Leaving The Armed Forces | 8 Everyday Structural Changes To Expect In Civilian Work

There are significant changes between life and work inside the armed forces and the experiences of civilian life

. Acknowledging and understanding these can be the difference between a smooth transition, full of confidence, and the turbulence which is so often experienced by personnel leaving the armed forces for their new civilian life.

Some of the following structural changes may seem obvious as you read them, but when you drill down past the surface stuff, you could get caught out.

1. The published routine of the armed forces is rare in the civilian workplace. Where there is a structure to the day, you may find it changes at a whim and often you will be responsible for setting the pattern of your day, even if you are not the boss.

2. The daily work-day structure may allow for regular food breaks, but it's unlikely your excercise will be factored in. Unless you work in a gym, your health and fitness regime now takes place outside of your work.

3. The end of the working day may not be as defined as it is in the armed forces. If you are the boss, then you may find your work never seems to end. If you are employed, you may find a culture of working longer and unpaid hours just to get the job done. You will need to decide if you will work unpaid.

4. The armed forces is largely about a uniform standard and structure whilst the civilian workplace and business environment often encompasses the experimental, testing, change and innovation as a means to success.

5. The armed forces have a formal structure for decision making. It follows a procedure and everyone knows what decision they are empowered to make. In civilian work, even if a procedure is documented, the reality may be very different. The lines are often blurred and a greater degree of judgement is called for.

However, whether you are in armed forces or civilian work, there will always be the key person who actually gets stuff done - the person you really need to know - and it's often not the person at the top of the ladder.

As the boss you must decide when to delegate, or you will be snowed under with work. As an employee it can be the same deal, and your personal judgement and risk assessment of when to make the decision yourself, or refer it to someone else, will be needed. Running to your manager about trivia will make you a nuisance; spending too much of the company cash without proper consultation means you are a liability.

6. Armed forces pay arrives on the same day each month. This is usually the case in civilian work. However, you can get caught out. A friend of mine was working as Finance Director for a company, and it was three weeks before she realised the company didn't have enough money to pay her. The best advice is to double check a company's credentials before you accept a post. Are you going to be running your own business? You may be surprised at how ingrained your acceptance on being paid on a particular day has become. You may still find yourself budgeting to a now non-existent payday long after you have left the armed forces.

7. In the armed forces, performance standards are clearly defined and pay is set within a structure and the overtime and bonuses of civvie work don't exist in the armed forces. In civilian work there may be perks for for 'winners' and a competitive advantage associated with making money or increasing resources and innovative thinking.

It is crucial you appreciate that after leaving the armed forces that your pay (and your perceived value) becomes a commodity to be negotiated, either as a salary at interview, or as a business charge.

8. As an employee of the armed forces you will have found a clear feedback structure telling you if you are doing a good job, or need to improve. In civilian work, you may or may not get an appraisal with the chance to find out how you're doing. If you're the boss then be careful you're not banking on validation from your clients or customers. You may not get it!

Depending on how long you have spent in the service before transitioning back into civilian life, you may find some of the above harder to deal with than others. The key is to be prepared and to share your concerns. You may be surprised to find that you are far from alone and can learn much from the paths trodden by those who have already gone before you.

by: Sian Murphy

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