I'm a military transition specialist – here are my top five tips for service leavers on finding success

How I Got Here is a series from BFBS Forces News that focuses on the transition from the military to civvy street. We've spoken to veterans whose military careers have come to an end, either by choice or through a life-altering event. As people who have been there and done that, they offer invaluable advice for those considering leaving or who need some support right now.

Former infantry soldier Lee Madigan was always going to join the British Army as military service is a family tradition, but it was the 90s ITV drama 'Soldier Soldier' that was the final push he needed.

Watching the camaraderie between Robson Green's Fusilier Dave Tucker and Jerome Flynn's Sergeant Paddy Garvey of fictional 'A' Company, 1st Battalion The King's Fusiliers, captivated him.

But, when an injury on exercise in Poland that would have hampered his career progression and meant he couldn't go on the second tour of Iraq with his battalion, he decided that, after eight years of service, the time had come to leave 1st Battalion, The Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment and find a civilian career.

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"I always wanted to join the Army and that's all I had," he told BFBS Forces News. "When it gets taken away from you and it's not necessarily the fault of your own, that's when things are a little bit more trickier on civilian street."

After a short (16-year!) pivot into estate agency, today he is the Head of the Veterans Division at Inspire Futures, a company that helps veterans, elite athletes, ex-offenders, NEETs (Not in Education, Employment or Training) and individuals with additional needs find a job.

Mr Madigan sees himself as someone who "bridges the gap" between veterans and employers. While navigating his own transition to civvy street, Mr Madigan felt adrift and soon realised he had to be open to any possible careers, including "bonkers" ones.

Knowing what it's like to have the security of a military career taken away, here are his top five pieces of advice.

Tip 1: Accept that you might not know what you want to do

Uncertainty is, sadly, part of the process for many service leavers.

Mr Madigan has dozens of people he's helping and so can see there are many veterans and military spouses who, with a bit of guidance and opportunity, could find success on civvy street.

He said: "You don't know what you're going to do... so try it.

"I did courses just for the sake of doing a course... telescopic handler, a 360 excavator and a forklift license.

"There's no way on God's earth I was going to do any of that, you know, it wasn't what I was going to do."

The veteran says there are particular types of jobs service leavers often choose to join – four years ago Cyber Security was popular, now it's Project Management.

Mr Madigan warns against blindly following trends and suggests service leavers and veterans ask themselves why they think they'd be a good fit for the role.

Choose your own career path and use the skills you learned during your service to put you top of the pack.

Tip 2: Don't underestimate your value – you have more to offer than you think 

During their service, military personnel excel physically and learn new skills, develop life-long friendships and succeed in high-pressure environments.

You develop a can-do attitude and a sense of purpose – qualities any employer would value immensely.

He said: "Never put yourself down [because] everything you've done is valuable.

"You've got the experience, you've got the common sense, you don't get stressed as easy as a lot of people do.

"A bad day for someone is like a cup of tea for [a veteran]."

Your resilience, leadership and ability to remain calm under pressure will be an asset to any employer on civvy street.

Tip 3: Translate your military experience into civilian language

Mr Madigan speaks passionately about how communication is one of the biggest barriers to veterans finding success on civvy street.

Veterans' future employers are unlikely to understand military jargon unless they are ex-forces themselves.

Through his work with companies around the country, Mr Madigan knows that employers don't lack interest in hiring veterans – they lack an understanding of what they can offer.

Veterans' skills are highly transferable but can need re-wording on a CV to ensure civilian employers understand their value.

He said: "[It's] very tricky to go from a military CV to a civilian CV but what you do in the military will transfer into civilian street, you've just got to word it properly.

"You've got a Sergeant Major who's looked after a group of men that's looked after the stores and [would be] a brilliant facilities manager."

Mr Madigan also believes that only 20% of CV is relevant.

The rest should be about you as a person – your ability to train, your strong work ethic, your resilience – learning how to sell yourself as the person their employees will work alongside is incredibly important.

Tip 4: Use the support that's out there and don't be anxious about asking for help

You're not alone, even if it feels like it.

Mr Madigan says people would be surprised at the amount of veterans he speaks with who aren't aware of the support available for them.

He works with charities and Armed Forces champions from around the whole country such as the Poppy Factory, the Royal British Veterans Enterprise, The VOS (the Veterans Outreach Support in Portsmouth), Forces Employment Network, Royal British Legion and the Department for Work and Pensions.

From his experience, he says everyone wants to help but there's still more that can be done.

Tip 5: Be realistic and patient about jobs and expectations

Your first job won't be the final destination and it's important to manage your expectations when it comes to salary, role and progression.

Mr Madigan suggests focusing on long-term progression, not immediate success.

You'll probably have to start at a lower salary and role than you've been accustomed to in your military career but with your skills and a bit of determination, you will eventually progress.

Bonus tip: Account for AI

He said: "[Veterans] send 20, 30 CV's in a day and they get no response and they don't understand why.

"They think is it because I'm older? Is it because my CV is not good? Or is it because I'm missing a buzzword?"

Often it is because AI has filtered it out automatically because it lacks a particular word the company is looking for. In this situation, he might directly call employers and explain why they need to employ a veteran he's working with.

Mr Madigan encourages any service leaver or veteran to contact him via LinkedIn or via Insire Futures' website for some support and guidance.