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Leaving the Forces
by Gareth - SOC Analyst
January 2022


Gareth is a SOC Analyst with CND, here he shares his experiences on leaving the forces and transitioning to life in the commercial sector.

"Leaving the Armed Forces has been one of the hardest things I have ever done, after 12 years in the military everything was settled, home and work, and in true military fashion you knew where and when to be and what you would be doing when you got there. Leaving was a step into the unknown, not knowing where I would work, what I would be doing, what the people would be like and most of all how Veterans are perceived in ‘Civvi Street’.

The resettlement period prepares you for it, in part, they give you skills for CV writing help to direct you when it comes to meeting potential employers, suggest speaking to people who been down that well-trodden path of exiting the military. It still doesn’t prepare you for what actually awaits you when you finally leave. There can be a general perception that military leavers are viewed in a lesser light, having not worked in the real world, one of the many things that I have discovered is that this is not the case. There are an increasing number of employers out there that place a high value on ex-military personnel and are incredibly supportive towards their transition from military to civilian life, employers such as CND.

As a whole CND understands and upholds a lot of the values that are key within the military, this understanding is not just from one or two individuals but permeates the entire company, starting with the CEO. This is shown most of all in their support of the Armed Forces Covenant and their commitment to providing time for employees to become reservists or actively participate with the Cadets as adult volunteers.

When leaving it is important to remember some of the key points that they cover within the resettlement classes, sell yourself, be honest and research. Research your chosen career, find out the expected salary (Glassdoor), the companies that you would like to work for and what roles you would like to do. Understand that we are living and working in strange times and adjust your expectations accordingly, a company may offer remote working, but might not for your role. When researching roles, getting in touch with people who have already left the military that you may know and work for one of your prospective employers is a good place to start.

Create your LinkedIn profile to start looking for work, there are great number of companies who will look to connect with you through the platform, companies that actively search for military leavers, companies such as CND. In addition to this, having a good CV is a must, you need to make sure that it is appropriate for the target audience and do not be afraid to have multiple CVs if the need arises."