Over 5,400 Officers Helped By OA Employment Services in the Last Year

We have increased our support to serving and former officers developing their post-military careers, as highlighted in our latest Impact Report. The OA Employment Team provided 1,125 one-to-one career consultations and CV reviews. In addition, over 1,100 jobs were posted onto the OA Executive Jobs Board. Gemma Jones is one officer the OA supported, who […]

19th March 2019

How is work changing and how do you prepare for this?

Will Hogg is a former Army officer and founder of Kinetic Consulting, which helps businesses to improve performance. He shares his views on how to adapt as the world of work evolves. The employment landscape, like the rest of the world, is becoming increasingly VUCA: Volatile, Uncertain, Complex and Ambiguous. Your civilian career is likely […]

14th March 2019

New Bristol Office Opens

The OA has moved its South West office to increase support for the local officer community. The new premises are larger, reflecting the newly expanded team. This will make it easier to run one-to-one career consultations, where serving and former officers can get independent tailored advice, and run employment events, such as workshops and training […]

28th February 2019

The Six Steps for a Successful Elevator Pitch

Aaron Gracey is a former Royal Artillery officer, and is now System Operator Policy Advisor at Network Rail. He shares his insights on what you should say to a new contact. An effective elevator pitch is a clear, concise direct message, which outlines why you could be an excellent employee to new contacts. Like everything […]

19th February 2019

Officers’ Association Supports New Non-Executive Development Programme for Senior Service Leavers

OnBoarding Officers is an accelerated non-executive training programme established to help transitioning and former officers hone their military leadership skills in readiness for Non- Executive roles in UK organisations. Participants will be provided with a critical insight into the commercial world, whether their aspirations are to take a Non-Executive Director (NED) role immediately, or at […]

4th February 2019

Could The KPMG Military Leavers Programme Be Right For You?

This Big Four accounting firm wants transitioning officers to apply. KPMG is committed to supporting the Armed Forces community and its Military Leavers Programme offers an opportunity for veterans to make an immediate impact in a business environment. In addition to its core function of auditing some of the largest companies in the country, KPMG […]

25th January 2019

How To Find A Job That’s Worth Getting Up For On A Cold Winter Morning

John Lees is a leading career strategist and author of How to Get a Job You Love. He shares six steps to help you find the right job. Work absorbs a great deal of your best energy and attention, and takes out a large chunk of your working life – so choosing what you do […]

23rd January 2019

You Have the Leadership Skills Business Needs

Joff Sharpe, a former Army officer and Chief Operating Officer at British Land, shares his thoughts on how former officers bring value to civilian organisations. Service personnel typically have leadership qualities that are in short supply in the commercial world. Commissioned officers, in particular, go through a year or more of structured leadership training before […]

18th January 2019

What Does Your Ideal Job Look Like?

John Lees, a leading career strategist and author of several career advice books, including ‘How To Get A Job You Love’, shares his career top tips. You need to identify what your ideal job looks like, and the steps required to achieve this. For example, what skills do you want to use, and do you […]

16th January 2019

The Three Steps to Your Career Success

Start 2019 by taking a smarter approach to your transition. We support thousands of officers in their move to civilian careers by providing careers advice, connecting them with job opportunities, employers and a network of industry experts. To help make your transition easier, we have produced a guide that encourages you to think about your […]

4th January 2019

How Do You Become a Non-Executive Director?

Jo Haigh is the CEO of FDS, a boutique corporate finance business, and is a highly experienced Non-Executive Director (NED). She outlines how to go from the frontline to the boardroom. A NED is not there to run the company, because they have no operational role. In fact, a poor NED interferes with the day […]

13th December 2018

We Are Not Damaged Says Minister and Veteran

Minister for Defence People and Veterans Tobias Ellwood MP says we must challenge false perceptions of veterans. Tobias Ellwood, a former Army officer, said: “That is a real challenge that we have, because too many people out there think because we served we are damaged.” The Minister made his comments at the Officers’ Association Careers […]

11th December 2018

Have You Considered Working for a Charity?

Meri Mayhew is the Charity Adviser to the Veterans Strategy. A former RAF officer, she is speaking at the Officers’ Careers Forum about working in the not-for-profit sector. Why should serving and former officers consider working in the not-for-profit sector? There are a wide range of opportunities available that are ideal for Service leavers, in […]

6th December 2018

New Data Dispels ‘Negative Stereotype’ About Veterans

A major new study released today by the Veterans Work consortium, reveals that military service is likely to improve your chances of finding employment. The study found that, contrary to what many believe, veteran employment rates at 81% are far higher than the national average of 75.5%. The report, titled ‘Veterans Work: Moving On’, surveyed […]

28th November 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

Highways England is Recruiting Former Officers

David Picton, Interim Executive Director for Commercial and Procurement at Highways England, outlines the opportunities available. Why is Highways England recruiting Service leavers? Highways England is growing because the country is undergoing its biggest ever investment in its roads. This investment delivery is in its first phase, running from 2015-2020, and will be followed by […]

12th November 2018

How do You Get a New Job You Love?

John Lees, a leading career strategist, will deliver a keynote talk at the OA Officers’ Careers Forum in December. He has written several career advice books and thought leadership pieces for The Times and The Guardian. His latest book, ‘How To Get A Job You Love’, was a WHSmith Business Book of the Month. John […]

6th November 2018

“Without doubt, networking is vital for a successful transition”

David Picton shares his career journey from RAF officer to Interim Executive Director for Commercial and Procurement at Highways England. Can you give me an overview of your military career? I served as an RAF officer for 20 years – starting out with sponsorship through my A-levels and degree (as a university cadet), before joining […]

2nd November 2018

Congratulations! They’ve Offered You the Job but Should You Say Yes?

Receiving a job offer means all your hard work has paid off and you have survived the toughest part of the job search – but now you must decide if this is the right job for you. Here are four things you could consider before accepting an offer: The organisation’s culture and its people Salary […]

22nd October 2018

Don’t Miss Out on This Year’s OA Officers’ Careers Forum

Gain better knowledge, more contacts and the confidence you need to pursue your new civilian career. At the OA Officers’ Careers Forum you will discover some of the opportunities available to transitioning and former officers, and be able to connect with industry experts. We can help you better understand how to successfully apply for civilian […]

16th October 2018