Leaving the military is often a culture shock. Especially if you’ve been in the UK armed forces for most, if not all, of your adult life, resettlement into the civilian sector can be a huge challenge.
There will be a lot to think about, from housing to finances. But one of the most pressing concerns will almost certainly be how to transition into the civilian workforce and find a role that can be turned into a new career. The good news is there are plenty of ex-military jobs out there across almost every sector. It’s just a case of knowing where to look and how to present what you already offer.
Whether you’re weighing up your first move after service or a few months into the search, this guide walks through where the live opportunities are, how ex-military skills map onto civilian roles and where to find the right support along the way.
Meeting employers face-to-face remains one of the fastest ways to land an ex-military job, alongside browsing live listings. Veteran UK’s careers fairs bring together hundreds of hiring managers actively recruiting service leavers and veterans, across sectors from engineering to cyber security.
Attending gives you the chance to ask questions, get a feel for a company’s culture and sometimes walk away with an interview lined up before you’ve even applied online. Register for Veteran UK to see which fair is closest to you and start meeting employers directly.
Finding a job that makes the most of the skills and experience you’ve developed over your years in the armed forces can seem like a tricky prospect. For instance, many military leavers may worry that employers won’t understand or value their skills, or think they will be reluctant to hire veterans due to inaccurate negative stereotypes.
There’s no single way to land a new role after service, most veterans combine a few different routes until the right opportunity comes along, such as:
Many ex-military personnel have indeed reported difficulties trying to integrate into the civilian workforce. Some of the common issues encountered include:
While many of the fears employers may have are misplaced, there remains a wariness to consider military leavers in some quarters. For instance, one study by armed forces charity SSAFA found 31 per cent of recruiters said they would be reluctant to employ someone who had previously served.
Other issues may stem from a lack of confidence or experience among leavers when it comes to navigating the civilian jobs market. For example, many ex-military personnel find it difficult to draft a CV that works effectively for non-military recruiters, or be unsure about what to expect during an interview. In some cases, they may have never needed such skills before and so might not know where to start or what skills and experiences to emphasise.
These are some of the reasons why, according to a report by the Royal British Legion, UK veterans are less likely to be in full-time work than the overall population and nearly twice as likely to be unemployed.
This emphasises the importance of having resources to turn to that are dedicated to helping ex-military personnel make the transition to a civilian career.
It’s important to remember that the skills and experience that you’ve picked up in the military are in high demand among civilian employers. In many cases, it will simply be a matter of framing your achievements in the right way and demonstrating how your transferable skills can be applied to civilian life.
For example, some of the most useful skills that many military leavers possess that will stand them in good stead in other jobs include:
What’s more, these are just the essential skills that every military leaver should have in their locker, regardless of role. On top of these, many specific roles within the military are likely to have equipped you with a variety of more technical skills that will be in high demand in the civilian sector.
According to the Royal British Legion, former military personnel are often ideally-placed to take advantage of skills shortages in some of the UK’s key sectors. It noted that some of the most transferable skills that are in demand in the civilian workforce include:
In fact, there are a wide range of jobs out there that will be well-suited to former military personnel from all three services. Let’s take a look at just a few examples from across the armed forces to show how specific military skills can be adapted to civilian life.
There are plenty of options available to help ex-forces personnel make the transition into civilian life. For instance, many employers have signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant to demonstrate their support for veterans, which includes focusing on these individuals in the recruitment process.
There are over 13,000 organisations taking part in this initiative and the government awards Gold, Silver and Bronze to those enterprises that show particular commitment to hiring and supporting veterans. Veteran UK holds Gold status itself, the highest of these three tiers, so you can expect that same standard of commitment whenever you attend one of our events.
There are also a number of charitable organisations and government schemes to assist with making the transition to civilian life as smooth as possible. These can help with everything from CV writing to interview preparation, as well as identifying skills that will be of most value to employers.
Turning to specialist recruitment services and jobs boards can be a great way to find employers that are aware of the benefits of hiring ex-military personnel. What’s more, taking advantage of dedicated networking events such as VeteranUK offers a perfect opportunity to learn more about what options are available and meet prospective employers face-to-face.
Such events can be great if you’re looking to transition into a particular industry, where you can network directly with relevant recruiters. Moreover, they can be especially valuable to those who may not be certain about what direction they should be taking on leaving the UK armed forces. By meeting with representatives from some of the UK’s biggest employers of ex-military personnel, you can gain an idea of the types of experience they’re looking for and what options will fit best into your skillset.
In addition, these events are a great way to find more information on dedicated training courses to provide you with additional civilian qualifications, or talk to specialist forces recruitment services. Many of these are run by former veterans, so they’ll understand exactly what help will be needed to find you the right position for your post-military career.
These events allow you to find job opportunities for veterans and specialist recruiters supporting veterans in career transitions.
One area in which having an armed forces background is likely to be a significant advantage is jobs that require security clearance. This can cover a wide variety of roles, but it’s especially common to require such clearances for IT, cybersecurity and engineering jobs in key sectors such as government, energy, utilities, communications and hi-tech manufacturing.
Ex-military personnel are especially well-placed to secure the high levels of clearance required for these jobs, as they will typically possess key qualities such as professionalism, trustworthiness and integrity that are essential in passing any checks. As well as opening up new doors to exciting careers post-military, security cleared jobs in sectors that require clearances often come with increased pay rates compared to similar roles elsewhere.
Translate your role into civilian terms rather than military jargon, and focus on outcomes such as leading a team, managing logistics under pressure or delivering technical projects. Specialist forces recruiters and careers fairs can help you frame this the right way for each employer.
It can take longer than expected, mainly because some employers are unfamiliar with military qualifications and terminology. Preparing a civilian-focused CV and using specialist recruiters or careers fairs makes the process considerably easier.
There’s no single “best” role, but security cleared positions, engineering, logistics and cyber security roles tend to reward military experience most directly, since they value the discipline, technical training and trustworthiness that service builds.
Ex-military personnel move into almost every civilian sector, from engineering and project management to IT, logistics and security. The right fit usually comes down to matching your specific trade or specialism to the closest civilian equivalent, rather than starting from scratch.
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