Leaving the armed forces? Your civilian CV in plain English
Your service has given you skills that employers value, but a civilian reader needs them in their own language. Here is how to translate your experience, with example wording to adapt.
Before you start
Moving from the Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Marines or the Royal Air Force into civilian work is a big change, and the CV is often where it feels hardest. You have led people, worked under pressure and been trusted with serious responsibility, but many of the words you used every day mean little to a recruiter.
This guide shows how to write about your service in plain English, which qualifications to list, what to say about security clearance and what to leave out. It also covers the questions you are likely to be asked at interview.
How to handle it on your CV
Step by step, from the layout to the last line. Take what fits your own story.
Want a clean layout to start from? See our simple CV templates.
Translate, don’t abbreviate
Replace military terms, acronyms and unit names with plain descriptions of what you did, for example "managed stores and equipment for a unit of 600 people". Ask a civilian friend to read your CV and circle anything they do not understand.
Explain rank as responsibility
A civilian employer may not know what a rank means in practice. Give your rank if you like, then say how many people you led, what you were responsible for and the decisions you made. That is what tells them the level you can work at.
Focus on results that transfer
Leadership, planning, logistics, training, safety, technical skills and working under pressure all transfer. For each role, pick the achievements that match the jobs you are applying for, and show the outcome.
List qualifications by their civilian name
Many people gain civilian qualifications while serving, such as apprenticeships, NVQs, driving licences, first aid, health and safety, and instructor or trade qualifications. List each one by its civilian title and level, with the year.
Mention security clearance carefully
If you hold security clearance and the job might need it, you can state the level and when it was granted. The new employer will check whether it can be transferred. Never give any detail about classified work.
Use your resettlement support
The Career Transition Partnership is the Ministry of Defence’s official resettlement provider, offering help with CVs, job searching and training to eligible service leavers. Find out what you are entitled to well before your leaving date.
Aim at one kind of job at a time
Service gives broad experience, which can tempt you to write a CV that covers everything. A focused CV for one kind of role, such as operations, logistics, security, engineering or training, reads far better. Write a separate version for each.
Example wording to adapt
An example about a made-up person, to show the shape and the tone. Swap in your own facts, dates and words.
Logistics manager with 12 years in the British Army, most recently running stores, transport and supply for a unit of 600 people. Led a team of 14 and planned the movement of equipment for overseas exercises. Calm under pressure and used to tight deadlines and high safety standards. Looking for a warehouse or logistics management role in the North West.
Before: SNCO i/c QM dept, responsible for G4 support to 1 Bn.
After: Senior manager in charge of stores and supply for a unit of 600 people, leading a team of 14 and keeping equipment ready for training and overseas exercises.
- Trained and assessed around 40 junior staff a year on safe driving and vehicle checks, with no accidents on the team’s record for three years
What to say at interview
Civilian interviewers will be curious about your service, and some will be unsure how it fits their job. Help them: give short, plain answers with real examples, and show you have thought about the change.
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Why are you leaving the forces?
Keep it positive and forward looking: what you want from the next stage, not what you are leaving behind.
An example to adapt
After 12 years I wanted to put down roots and use what I have learned in a civilian career. Logistics is what I have enjoyed most, and this role is a chance to do it at a larger scale.
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How will you adapt to a civilian workplace?
Show you understand the differences, such as a less formal structure and more persuading than instructing, and give an example of working that way.
An example to adapt
I know I will need to lead more by agreement than by order. I have already done that with civilian contractors on base, where I had to win people round rather than tell them, and I enjoyed it.
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Tell us about a time you led a team through a difficult situation.
Pick an example a civilian can picture, skip the operational detail and focus on what you did and the result.
An example to adapt
During a large exercise, a supplier delay left us short of vehicles. I reorganised the schedule, borrowed vehicles from a neighbouring unit and briefed the team twice a day. Everything arrived on time, and nobody worked beyond safe hours.
Preparing for a particular job? See our interview questions by job.
What to leave out
- Acronyms, unit names and slang that a civilian reader will not recognise.
- Operational detail, locations or anything classified. Talk about skills and results instead.
- A long list of every course you attended. Keep the ones that matter for the job.
- Assuming the reader knows what your rank or trade involved. Spell out the responsibility.
Read next
Leaving the armed forces: your questions
Should I put my rank on my CV?
You can, but always explain it in civilian terms: how many people you led, what you managed and the level of decisions you made. That is what an employer can compare with their own jobs.
How do I explain military experience to employers?
Use plain English and the words in the job advert. Describe the task, the size of the team or the scale of what you managed, and the result, as you would for any job. A civilian friend or mentor makes a good test reader.
Should I mention my security clearance?
Yes, if the job might need it. State the level and when it was granted, and leave the employer to check whether it can transfer. Do not include any detail about the work it covered.
Can I use a skills-based CV after leaving the forces?
A short key skills section at the top can help, but most recruiters still want to see your roles in date order. Combine the two: skills first, then your service history written in plain English. Our career change CV guide covers the same approach.
Keep going
- Simple CV templatesFree designs that keep your story clear, with no watermark.
- Cover lettersExample letters by job: a good place to explain your situation in a sentence or two.
- Free CV checkerA CV Score out of 100 and the fixes to make first, in about 30 seconds.
Other CV guides: Returning to work After redundancy Over 50 Moving into management No degree
Ready to update your CV?
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