why is it difficult for military qualifications to be recognised in civvie street?

Answer 1

Not many businesses have a need for people who can clean a rifle or shoot straight.

Answer 2

Many military MOS's don't translate well into civilian life. The higher the technical skill the higher the likelihood of getting a job in that field. An artilleryman or infantry will have a hard time finding a job with those skills while a nuclear eactor tech on a sub wouldn't have such a hard time. But certain ones are in demand, ie Heavy Equpiment operator and the Engineers, medical Mos's and hospitals, electronics, imformation technology, water purification are all pretty obvious.
Pick something that has an outside market, or get a secondary MOS in something that does.

Answer 3

Its surprisingly easy for those who are prepared to find the requirements. Most colleges or Universities have equivalency programs where (for a fee) they will assess your papers and award the appropriate level accredited to civilian people who do similar work. They will even make suggestions on how to increase the value by course work etc.

There is no requirement in civvy street to march, look smart or scrub out the heads. However some employers consider military people to have a mindset that brings value to thier business. Its not found in todays youth in much abundance. So despite being maybe a soldier of the infantry you have life skills that some consider essential.

So find your place and persue it.

Ion M, obviously has had bad experiences whereas I have worked to find suitable transferrable skills. So much so I now earn my living abroad. Like him I am also ex-navy (27years).

Go for it.

Answer 4

Some of the specific qualifications are not really relevant to life outside the armed forces - not many civilian jobs for snipers or arctic warfare specialists. However, the trick is to look carefully at the totality of your service and pick out those qualities, experience and qualifications that are transferable - leadership, man management, organisational skills etc. When you write your CV translate it from military speak to civilian speak. You have to explain what you did and what you are good at in a language that employers without military experience will understand and can compare with other candidates.

Answer 5

The reason is because most people in trade or business have no way of calculating the worth of a military 'trade' qualification, which in most cases is believed to be less than that available from City & Guilds.

The best advice to give a tradesman from the military, is to go to college and get a City & Guilds certificate in whichever trade they require.

There is then no doubt as to the holder of such a certificat's ability to carry on that particular trade.

The City and Guilds Institute Vocational training with a nationally recognised qualification.
http://www.city-and-guilds.co.uk

Answer 6

Did you not attend a Career Transition Workshop as part of your resettlement? The CTP help you to translate your mil quals into 'civvie-speak' and put together a CV. If you didn't do this while you were serving you may still be entitled to help after discharge from the forces. Check details on the link below.

Answer 7

if you were an air winger or combat engineer, it can help get you something, but if you were either infantry or a Cannon cocker like myself, the civilian world just has no use for it, the government just basically lie to you from the get go about with any military experience you can do this and do that will get you a successful job, but the reality of it is, nowadays you cant even get into most police departments until you get an associates degree in criminal justice, but also you have to worry about your criminal record, and believe me, serving in the military does not relieve you of any of these obligations you have to meet, i experienced the same deal after i got my honorable discharge, and the only places that were trying to get me to work for them were sales, your best bet is to either stay in if you haven't got out yet, or use your GI bill as soon as you can and get at least a bachelor degree with it.

Answer 8

It depends on the qualification. Take me for example...not a lot of outside work available for aircraft navigators, no civilian airlines employ them anymore. If I want to use my military service to help me get a job, I have to focus on other aspects of my job like leadership positions, proficiency at formal correspondence, abilities at using Microsoft Office software...things like that. The military provides you with a lot of training outside of your primary MOS/AFSC that you can focus on. The military also should have instilled in you some discipline and work ethic, and employers appreciate that.

Answer 9

Because the boss who will be hiring you will be looking over his shoulder for the next three years wondering if you want his job. Look at the flight deck of an aircraft carrier. The average age of the guys directing those aircraft, refueling them and fitting them out with ordnance is about 22 years of age. What civilian enterprise gives you that amount of personal responsibility at that young an age. I can only think of two. Law enforcement and fire fighting.

Answer 10

I think you may be looking in the wrong places .. i know military qualifications are highly regarded in certain places ..

Again this depends on what trade you did ..... My hubby has loads of quals and some specialist ones ...

I know a man who left the engrs six months ago and has now landed a 40k job thanks to his quals

Look into the prison service .. police .. customs and exercise and whatever trade you did ... pop your CV on monster you will be surprised

Answer 11

Despite what your recruiters and commercials will tell you, military experience at least in my experience isn't worth a whole lot. Unless you have a critical job of some kind