Move to HRM career advice

This year was the tenth anniversary of my graceful exit from Her Majesty' service (Capt, RAMC). I left with the equivalent of a Level 7 qualification but couldn't find work at anything like the level I left (leading teams of 30+, with multiple direct reports and responsibility for critical operational and strategic projects). Since then, the Forces have done great work in managing the exit process for service-leavers but with some notable exceptions the civil sector remains woefully ignorant of the value offered by recruiting ex-Forces members. I tried to get a project off the ground with my local authority to address this, but got made redundant before I could get traction.

Anyway, enough whinging.

The crucial thing to note is that, due to having been in the Forces, you are unlikely to have direct experience of some essential, practical skills that you would be expected to have, entering a civil role as an HRM or equivalent.

Recruitment, employment law, organizational development, culture change, L&D strategy, employee relations, trade unions, TUPE & redundancy...

Now, *I* know that dealing with administrative action, courts martial, the Armed Forces Act, welfare, new recruits, training and all the various permutations of J1 operations will have given you the temperament and skills that mean that all of the above will come to you very quickly. But you are not likely to be able to talk confidently of your experience of handling a tricky off-boarding situation (except in the most literal sense, of course!) or of how you would go about designing a recruitment process for an in-demand skill-set and that's going to slam a lot of doors in your face.

As a result, you are most likely to have to enter HR at a lower level than your skill and qualifications justify. I started (three years ago, as I took a career break after I left the Army for personal reasons) as a temp HR advisor for my local council on slightly less than half what I was paid in the Army (and a *lot* less in real terms). But the good news is that your other skills will help you excel, learn rapidly and quickly acquire the experience and knowledge you need to find your way higher up the HR career ladder - and excel at it.

Having said that, you may be in a better position given your geographical location. Hampshire and Wiltshire, of course, have a very high density of ex-Army and ex-Navy people, which might mean that there's a former matelot CEO out there who would love to have a fellow salt in the HR chair and who's prepared to give you the time to get up to speed, given the other qualities you bring to the job. However, you might need to manage your expectations and be prepared to drop a few ranks before you can show your true mettle.

Thank you for the advice. It will be a scary time making the transition with mixed opinions on what level I can enter at.

Thank you for the advice. It will be a scary time making the transition with mixed opinions on what level I can enter at.