Top 10 Tips
Choosing A New Career
So, you have pressed those buttons, taken the decision to leave the Armed Forces and are now looking to start
afresh, however what are the key points you should be considering? Below you will find my top ten tips for things to
think about before deciding on your new career;
1. Your top five careers - Put aside your trade skills temporarily, unless you are already committed to your
new career, and think about what your ideal career might be. What would provide the most job satisfaction
to you, what pays a salary that is required for you to be secure and is there promotional prospects? Most of
your military skills are transferable to any industry and are considered by businesses to be invaluable, so list
your top five ideal careers first.
2. Your own values – You have lived by a military set of values and standards for as long as you have served,
however you now have the freedom to identify and follow your own. Ethics, values and standards continue
to be an essential part of society and business, so identifying those that you truly believe in will assist you to
relate with a potential employer.
3. Your requirements – Look at where you are in life, think of where you want to be and identify your new
goals, how is this going to be best achieved and what considerations are there? Is it just yourself or have you
a partner and/or a family to provide for, what do they want, where do they want to live and what finances are
required to ensure a happy future?
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4. Due diligence
– Just like you would have done at some point during your military career, carry out thorough
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research of the industry you are seeking a new career in and look into the organisations you wish to work
for, have they a similar set of ethics, values and standards to yourself? Where would you be located, how
much travel is involved, are the travel expenses included in your salary, what is your salary and realistically
is it enough? Does the organisation and available position, meet all your requirements, if not, then are you
and the family happy or willing, to accept what they do provide?
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5. Mental Preparation – Once you have your top five careers, identified your own values, discussed your
requirements with the family and carried out due diligence on the industry, organisation and available
vacancies, it is time to concentrate on yourself and prepare for the upcoming CV writing, application of and
interviews for, those suitable positions. This can be more of a mental preparation than a physical one such as
attending workshops, presentations, courses and training in general, you have to remove yourself from the
military ways, terminology, expectations and procedures, which for some can be very challenging. Take
your time, speak to other veterans, seek assistance and guidance in this matter. Even though you might have
the right set of skills for the position you apply for, you might still not be successful, simply due to the
interviewer not understanding you.
Wilsons Lifestyle Management
71 – 75 Shelton Street | Covent Garden | London | WC2H 9JQ | email: [email protected] | www.wilsonslife.co.uk
Wilsons Lifestyle Management Ltd | Company Registered in England No: 10457642
6. Transferable Skills – Now you have a clear and concise understanding of the career you would like, the
direction you and/or your family are going in, what all your requirements are and have mentally prepared
yourself for the challenges that lie ahead. It is time to look at your transferable skills and gain a full
understanding of them, including discovering what new skills may be required. Your trade skills, or, Hard
skills, could be transferable into NVQ’s or maybe you could gain an ILM, whilst your, Soft skills, such as:
Communication, Teamwork, Discipline, Time management etc are invaluable to businesses and so must not
be dismissed.
7. Training – Following on from identifying your transferable skills, now you need to look at what training is
required to hone certain skills and learn new ones. However, as you have spent the time understanding and
identifying yourself, your requirements, your goals and your skills, you should have a clear and concise
knowledge of what you need to do. Attend Workshops on Transition, How to be interviewed and
Understanding Businesses, as the bare minimum you should know in order to provide you with the best
possible chances.
8. Planning – You now have all the facts needed, in order to fully map out what you need to do, where you
would like to go, how you are going to get there, the resources required and a timeline for the next six
months, one, five and ten years. Without a detailed plan of attack, you run the risk of simply drifting from
job to job, achieving no real goals and merely existing, you have not survived a life in the military to merely
exist, so get a plan.
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9. Professional portfolio and CV – It is essential,www.purelyplatinumlifestyle.co.uk
when you have taken all the previous steps and are ready to
act out your plan, that you ensure the professional image of yourself is aligned with your CV. In the modern,
digital age we live in, with the likes of Facebook and LinkedIn, most of us live out our lives, portraying who
we are and the values we stand for via the various social media platforms for all to see. Therefore, ensure
you have a LinkedIn profile which displays your professional image and is aligned with those details that are
within your CV. Dependent on the position you apply for, their HR department will carry out their own due
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10. Proud and Confident – You have followed each of these tips and made a plan with military precision, your
plan, your new life plan and now it is time to live it. Life will not be without its challenges and as you well
know, no plan survives first contact, so remain flexible, make your decisions with confidence and be proud
of who you are and where you have come from. Do not expect anything for free, you served your country,
you signed up and you got paid for it, that does not make it right or fair, however that is how life is at times.
However, you did serve your country, always be proud of that fact, of those you served with and those who
served and you never met. Strive forth with your chest out and head held high, make people notice you for
your values, your confidence, your skills, your experience and your professionalism.
Wilsons Lifestyle Management
71 – 75 Shelton Street | Covent Garden | London | WC2H 9JQ | email: [email protected] | www.wilsonslife.co.uk
Wilsons Lifestyle Management Ltd | Company Registered in England No: 10457642