There’s life, and work, after Defence

The ANZAC day tradition is entrenched in our national identity, however, as proud as we are of our ANZAC heritage, the transition to civilian life following a career in the military is often a journey fraught with challenges.

My own grandfather was in the British army during WWII. He got out after the war ended and went back to his trade as a carpenter. He found it so hard to work alongside people who couldn’t share in his experience of war and who, subsequently, just didn’t understand who he was, that he re-enlisted in the British Army and became a career soldier among people ‘like him’. However, staying in isn’t an option for everyone.

The culture of the Australian Defence Force is unique in that it doesn’t just offer a job, it offers a way of life, a community, a family…

The culture of the Australian Defence Force is unique in that it doesn’t just offer a job, it offers a way of life, a community, a family that is often characterised by camaraderie, honour and commitment outside of the regular 9-5 hours of a civilian job. Moving into civilian life can be a culture shock for Defence members and can result in a loss of identity, feeling cut off from the community of Defence families, no longer feeling respected as a serving member, and along with that, a loss of personal status.  Additionally, sometimes, military training is not recognised in civilian labour markets which means all that training and development that you undertook during the course of your service can feel useless because it just doesn’t get you anywhere on the outside. All of this can impact your ability to connect with other people, build friendships with civilians and rebuild your professional identity. As a result, depression, anxiety, PTSD and other mental health challenges can rear their heads and it’s really important to ensure that you are well-prepared with appropriate resources and support networks to assist you in the transition from military to civilian life.

Defence Force veterans can come up against bias and prejudice (conscious or subconscious) in the civilian labour market, but these struggles don’t have to define your experience. Common issues include hirers being prejudiced against ex-military members because of preconceived ideas about their inability to think independently, being hard task masters, inflexible and being fierce sticklers for following rules– we’ve all seen those military movies with those frightening drill masters screaming in soldier’s faces, spittle flying! However, modern military members know that this is far from the case. When you are applying for work, you can shake this impression by following the same rule that civilians need to follow when it comes to applying for work: tailor your application to suit the needs of the job.

Your résumé and cover letter needs to be about you, but it also needs to be about the hirer and their needs. Your job in applying for positions is to make it as easy as possible for the hirer to identify your value to them and thus be able to align your skills and experience with the needs of the vacant position. Acronyms and jargon often become such an ingrained element to Defence personnel’s language that it creeps into application documents under the guise of assumed knowledge. In reality, all this does is complicate and confuse civilian hirers who become bamboozled by terms they don’t understand and this clouds the value that you bring to the work place. Focus on communication skills, relationships building, listening skills, genuine leadership characterised by empowerment and staff development. Break your skills down into translatable categories that will create meaning for a prospective employer: consider business acumen, leadership, communication and team work as the cornerstones for your areas of expertise, and remember that you need to help the hirer understand how your military service empowers you to work ethically and honourably with a sense of accountability and drive that is second to none. There are also industries that offer a similar sense of belonging and camaraderie that you can consider such as the police force and even mining.

Military service is something to be proud of. It can also be a great asset in the civilian labour market if it’s pitched appropriately.