Moving from defence to civilian life

Dawn Richards

*Author and career coach Dawn Richards has worked with many people making the transition from a career with the Defence Forces back to civilian life over the last 10 years. Here she shares “Seven things you need to know to get a top civilian job”.

How would you feel about applying for a job in a foreign country where they speak a different language and have different customs? Most probably, you’d be a bit nervous and this is how Australian Defence Force (ADF) personnel feel when they leave their familiar military environment and unique work ethic to apply for a civilian job.

Understanding what civilian employers are looking for and converting ‘military speak’ into simple English are huge problems for most ADF members. Here are a few tips to help you through the minefield of applying for a civilian job:

1. Change military jargon into simple English

This is the really hard bit. You need to convert military information in your application into something that human resource consultants or employers – without a military background – will be able to understand immediately. So, instead of saying you’re an ATECH with eight years’ experience in NDT, say you’re an engine airframe technician with eight years’ experience in ‘Non Destructive Testing of Aircraft’.

2. Convert your military job title into a civilian-friendly job title

An Army candidate’s position title might be listed as ‘PL SGT 8 PL C COY 6 RAR’ and it would mean just as much to a HR consultant if it were written in Swahili. Of course, any ADF member knows it means ‘Platoon Sergeant in 8th Platoon, C Company, 6 Regimental Army Reserve’, but the HR consultant would probably simply say ‘Too hard – Next’. So, instead of saying you’re a ‘Platoon Sergeant’, say you’re a ‘Team Leader’. Now, HR people know what a Team Leader does in an organisation, so you’re speaking the same language.

3. Translate your military qualifications and training into civilian terms

You also need to ‘SELL’ your fantastic training that is second to none. List your ‘military promotion courses’ as ‘management courses’ with a brief synopsis explaining the topics covered. For example, ‘Lance Corporal Promotion Course’ becomes ‘First Level Management Course’ and the topics include: ‘Leadership; Team Skills; Instructional Techniques; Motivation and Management of Personnel’.

Also, make sure you list your current training in occupational health and safety, equal employment opportunity, equity and diversity and quality assurance. All of these areas are highly desirable to your new employer and will set you apart from other candidates.

4. Don’t include irrelevant training

The next problem you face is what training is relevant to use in your application. You may have done extensive technical training, but this is only of interest if you’re applying for a position where technical training is an asset such as in the transport or mining industries. If you’re not applying for these types of roles, leave it out.

5. ‘SELL’ yourself with ‘Secret Sales Weapons’

Instead of just saying what you’ve done in your application, really sell it by using quotes from your superiors in your Staff-in-Confidence Reports and written references. For example, in the RAAF, Flight Line maintenance crews often work through the night to get an aircraft serviceable to meet the flight schedule next morning – none of this clocking off at 5 o’clock – or penalty rates. They think it’s quite the norm to work ‘flat out 24/7’. Here’s how a self supervising aircraft technician ‘sold’ his work ethic using his superior’s comments on his recent appraisal: ‘SGT Sample works long hours to meet operational requirements. He is always the first one at work…and the last to leave. He is completely dedicated to achieving operational objectives.’

6. Hot tip for writing applications with selection criteria

Answering selection criteria is a challenge for everyone until you learn how to structure your responses. Use the SAO technique for each example in each criterion:

S  – put the situation into context

A – state what actions you took (be specific)

O – state the outcomes of your actions (be specific)

For example: ‘In my role as a Junior Commander at a food distribution drop in Somalia in 1990, I worked with 18 team members to manage a riot of nearly 6,000 Somalians. We stopped the locals from taking the food which was intended for a total of three food drops that day to feed 10,000 civilians. The outcome was that we successfully delivered all food to the appropriate food drop points and achieved our goals with very limited resources and manpower.’

7. Believe in yourself and have a positive attitude

Whether you believe you can successfully move into a top civilian job – or not – you are absolutely right! John and Brian had the same IT qualifications and experience when they left the RAAF. John was looking forward to transferring his computing skills into a new environment and secured a top job in the first few weeks with a multi-national company; Brian had heard it was really difficult to get a civilian job …and he was right. It took more than twelve months for him to get a job with an aerospace contractor back on the RAAF Base.

‘Sometimes we stare so long at a door that is closing, that we see too late the one that is open’. – Alexander Graham Bell.

Good luck with your career transition.

Dawn Richards is the author of the Criteria Toolkit and her new book Get that government job. For more information go to www.smartstartmarketing.com.au