Armed Forces Day 2021
Supporting service leavers and veterans from across the tri-services.
This week, we were delighted to be selected as a Finalist in the hotly contested category of Initiative of the Year at the Ex Forces in Business Awards. Congratulations to the winners – RBL Lifeworks. As a small company, we can’t compete with the big guns, but we have helped thousands of service leavers and veterans over the last 10 years and we hope to carry on doing so for the next 10 years and beyond.
We continue to be overwhelmed by your messages of support for the work we do. At FCVS, we truly appreciate not just the skills and experience you bring to the civilian workplace, but your amazing work ethic, dedication and commitment. It’s our mission to make that shine through when you present your CV to potential employers and also to help you get that all across in an interview in the most impactful way.
I started this business 10 years ago to help my ex-military friends; I come from a military family background and so I have a whole network of friends – some of whom are still in the military and others who moved into Civvy Street years ago across a variety of sectors, worldwide. What started out as me using my HR and other skills to help some mates, has blossomed into me being able to help many, many more people to understand their career direction, connect with employers, promote their capabilities through strong CVs and interview techniques. At FCVS, we believe the personal touch is best so we don’t have ‘clients’ – we have friends we just happen to do business with and it’s been great to follow peoples’ careers over the last 10 years, watch them grow and progress. Whatever happens, when you work with us, you become part of the family and we will be behind you all the way.
I am also blessed to be able to work with some wonderful partners such as #British Forces Resettlement Services, #Veterans Employment & Training Solutions, #SMS Training and many others who are all passionate about helping ex-military personnel to get where they want to be – FAST!
I absolutely love what I do!
There is nothing better than watching someone go from being unsure how to attack their career transition and lacking in confidence about approaching employers, to getting that job offer on the table.
Forces CV & Career Services are committed to supporting people at all levels across the Armed Forces, now and in the future. If you need us, we are here. Just get in touch for a chat.
Forces CV & Career Services are absolutely delighted to have been selected as a finalist in the Ex Forces Business Awards due to take place on Wednesday at the O2 in London.
Thank you to all of our amazing clients, military contacts across the tri-services, strategic partners and everyone who has supported our journey over the last 10 years. It is an honour to support service leavers and veterans as they move throughout their careers. We look forward to helping people for the next 10 years and beyond.
Forces CV & Career Services selected as a Finalist in the Ex Forces in Business Awards 2020
#veteransupport #royalnavy #royalmarines #royalengineers #royalairforce #britisharmy #hmforces #serviceleavers
#cvwriting #careercoaching #interviewpreparation
Finalists – British Ex-Forces in Business Awards 2020!
We are absolutely delighted to have been selected as a finalist in the British Ex-Forces in Business Awards 2020!
It makes all the hard work worthwhile.
Time to line up your ducks and get ahead of the competition in a competitive jobs market
I don’t think I need to explain, especially on this blog, why lining up your ducks and getting your CV and other professional marketing collateral such as your LinkedIn profile is important in what will no doubt become a very competitive jobs market. We encountered similar challenges back in 2008 – 2012 during the last recession, and the candidates which won then were the ones who got their house in order and quickly learned how to promote their value proposition to potential employers.
- Are you clear on your career direction?
- Is your CV the very best it can be?
- Do you have an All-Star optimised LinkedIn profile so that recruiters/potential employers can easily find you?
- Are you ready and super confident to ace those interviews or would working with a coach for a few hours help to calm those nerves, structure your answers and give you ways to communicate your military experience in clear, concise civilian terms?
Your CV is the document you’ll rely on to secure an interview for your next job, or your next advancement up the corporate ladder. Needless to say, it’s a pretty useful asset. During the Covid-19 pandemic, we have seen many businesses start to lay off staff and freeze recruitment, despite the government’s best attempts to save as many jobs as possible through the furlough scheme.
However, things are not all so grim. The economy will pick up again, businesses will start to open up vacancies that will get snapped up very quickly by a wave of applicants. Now, more than ever, is the time to prepare to get back into the jobs market. Update your CV, practise your interview skills, ready to compete with thousands of others for the finite number of jobs available.
Don’t worry, you are not alone. The good news is that you can prepare for it. Make a start by looking at your CV as it currently stands and assess your skills and achievements. Use whatever is left of the lockdown to refine and refresh your CV. This is important for two reasons. One, you will be one of the better organised, better prepared candidates. This is crucial. The more prepared you are, the more opportunities will come your way, and the more confident you come across, the better you’ll perform at interview.
So line up your ducks and get started!
Are you clear about the kind of job you want to target? Do you know your stuff? Have you researched that job to see if you fit the bill in terms of the skills, experience and qualifications that the employer is looking for? Is your marketing documentation (CV, LinkedIn profile) up to scratch? And does it effectively show employers why you’re their ideal candidate, and why they should employ you, rather than just regurgitating the last twenty years of your career? Ask yourself these questions. It’s vital that you know where you want to go, how you can get there, and what you can do to prove that you deserve to be there and have what it takes to do the job well.
