HMForces.co.uk

The transition back to civilian can be a daunting one, more so for someone having served 20 years. However, for others it's a straightfoward process. Therefore how much is the MoD really responsble for someone leaving and isn't it ultimately the individual's responsibility to get out there and network and reseatch?

What are your experiences of looking for a job, is it something you feel you had support with?

When i left i said i was taking 6 months off and traveling well that lasted 6 hours and id found a job GREAT A

 I applied to do my last six months in UK. Within a week of starting a search, I had two offers and accepted the second one. I still had 3 months of Army service left to do when I started civilian employment. This was result of having a very well written c.v (not by me but professionally done) and a good Old Boys network. I changed jobs after a year and again found no trouble with alternatives - again, the cv was a main factor.

This was all back in 1974 but I would feel quite confident were I to be looking today. Prepare, prepare, prepare is the keyword. Work with friends practising interviews concentrating on the hard questions. Research potential employers before interview day. Stay focussed on what you want and not on what might do at a pinch. If the job does not suit, remember the best time to look for a new job is while you have the old one.

kylemore says ...

Mostly the time it takes to be re-employed in civilian life depends on how one describes ones own capabilities and experience which is relevant to the potential employer.

It is no good saying I killed xx number and I was a marksman who could jump over a wall etc.

One has to put it in civilian terms of mangement speak and customer relationship or accountancy

or stock control on say "just in time" and so forth.By looking at you everyone will see you are fit and because you wore a uniform

will also think they know what you did.

So everytime keep it simple, factual and relevant to the expectations of the potential employer.

I remeber once going with mate who sat at a table with young men aged around in their 30's my mate was just in his forties and in the course of questioning one dipstick said err may I ask you this employment has pressure and also you need to be fairly fit and on the ball, god I thought my mate was going to deck this dipstick he look at this plumhead and said in most cool clear voice, " Son I been in the Royl Marines 22 years and I think the one thing I learnt is always be ready for any thing at any time, but you come up with one thing I never expect and that is get asked a pillock question that surely is the mother of all mothers crap remarks, I ask you son could you yomp 32 clicks in under hours could strip a GPM in a certain time as it is needed for covering fire and you talk about pressure you try that at some time, then my mate come right out with it son if you were a man of great understanding rather than a man with bit of brown hanging out of arse you would have seen before this interview who I served with and for you that would have told you volumes, but I guess that is why your never in all the remainder of your life but a any thing simply because you talk with your arse. Good bye and he got up but suddenly one of the ohter men on the table said quite quickly before my mate left your be the boss of this ofice we are  opening up, as any one who could could tell the son of CEO that he is talking out of his arse is simply awesome, sadly I was still in so I never got the some chance as him. But the moral is still so many out there should simply look at the man and his service record and then hire him asp

About a week after I came out! In fact I got the first job I applied for!!!!!

I got out in 1999 and applied for my last 6 months in the UK. I was attached to the TA and as soon as I got there started sending out my CV.

About a month after I was discharged I took a stopgap job as a Countryside Ranger for the Scottish wildlife trust and a couple of months later I got a job offer in the field I wanted to be in. Since then I've worked as a consultant for 3 different companies and been with the current one for 3 years

I would say it's the CV that makes or breaks when it comes to work. The layout is not so important but matching the content to a particular job requirement is vital. Don't send a standard CV unless you're applying for the same job with several companies and don't tell porkies on it, you could get found out very easily

Not immediately. I had to retrain and became a joiner/carpenter and didn't find a job for 6 months. Luckily I was a trainee joiner as a teenager before I joined up so I might have been unemployed for longer.

It was a tough time for the wife and 2 young kids, I was in my mid 30's but I survived and eventually became self-employed after 10 years.

My advice is don't give up, keep fighting. I can't say more than that.

I do have to admit the layout is Key on CVs.    Also remember it is Blowing your own trumpet.   

I work for a Temp Agency and my agency is maybe 20 or 30 ex service men and the agency spends ages on getting information out of you.   So you know if you been in charge of people say how many and what you did,  ALL your Licences you gained and EVERYTHING you gained.   It does make a huge difference also anybody who intrested I know following companies are huge on recruiting ex service staff. 

Eon and ScottishPower and BT are huge in my area about ex-servicemen recruitment.