Leaving the Army is a big decision or step to take whether it is your choice or forced upon you.
Our resettlement guide will point you in the direction of certain organisations which are ‘social enterprises’, meaning that they are specifically designed to assist veterans in furthering their civilian careers at little or no financial gain as most are supported by Forces charities.
Before signing off or resigning your commission you should speak to the Regimental Careers Management Officer (RCMO) or the Adjutant to inform him of your intention to leave to allow him to thoroughly discuss your options. If you are adamant that ‘Civvy Street’ is your ultimate goal you will be asked to sign the necessary paperwork which will include serving out a Notice period not likely to be more than 12 months.
From this point onwards JSP 534, The Tri-Service Resettlement and Employment Support Manual will be your bible to your entitlements and how to go about preparing yourself in terms of further qualifications.
Once fully engaged in the leaving process you will be in regular contact with the Career Transition Partnership(CTP), a partnering agreement between the Ministry of Defence and Right Management Ltd, which provides resettlement services for those leaving the Royal Navy, Army, Royal Air Force and Marines. Regardless of time served, all members of the Armed Forces can benefit from CTP support when leaving.
To date the CTP has assisted over 180,000 Service leavers with the transition to civilian life and supported thousands of organisations looking to employ ex-Service personnel.
In your final months of paid service you should try to attend as many resettlement courses as you are able to endeavouring to widen your employability.
At the same time you will be starting the job search process. You will have received guidance on how to prepare your CV from the CTP, and there is a skill in tailoring your standard CV for specific roles/jobs.
Initially, you should do your utmost to seek out job opportunities yourself using your own contacts and through networking. Should you need further help with this a number of the social enterprises listed below can assist in this vital area.
See below for more details and links to these organisations.
Helping you succeed throughout your working life
The Forces Employment Charity provides life-long, life-changing support, job opportunities, and training to Service leavers, veterans, reservists and their families, regardless of circumstances, rank, length of service, or reason for leaving.
TechVets is a Programme within The Forces Employment Charity that exists as a bridge for veterans, Service leavers, Reservists and their families into information technology careers. Aim is to Alleviate the issue of unemployment and underemployment in the Forces community by ensuring all veterans, Service leavers, reservists and their families can combine their military and life experience with their new leading digital skills acquired through TechVets to gain sustainable careers in information technology.
SALUTE MY JOB is a social social enterprise dedicated to providing expert, veteran focussed consultancy, recruitment and assessment services to potential employees and employers alike. By translating their knowledge, skills and experience into the language that commercial employers understand, Salute My Job can help candidates better understand the strengths they can offer a commercial employer and to provide the evidence employers require when taking someone on.
FORCES RECRUITMENT SERVICES (FRS) was the first recruitment business founded specifically to link the ex-military and civilian jobs market. Using FRS gives employers and Service leavers looking for employment access to one of the largest and best recognised brands in military recruitment. Originally founded in Ely, Cambridgeshire in 2001, FRS has evolved to become a nationwide network of offices manned by ex-military personnel.
BRITISH FORCES RESETTLEMENT SERVICES (BFRS) is a social enterprise created to help the Armed Forces Community with their transition into Civilian life. Understanding that resettlement is more than just the brief time around you leaving the Army BFRS offers services open to service leavers, reserve forces, veterans, civilian MOD employees, as well as partners and families. Aiming to bring the Forces Community together with employers who recognise their unique skill sets is achieved through two main channels
THE OFFICERS’ ASSOCIATION (OA) is committed to working with other Service and civilian charities and agencies in order to provide assistance to former Officers, including improving employment prospects by offering professional, impartial and practical advice on all aspects of transition to civilian employment. Employment services include career consultations, networking opportunities, employment symposiums, and executive jobs boards.
X-FORCES is a social enterprise offering an excellent programme providing valuable business and employment support for ex-Service personnel. It focuses on those wishing to start up their own business or to contribute to the growth of existing firms. It encourages anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit, offering Business Start Up advice and all important capital business loans.
The Royal Anglian Regiment Business Directory is a live database of ex-Royal Anglian Officers and Men who now own, manage or play an integral part in the running of existing businesses. It is in effect a Regimental business network with contacts throughout the UK and abroad. Any serving or ex-Royal Anglian can contact the regimental adjutant at RHQ in Bury St Edmunds to enjoy access to the database. It helps refine the search if you have a good idea of which County you wish to settle in as there is a strong network across our ten home counties.
ROYAL ANGLIAN LINKEDIN is intended to provide former and serving members of the regiment a professional networking tool.
SOTERIA DEFENCE AND SECURITY LTD was formed in 2013 to provide a specialised and dynamic consultancy services to global industry customers and the UK Ministry of Defence. At Soteria, we aim to recruit highly skilled people, often ex-military or civilians with government department experience and understanding. Soteria takes great pride in helping personnel transition from successful careers to a rewarding second career as a self employed professional contractor or help support existing consultants.