Employers will want to know:
Can you do the job? Will you do the job? Will you fit into the organisation?
Working on your interview skills is an excellent investment of your time. Make sure that you can clearly communicate your military skills and experience to the employer in a way they would understand. Finding ways to translate these qualifications into civilian language will give you a far greater chance at being considered for the job. Do you know how to properly structure your answers and score high marks in competency based interviews? Confidence is key, and as I said, this comes with practise and preparation, and the best way to boost yours is by having a coach to lean on and with whom you can practice until you get it right. All the top performers have a coach.
We have over 50 year’s combined commercial experience and know exactly what employers want to see in CVs and at interviews. We have helped thousands of people just like you to secure their next role. Our best days at work happen when clients come back to us with news of a new job or to update their CVs. That’s when we celebrate! We are also happy to just offer some friendly advice and guidance or provide free feedback. So feel free to get in touch for a chat anytime. You can contact us at info@forces-cvs.co.uk , give us a call on 07715 302312 or find out more at www.forces-cvs.co.uk.
Tom Richardson – Personal Assistant at Forces CV & Career Services
How Coaching Can Help You in Your Job Search
Due to the Covid-19 crisis and the resultant economic impact, it’s a very worrying time for employees across all sectors. Many people are concerned about their future, whereas others have had time to think about whether changing jobs might be a good option for them. Whatever your situation, we can help you to get clear on your direction and promote your skills and expertise in a very competitive jobs market.
During June and July, we are offering a free no-obligation 20-minute chat with our qualified coach to help you explore how coaching may be able to help you.
To find out more, email your CV and contact details to
info@forces-cvs.co.uk
(This offer is open to everyone regardless of your professional background or sector)
#coaching #skills #job #careercoaching #jobhunting
FREE 20-Minute Introduction to Explore How Coaching Can Help in Your Job Search
FREE 15-Minute Coaching Consultation – Limited Spaces Available
FREE 15-Minute Coaching Consultation – Limited Spaces!
Remote Interview? How to Look Good on Skype
The recent onslaught of Covid-19 has meant that while many companies continue to recruit, they’ve had to increase the number of remote interviews they conduct, in order to minimise contact with candidates. Do you have a remote interview coming up? Here are some great tips from leading presenter, Guto Harri.
https://www.corpcommsmagazine.co.uk/features-and-analysis/view/how-to-look-good-on-skype
Leaving the military & creating a new career in civilian life…
Please allow me to introduce myself.
My name is Mike Neary, former SNCO in the RAF Regiment. I served for 22 years and retired from military life in 2003, I was fortunate that I had a plan. I joined the Regiment with no educational qualifications, I left with a Bachelor of Arts Honours degree in Education (BA Hon’s) as well as a Post Graduate Certificate of Education (PGCE). I got my dream job working in a College of Further Education delivering the Public Services course, preparing young people to join the armed forces, fire brigade and so on. It lasted 3 years. Why, you might ask? It was simple, I realised I am not manageable – my standards, as yours will be, are extremely high. People simply didn’t live up to what I was expecting them to be, Managers! Or were they?
I would say this: remember your skill base, if you’re a JNCO you are very capable of applying your managerial skills to middle management. If you’re a SNCO then middle management and above. You need a well written Curriculum Vitae (CV) that explains your military skills in civilian speak, e.g. I was a Platoon Sergeant; I was a middle manager responsible for managing the welfare of 30 or more people. Don’t under sell yourselves, you are incredibly capable people, civilians like to employ ex forces people, why? Because we are reliable, prompt, honest, we have a great sense of duty, my whole team are ex-military bar 2. One of them is the other Director whom I am married to.
I have owned my own business for 13 years, my company is called Managing Excellence Through Training Ltd, this means I have to go out networking. Learn the civilian language, if you think we use a lot of jargon; they are really bad for using acronyms , especially if you will be dealing with technical people. If you are looking at being recruited, get your profile on Linked IN, go to job fairs, outside of the military ones, connect with ex- military people on social media. We know the pitfalls because we’ve already made the mistakes and hopefully learned from them. If you’re offered training take it, the company are paying for it, it can always be used if you move jobs. Your next job is not a job for life, keep training and developing your skill base. Join membership bodies like the Institute for Leadership and Management. You will more than likely have 3 to 4 jobs before you settle into your ideal role.
Lastly, life in civvy street isn’t that bad, we do need to learn how to adapt, you won’t get a response to an email within the hour, sometimes it takes days. What I have found is there is no sense of urgency, it also takes a while to calm down. I often hear this from other ex- military people ”civvies don’t understand me, that’s why I can’t get a job”. We were civvies before we enlisted, they understood us then. I am most certainly not saying let your standards drop but do expect the unexpected. Remember organisations are out there looking for what you have got to offer. You can connect with me on Linked In if that helps.
Good luck to you all
Mike Neary BA Hon’s PGCE MInst LM
Managing Director of METT Training Ltd
