Part 2 of Defence Talent Expert Emma Homann’s interview with Pete Kavanagh-Barnes, Head of P3M at Eagle Eye Innovations, discusses how to successfully transition from military life to the civilian workforce, focusing on adapting to new environments and progressing in your career after securing a role.
Emma recently sat down with Pete who made the leap from the military to the civilian defence sector just two years ago. Pete shares his journey, offering key advice and practical tips for veterans who have already secured their new role but are now navigating the cultural and professional shift into civilian work.
For those who have already made the transition or are currently in a new civilian role, this article provides valuable insights on how to adapt, thrive, and continue progressing in your career. Whether you're a veteran or an employer looking to hire veterans, this guide will empower you to succeed in the civilian workforce.
Q: Pete, how were you able to adapt to the civilian workforce after spending so long in the military?
Having worked in two large organisations predominantly staffed by civilians (DE&S and Dstl) when I served, I think I avoided the usual culture clash. There’s no real mystery to working with civvies, we all eventually return to being one anyway.
All I’d say is be prepared to be more actively curious with people so you understand what they are bringing to the party. In the military it was easier to typecast people almost at a glance: their cap badge or branch meant you knew what their training generally was, the career field they were in meant you probably could have a good idea what their experiences might be, not so out here.
But it’s no enigma - people generally like to talk about themselves, so encourage them to. You bring a load of experience in management and leadership and practical skills in whatever your role was in the military. You almost certainly lack a lot of technical know-how so be curious.
Also, generally people join the military once and it’s a huge decision and there’s a long lead time and a deep commitment. As a civvy in the Defence consultancy sector, you could move jobs nearly as often as you did in the military and no one would think it abnormal. A recruiter would know best, but generally give a job a year. You want to balance this: bailing into a new role every quarter before you’ve even finished probation, you could start to look flaky.
Once you’re in, if you don’t feel like you’re earning enough, just go for a job interview.
This mindset change was absolutely revelatory for me. I’d spent so long on the horns of a dilemma in the Army with respect to “the offer,” it was mentally freeing to be able to just to go and have a snoop about somewhere else.
You should be doing this every 6-12 months regardless of how happy you are in your role. You either end up more satisfied with your current circumstances, or you get a better offer and you can then decide to negotiate at your next salary review from a position of objectivity.
Or just leave if you were thinking about it anyway. Most employers take this for what it is: nothing personal or mean-spirited, they are operating in a market economy after all. If they really want to keep you, they’ll come back with a new offer.
You took an oath to the monarch for your last job, you only sign a contract for this one.
Again, when it comes to salary, don’t do what I did and just accept what you are offered. You are supposed to negotiate. You are supposed to do this from a position of knowledge. No one will pay you more than what you ask for. Hence the need to negotiate from a position of knowledge.
Use your network to figure out where you could be pitching yourself. And first gig out of the gate, maybe be prepared to settle a little bit below: we are unproven commodities until we’ve done a bit of civilian work, despite how many operational medals we’ve received.
Transitioning from military life to the civilian workforce can be challenging, but it’s also an opportunity for personal growth and professional success. Whether you're looking to land your first civilian role or are already settled into a new job, these practical tips from Pete can help you navigate and progress in your career with confidence.
Cultivate your network and make use of it shamelessly. And go out of your way to assist anyone else who might brush up against your bubble. Write and re-write your CV and test it on people of experience and who are willing to give critical feedback.
Don’t cuff this transition: you were probably really diligent in planning when you were serving, keep that up. I bluffed it and got lucky, and I’ve learnt a lot on the way.
Don’t tie your identity to your work and don’t use it to validate your worth: pick work that matches your identity and values. Your actual values, not what the military told you they were for however many years. They might still be same, but this transition is a really good time to check in.
Don't be afraid to look elsewhere: Your main effort was to the get job landed, and if you don’t end up liking it, don’t worry about it. You have the freedom to go get a new job! And getting that second job is a lot easier than breaking into your first “proper” job.
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