Transitioning into HR from Armed Forces

Hi, Cheryl.

I'm not the only veteran in the community, and my experience is quite a long way out of date as I PVR'd back in 2007, so others may have better advice. However, the frustrating reality is that it is going to be hard to transition at a level commensurate with your professional experience.

First, if you already have a BSc in HR Management, you should check with Lincoln whether the course was already accredited by the CIPD because there's a good chance that you already have an Level 5 qualification.

Second, the kind of industry that is most likely to give you the best shot will depend on your military profession. I was in the RAMC so, despite my best efforts, I've ended up working for the NHS where my knowledge of medical and nursing professions was a useful asset. If you're R SIGNALS or REME or RE or RLC you're likely to find fellow veterans in businesses in related industries and your experience will be both respected and appreciated. If you come from somewhere more generic like AGC(SPS) then you're likely to find the Civil Service or local government more aware of and appreciative of the experience you bring (although not universally, by any means).

Regardless, a hard fact I had to confront when moving from military to civil HR practice is that there are both cultural and legal differences to overcome that make moving into civil HR practice in a management or leadership role immediately very difficult. I was lucky to find some temp work as a junior HR Advisor (having previously been a regimental Adjutant, it was a bit of a step down), but once I'd made the transition it was easier to move more quickly up the scale.

So, to the actual question:

First, as mentioned, check what you're already accredited for! A Level 7 is effectively half a Master's degree, so it's pitched at people who are entering or already in a management or Business Partner role, so might be worth leaving. I've not done the experience assessment, although I know a little about the process, which is very rigorous. I don't know how well an assessor will be able to appraise your military experience, though, if they don't have the relevant contextual understanding. You would probably be better off proving yourself in a suitable organisation and then persuading your employer to fund your Level 7 or MA before applying for Chartership through the normal route.

Hi, Cheryl.

I'm not the only veteran in the community, and my experience is quite a long way out of date as I PVR'd back in 2007, so others may have better advice. However, the frustrating reality is that it is going to be hard to transition at a level commensurate with your professional experience.

First, if you already have a BSc in HR Management, you should check with Lincoln whether the course was already accredited by the CIPD because there's a good chance that you already have an Level 5 qualification.

Second, the kind of industry that is most likely to give you the best shot will depend on your military profession. I was in the RAMC so, despite my best efforts, I've ended up working for the NHS where my knowledge of medical and nursing professions was a useful asset. If you're R SIGNALS or REME or RE or RLC you're likely to find fellow veterans in businesses in related industries and your experience will be both respected and appreciated. If you come from somewhere more generic like AGC(SPS) then you're likely to find the Civil Service or local government more aware of and appreciative of the experience you bring (although not universally, by any means).

Regardless, a hard fact I had to confront when moving from military to civil HR practice is that there are both cultural and legal differences to overcome that make moving into civil HR practice in a management or leadership role immediately very difficult. I was lucky to find some temp work as a junior HR Advisor (having previously been a regimental Adjutant, it was a bit of a step down), but once I'd made the transition it was easier to move more quickly up the scale.

So, to the actual question:

First, as mentioned, check what you're already accredited for! A Level 7 is effectively half a Master's degree, so it's pitched at people who are entering or already in a management or Business Partner role, so might be worth leaving. I've not done the experience assessment, although I know a little about the process, which is very rigorous. I don't know how well an assessor will be able to appraise your military experience, though, if they don't have the relevant contextual understanding. You would probably be better off proving yourself in a suitable organisation and then persuading your employer to fund your Level 7 or MA before applying for Chartership through the normal route.

Ah, the joys of being an Adjutant! I rather enjoyed my Manual of Military Law Summary Dealing course back in the dark ages, but not sure the process then would stand up to scrutiny now...

Thanks for such a terrific post, Robey

It didn't! I was in the job just after the ECHR ruled that it was non-compliant, so we were having to run every Captain's Table (I was in a joint unit with a RN Captain as CO) as a mini-court martial in order to be ECHR compliant. It was a nightmare! But I did get involved in the MoD work introducing a new Tri-Service model for administrative discipline (a.k.a. disciplinary hearings), which was fun.

thank you very much.

I have checked with Lincoln Uni and unfortunately I didn’t add the CIPD.

I was Adjutant of a tri-nations tri-service Unit on Ops which caused interesting discussions between our British CO, Dutch 2i/c & Canadian RSM.

My brother-in-law was a RN 2 1/2 on the Armed Forces Discipline Act team. Quite a change as he was a Navigator by training.