From Service to Civilian Success: How Claire Transformed Her Career Path
Introduction
The RFS Career Academy Coaching and Mentoring Programme is free to join and provides military spouses and the Armed Forces Community with the confidence, focus, and clarity of direction to achieve personal working goals and create a sustainable future.
The programme recognises that every candidate is at different stages of their journey to finding career satisfaction; by applying a bespoke, person-centred approach, we offer the best possible service to our candidates.
The programme currently has 70 active coaches who generously volunteer their time. Demand for a place on the programme is high— in January 2023, we received over 40 enquiries, with 21 candidates being ‘matched’ with coaches/mentors.
We are now actively recruiting for new coaches/mentors to support the programme and reduce our waiting list times!
Background & Challenge
Claire is currently serving in the Royal Air Force, where she has dedicated over 22 years of service. As she nears the end of her military career, Claire is navigating the challenges of transitioning to civilian life. With limited experience in the civilian job market, she found it daunting to determine how her military skillset would align with potential career
opportunities.
CHALLENGE:
In June 2024, Claire registered for the BAE Coaching and Mentoring Programme, seeking support in assessing how her military experience could translate into a civilian career. She was struggling to understand how to position her skills in the civilian world and felt uncertain
about how to approach her next steps.
Claire was paired with a BAE mentor who had experience in talent management, and together they embarked on a journey of professional growth and development. Over the course of the programme, they held over 10 mentoring sessions which focused on:
Rebuilding confidence: The coach helped Claire regain confidence in her abilities and provided the guidance needed to view her military experience as a valuable asset for future employment.
Assessing transferable skills: Through detailed discussions, Claire and her mentor identified her transferable skills, allowing her to understand how her military experience could be applied to various civilian roles.
Career pathway exploration: With the mentor’s support, Claire explored different career pathways and identified roles where she could use her skills in leadership, discipline, and problem-solving.
CV and personal branding: One of the key areas of focus was helping Claire tailor her CV to meet civilian standards. Her mentor guided her in rewording her military experience in a way that would resonate with civilian employers, improving her job marketability.
My coach was fantastic—she showed immense patience and asked the right questions helping me think deeply about what I truly want for my future career. We worked through my CV, which helped me understand the differences between military and civilian CVs, and how to present my experience in a way that would be understood by civilian employers. Thanks to her guidance, I was able to rewrite my CV, making me a more attractive candidate by translating my military skills into civilian terms.
Participating in this programme has been transformative—both personally and professionally. I came in looking for guidance on how to improve my skills and address specific challenges as I approach the end of my military service. What I received went far beyond just skill-building—it gave me clarity, confidence, and a renewed sense of direction.
Claire
Outcome
My coach was incredibly supportive, providing practical tools and tailored insights to help me reach my goals. Each session was perfectly structured, with a great balance of encouragement and constructive feedback. [My coach] didn’t just give me answers; she helped me develop my own problem-solving strategies, which will have a lasting impact on my approach to work and life.
Claire
Purpose
The Coaching and Mentoring Programme is often utilised by candidates who are unemployed due to the transient nature of their partner's employment status in the Armed Forces. Mobility affects not only their employability but also their confidence and mental wellbeing.
Candidates seek support through the programme to evaluate their situation and regain the inner strength needed to achieve their career ambitions.