What Can You Learn from the England Team?

Football may not have come home, but everyone was impressed by England’s performance. Gareth Southgate’s team was young, confident, humble and driven, which could even score penalties! Here is why England was successful, and how you can copy some of its tactics. Adopt the right mind-set When Gareth Southgate was appointed manager he focussed on […]

20th July 2018

How to get the most out of 1-2-1 career consultations

Learn how to get the most out of career consultations at the Officers’ Association. Ashka Raval and Clive Lowe discuss the aims of a career consultation and how to maximise their effectiveness based on extensive practical experience. Ashka is a Recruitment Consultant at the OA and has extensive experience of recruitment across a variety of […]

22nd May 2018

Transition from the Military to the Financial Services Industry on Facebook Live

In this week’s Facebook Live broadcast we are joined by Milo from the Capco office in London, as he discusses his own personal transition from the military into the financial services industry.   Watch the broadcast:    

3rd November 2016

Using your Transferable Skills in Business

From the battlefield to the boardroom: You’ve got the skills, but how can you persuade employers to understand this? Former SAS office Joff Sharpe is author of the book ‘Who Dares Wins in Business’, where he illustrates how hard-won battlefield lessons can translate to business life. Here, he illustrates how hard-won battlefield lessons can be […]

18th November 2014

‘Joining the Armed Forces doesn’t put you back in your career – it makes you more marketable’

Within five minutes of speaking to Francis, you quickly realise that he isn’t your archetypal private banker. Certainly he is well spoken, erudite and passionate as you would expect, but it’s around helping others to recognise their strengths and abilities to make the most of translating their military skills, that really gets him engaged. Francis […]

15th May 2017

Transition Story: let your curiosity lead the way

You may be forgiven for thinking that Rachel’s voluntary commitments at Barclays sound as demanding and time consuming as her full-time work. From her activities as co-chair of one of the Barclay’s Women’s Initiative Networks, to organising the annual Light The Night Dragon Boat race for Bloodwise and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, Rachel also […]

9th May 2017

Transition Story: starting with a blank piece of paper

Ade Clewlow is an ‘internationalist at heart’ and it shows from his varied experiences across the globe – from a Jane’s Defence Weekly correspondent and freelance journalist with the BBC in Portugal, to an education professional at the Qatari Staff College, and strategic communications expert in Somalia. During his career as a Royal Signals Officer, […]

5th May 2017

The Value of Attending Insight Days

During your transition journey you’re likely to hear a lot of talk about the importance of attending networking events, careers fairs, online tutorials and insight days.  Insight days are often overlooked.  Attending them can be seen as a bit of a ‘luxury’ yet these events are run by employers with the specific purpose of giving […]

2nd May 2017

Coping with Redundancy

“How can this happen to me?” “I must have done something wrong” and “How can I tell my family and friends?” are three commonly experienced reactions to being made redundant by your employer. The topic of redundancy presents an important and deep-seated concern to not just the military but individuals employed in the civilian working […]

13th April 2017

Operations Management – getting things done

A career in operations management demands an expert ability to get things done. A popular career choice for ex-military personnel, operations management focuses on streamlining processes as effectively as possible and requires the ability to apply logical thinking, especially when under pressure. As the industry continues to change and grow, it also offers exciting opportunities […]

12th April 2017

Transportation sector comes together to showcase second career opportunities for Service leavers

The OA and Siemens were joined by Network Rail, Northern Rail, Transport for London and Alan Dicks Communication at the National Training Academy for Rail in Northampton, on 30 March, to provide an insight day for Service leavers. Phil Heathcote, Sales Director for Siemens Rail Systems stated that rail passengers numbers were now at the […]

OA confirms Employment Symposium in York, 28th June 2017

The OA will run the first of two Employment Symposia this year, the first of which will be held at the Network Rail Training Centre, York. The Employment Symposium will bring together key employers – both regional and national, industry experts and OA network contacts and supporters to provide a day of industry expertise and […]

11th April 2017

A better work and life balance with a career in interim management

Pursuing a career in interim management can be an interesting choice in terms of satisfaction, reward and a better work/life balance. You will be given the chance to make a real impact on a number of contrasting businesses and often be offered highly competitive rates of pay. But how do you know whether you possess […]

Virgin Money demonstrate their support for the Armed Forces community and sign the Covenant

The Officers’ Association attended the event on Wednesday 29 March when Jayne-Anne Gadhia, Chief Executive Officer at Virgin Money, officially signed the Armed Forces Covenant. This is the culmination of 18 months of preparation to ensure that the business would meet its commitments to the Armed Forces community. During this time, Virgin Money had already […]

5th April 2017

Do Cover Letters Really Matter?

The process used to apply for jobs has changed significantly over the years. A far cry from hand delivered CVs and the odd phone call, job applications can now be submitted at the click of a finger. With the growing increase of digitalisation, cover letters are becoming less common than ever; most job applications now […]

31st January 2017

Freelancing – risky business or your best decision yet?

Do your transition plans automatically discount the idea of going freelance? Ever find yourself wondering if you can make a living working for yourself? Or maybe you’ve already transitioned and feel that now could be the right time to find something more gratifying by working for yourself. If you can charge for your knowledge and […]

25th January 2017

The OA to Support Tidworth Job Fair

The OA are to attend the Tidworth Job Fair on 15th March 2017 and will host a dedicated break-out seminar on transferable skill sets and preparation processes aimed at helping Service Leavers transition into industry. Open to all ranks, The Service Leaver’s Journey break-out session will run from 10.30 – 11.15 on the day and […]

24th January 2017

Consultant of the Year’s Top Tips on Transitioning

Richard Graybrook is a Principal Management Consultant at Turner & Townsend where he has been recognised as their 2016 Consultant of the Year. Richard started working life as a tradesman in the construction sector before enlisting as a combat engineer in the Army, in a career spanning thirty years, and one that saw him commissioned […]

16th January 2017

The informality of the civilian world of work offers significant opportunities to those in transition

“It’s 10 times easier to land a job when the boss hands your CV to the HR department, than when HR sees it first and hands it up to the boss,” says Adam Grainger, a Royal Marine for five years and now a financial consultant. As someone who has to apply for new contracts two […]

6th January 2017

Transition Story: Networking and helping others along the way

Sophy Gardner served in the Royal Air Force for 20 years. Having made the decision to leave in 2011, she started her own business and has since worked on a variety of contracts, mainly with military charities, such as on the Bomber Command Memorial Project, doing PR, media and communications. Alongside running her own business, […]

23rd September 2016