seek candidates with the discipline, leadership and resilience that service builds. The challenge is often knowing where to look and how to present yourself, not a lack of roles.
This guide is here to help. It covers where to look for jobs, how to identify veteran-friendly employers and the industries best suited to ex-service personnel.
Employers increasingly recognise that military experience produces exactly the qualities they often struggle to find elsewhere. Service leavers often arrive job-ready, having already proven themselves in demanding, high-pressure conditions. The qualities most valued include:
For many employers, these traits give ex-service candidates a clear competitive edge over those with similar qualifications, and a growing number now actively target the military community when recruiting.
A wide range of sectors actively value the skills, personal qualities and experience that military service provides. The following industries are among the best suited to service leavers:
A growing number of UK employers actively recruit from the military community. The following are among the most committed, each holding formal recognition for their support:
Many veterans underestimate how much of their military experience applies to civilian work. In most cases it is not a question of lacking the right skills, but of framing them in language a civilian employer recognises. The same abilities that made you effective in service map directly onto roles across almost every sector. The table below shows some common examples.
| Military skill | Civilian equivalent |
| Leadership | Team management |
| Risk assessment | Health and safety |
| Mission planning | Project management |
| Logistics and supply | Supply chain management |
| Communications | Stakeholder engagement |
| Equipment maintenance | Technical and engineering roles |
| Situation reporting | Data analysis and briefing |
You don’t have to navigate the move into civilian work alone. There is support out there from government, commercial and charitable organisations, much of it free. These are the most important ones to know about.
The official Ministry of Defence resettlement service, available from two years before you leave until two years after. Every leaver can access some support, with the fullest package going to those who’ve served at least six years or been medically discharged. Help ranges from workshops and one-to-one guidance to vocational training and help finding jobs.
A free, government-backed service from the Office for Veterans’ Affairs, this is open to veterans at any stage after leaving, not just at discharge, and it extends to families too. Specialist advisors help with CVs and interviews and connect you to veteran-friendly employers in growing sectors such as energy, digital and construction.
Provides lifelong employment support to the armed forces community, whatever your rank, length of service or reason for leaving. In addition to delivering Op ASCEND, it offers training and mentoring to service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families, as well as support with finding job opportunities.
There are several good places to start a post-military job search. Veteran-friendly job boards are a sensible first stop, listing roles from employers who actively want to hire ex-forces talent and understand the value you bring. Resources focused on security roles, such as securityclearedjobs.com, are well worth exploring, as these positions are in steady demand across defence and government and many veterans will have the mix of professional skills and personal qualities these jobs require.
It’s also worth attending a Veteran UK EXPO, with in-person careers fairs held in Bristol, Manchester, Cheltenham and London, where you can meet employers face to face and find roles often not advertised online. Networking and LinkedIn can open further doors too.
Many veterans have far more transferable skills than they realise and plenty of roles will value military experience as it stands. In some cases, though, a degree of retraining can be worthwhile. This could be necessary to meet the formal requirements of a particular sector or simply to build confidence, provide proof of capabilities or strengthen your prospects. Civilian training comes in many forms, including:
Not everyone wants to step straight into another employer’s organisation. For some, the answer to a difficult job search is to create their own role instead, especially for those looking for a new challenge after leaving the structured environment of the armed forces. Entrepreneurship suits many veterans well, as the leadership, planning and resilience built through service are exactly the qualities business ownership demands. A mission-focused, adaptable mindset translates naturally into running a venture of your own.
Support is available to help you take the first step. X-Forces Enterprise specialises in helping the armed forces community start and grow businesses, offering training, mentoring and guidance. It is also the dedicated partner that helps veterans access the government-backed Start Up Loans scheme. The CTP also covers self-employment as a resettlement option, while the Royal British Legion can help in some circumstances too.
With the right preparation, your first civilian role is well within reach. A few practical steps will get you moving in the right direction:
Thousands of employers value what veterans bring, and the move is more achievable than it can feel. To meet them face to face, come along to a Veteran UK EXPO and start building your future today.
Yes. The CTP is the official Ministry of Defence resettlement service for those leaving the forces. Op ASCEND, a free Office for Veterans’ Affairs service delivered by the Forces Employment Charity, supports veterans at any stage after leaving.
Yes – Step Into Health is a dedicated programme connecting veterans with NHS organisations across the UK, offering work placements, training opportunities and routes into a range of healthcare roles. The NHS actively recognises the value of military skills such as resilience, leadership and working under pressure, making healthcare one of the more accessible sectors for veterans seeking a career with a strong sense of purpose and public service.
Absolutely. Military experience transfers across a wide range of sectors, and where a new field needs specific credentials, options such as apprenticeships, certifications and funded training make switching direction very achievable.
Some routes into teaching and training roles are accessible without a full teaching qualification, particularly in vocational or further education settings where industry experience is highly valued. Veterans with specialist technical knowledge or leadership backgrounds may find roles in corporate training, military education or apprenticeship delivery particularly suited to their experience. That said, pursuing a recognised teaching qualification such as a PGCE can broaden your options considerably.
The clearest indicator is whether an organisation has signed the Armed Forces Covenant, which signals a formal commitment to supporting service leavers. Employers who have achieved bronze, silver or gold status under the Employer Recognition Scheme go further still. Beyond accreditation, look for job adverts that explicitly welcome military experience, companies with veteran employee networks, and organisations that partner with bodies like the Forces Employment Charity or CTP.
Networking can feel unfamiliar after military service, but it’s one of the most effective job-search tools available. Veteran-specific careers fairs and expos offer a comfortable starting point, connecting you with employers who already understand and value military backgrounds. LinkedIn is also worth investing time in – building a civilian-facing profile, joining veteran professional groups and engaging with sector communities can surface opportunities that never appear on job boards.
Veterans careers fairs bring together employers who are actively seeking to hire from the military community, making them a more targeted and welcoming environment than standard job fairs. They offer the chance to meet recruiters face to face, explore sectors you may not have considered and hear directly from veterans who have already made the transition. Many fairs also feature speaker sessions, CV clinics and career guidance, making them a practical as well as networking-focused experience.
It means reframing your experience in terms civilian recruiters and hiring managers will immediately understand. This involves replacing military terminology and rank structures with equivalent civilian job titles and responsibilities, focusing on outcomes and achievements rather than duties, and highlighting transferable skills such as leadership, logistics, crisis management and team coordination. Organisations like the CTP and Forces Employment Charity offer practical support with this, and the British Training Board’s military skills translator can also help.
Several sectors draw heavily on military skills and recruit strongly from the armed forces community, including engineering and manufacturing, logistics and supply chain, security and defence, healthcare, project management and the civil service.
The Career Transition Partnership (CTP) is the official MoD resettlement service, linking service leavers with potential employers, training opportunities and career guidance. It’s available to most personnel leaving the armed forces, with the level of support varying depending on length of service. It offers everything from CV workshops and job boards to sector-specific career events, making it one of the most comprehensive and accessible resources available to veterans entering the civilian job market
Many UK employers recruit from the military community, especially those that have signed the Armed Forces Covenant. Well-known examples include BAE Systems, Babcock International, Amazon, Network Rail, Rolls-Royce and Serco, alongside major public employers like the NHS and the Civil Service.
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