Commercial awareness: what is it, why do I need it and how can I demonstrate it to an employer?

James Clark, a former Army Captain and Commercial Lead at Portakabin Limited, shares why commercial awareness is crucial in a civilian career, and why Service leavers have more of it then they might realise. Commercial awareness is about understanding the customer journey and is critical in anything you do. If you are aware of what […]

5th December 2018

What is the business value of your military leadership experience?

Will Hogg, a former Army Officer and founder of Kinetic Consulting, which helps businesses to improve performance, shares his insight into why more employers value veteran talent. Your military leadership experience is of critical value in the commercial sector, because you are trained to lead people in the most extreme situations to achieve complex objectives. […]

14th November 2018

You have Project Management Skills but what about the Qualifications?

Dean Taylor is the Managing Director of IMD Group, a business and management consultancy. He discusses the value of project management training. All career paths involve training, so it is important to choose courses that will enable you to achieve your professional goals after leaving the Services. If you want to work in project management, […]

3rd October 2018

You’re The Best Person For The Job But Can You Prove it?

Belonging to a professional body can really help build your new career. Stephen Day, a former Army captain and now an Associate Director at WYG a professional services firm, shares how belonging to one can help. Being a member of a professional body helps give you credibility when applying for jobs. They are independent organisations […]

14th August 2018

Why the Best People for the Job Don’t Just Talk About Themselves

Interviews are sometimes daunting and it can be difficult to know exactly what an employer wants. Ben Gledhill, Head of Resourcing at Yodel, shares his thoughts on how to perform well. The key is to remain as calm as possible. You can prepare well for interviews, but if you are not relaxed then all the […]

6th August 2018

LinkedIn has 550 Million Members: How Will You Build a New Career If You’re Not One of Them?

Lincoln Coutts is a Social Media Consultant with 17 years of experience. He shares his top tips on using social media in your professional life. Social media is a great way to research career areas you are unfamiliar with and have no contacts in. Twitter is often dismissed as somewhere people shout nonsense, but there […]

4th July 2018

This Former Officer is Now a Recruitment Expert, Here’s His Advice on Negotiating Your Salary

Simon Treadgold served in the Army for 20 years and is now Head of Recruiting at Capstar, which provides secure travel and lifestyle management services to corporate and private clients, and is run by former Army officers. When negotiating a salary you must manage your expectations. If you successfully apply for a job with a […]

27th June 2018

How Can You Identify Your Values, Goals and Next Steps?

Matt Driver and Phil Hayes, Coaches at Management Futures, explain how coaching can prepare you for your working life after leaving the Armed Forces. Coaching is vital to a successful transition. Leaving the military and starting a civilian career is a huge change, involving more than swapping jobs: you need to find new purpose and […]

16th May 2018

How do you network effectively?

Neil Williams, a former Royal Marines officer and now CEO of recruitment agency Crucial Group Ltd, shares his networking top tips. When I decided to leave the Royal Marines I had no plan other than doing ‘something in business’. Networking was vital in helping me identify and pursue a new career. At its heart, networking […]

10th May 2018

Why is Cyber Security a Good Career Option for Veterans?

Nick Hartley, a former RAF Group Captain now working in business development for BT Security, explains why cyber security is a good industry for veterans. Cyber security is a broad and diverse industry, with different opportunities. Many of the skills and experiences veterans have are highly sought after in the industry. Working in cyber security […]

18th April 2018

What does a career in HR involve?

Fiona Jackson, OA Career Consultant, shares her insights into working in HR There are many misunderstandings about the purpose of HR. Many Service leavers may have worked in different aspects of HR but probably not the whole range. HR is a varied and diverse industry, which is part of the corporate strategy of an organisation. […]

28th March 2018