Career Advice

Leaving the Armed Forces, whether by choice or at the natural end to your contract will inevitably require you to consider a number of issues with regards to your future employment opportunities. This Careers Advice page aims to provide you with direction.

 The Fundamentals.

The primary concern of any good careers advice is to establish the requirements particular to you in order to make a well informed and realistic career decision. The foundations of this is for you to identify “What you can offer work” and “What you want work to offer you”. This requires a level of self-perception, an area which makes most people a little uncomfortable, but this is a key requirement.

 “What can I offer work?”

Consider the following aspects:

  • Your Skills – Key, Core and Transferable.
  • Your Knowledge.
  • Your Experience.
  • Your Attitude.
  • Your Qualities and Characteristics.
  • Your Qualifications.

 

“What do I want work to offer me?”

Consider the following aspects:

  • Type of occupation/s you are interested in – and – WHY?
  • Level of responsibilities.
  • Hours of Work.
  • Commute – Distance and/or length of commute.
  • Salary. Consider your locality, experience and your financial obligations.
  • Working culture you would prefer to be in. (question – Why were you in your particular Arm of the Forces rather than the other two?).

 Once you have a good insight, you can now research the next level;

What types of occupations could fit my requirements? There are thousands of occupations, you will only have a brief idea of a few, based mainly on the jobs your friends, family, colleagues or the television! RESEARCH is now your greatest tool, visit the library, there are many excellent books detailing the differing occupations, most of which are written to enable you to rule in or rule out a type of job very quickly. There are numerous interactive packages that you could take advantage of, you have access to these through Connexions. Partaking in Psychometric Testing could be of value, you can access this privately, in written format or via the internet.

Once you have short-listed your possible career options, you must carry out more research. Get on-line, arrange to speak with someone in that field, if you

possibly can try to get some time shadowing someone who does the role so you can achieve a realistic view.

Having selected the job, research the practicalities, Is that type of work available where you live?  Who are the main employers for that role? Research them!

What Training, if any, would you need to undertake for this occupation?

Now you have this information at your finger-tips, you will be making a reasoned choice, and importantly, have control over where your career can be heading.

This is the information you now share with your Recruitment Consultant to enable them to work productively on your behalf, and This is the information you

Will be able to comfortably portray at interview, showing your knowledge, research and self-belief!

 

This guidance is provided by Chameleon CV Writing Services.

For further advice contact the team on:

01302 876385

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