Transitioning from military or first responder service into civilian life can bring new challenges, opportunities and questions about what comes next. Purpose Beyond the Uniform is an original APOD series exploring real experiences, practical insights and personal stories to help members navigate life beyond service and discover new pathways with confidence.
In Chapter 3, APOD’s Support & Engagement Manager and Army veteran, Wesley shares his experience transitioning from military to civilian employment, and the importance of recognising and translating the skills gained through service into a language employers understand.
“I spent years learning how to do the job. I never realised I’d also have to learn to talk about it.”
When I first started applying for civilian roles, one thing became very apparent, I felt out of my depth. Not because I lacked confidence or experience, but because I simply didn’t understand the language employers were using to describe the skills they were looking for. Job advertisements were filled with terminology I’d never come across before and for a while I genuinely questioned whether I was qualified enough.
Looking back, I realised the Army had given me incredible structure, purpose and direction. It had also taught me a language of its own. We communicated through procedures, planning frameworks and acronyms that became second nature over the years.
They weren’t just words, they shaped the way I approached problems, made decisions and worked with others. Inside the military, everyone understood that language. Outside of it, very few people did.
For a time, I thought that meant I was underqualified. In reality, I wasn’t. I was simply speaking a different language.
The turning point came when I stopped focusing on what I thought I lacked and started trying to understand what employers were actually asking for. As I researched job descriptions and unpacked the terminology, I realised something that completely changed my perspective. Employers weren’t asking for different skills they were describing the same skills in a different way.
The leadership, teamwork, planning, communication and problem solving I’d developed throughout my military career were exactly what many organisations were looking for. I just needed to learn how to translate my experience into language they understood.
Once I realised that, everything started to make sense. I wasn’t changing who I was or trying to become someone else. I was simply learning to speak their language.
Until next time,
Remember this….
You don’t need to change your experience.
You simply need to learn how to translate it.
– Wes.
The story continues in Chapter Four, coming soon.
