Transition Support
By Dr Kate Martin
Transitioning from service is a challenging time. Whether you have been in service for many years or just a few, the impact of your membership with the organisation is long lasting.
To simplify the experience there are four key steps that you can follow to navigate your way into the civilian world.
Step 1 Recovery
Having spent any time in service with police, military or emergency services means that you have experienced a unique level of exposure to specialised training and demands; and have been exposed to a degree of traumatic events.
Each individual can define their trauma differently. For some it is a specific event, for others it is a culmination of many events, and for others it is the organisational systems. Regardless of the cause, it is expected that you are experiencing a strain on your physical, psychological, and/or emotional well-being.
It does not matter the extent of this strain on your well-being. It does not matter if it is officially diagnosed or self-diagnosed. The first step in a healthy step forward away from service is to focus on your recovery. This can be in any form you choose – psychological or psychiatric support or treatment, mindfulness or meditation, physical exercise, time with family or friends, extra rest, good nutrition, relaxation, new hobbies, or anything that helps calm your adrenal system and resettle your mind, body and emotions.
But recovery must happen, and it should be ongoing.
Step 2 Recognition
Having come from the services you will have undertaken specific and specialist training that has developed in you a collection of unique skills and knowledge. You will also have acquired more general skills and knowledge.
However, in the civilian world it is difficult to describe these skills and knowledge. Undergoing a recognition process is important to ensure that you can move forward into the civilian work space at a level that is reflective of what you can offer a new employer. This will prevent unemployment and underemployment.
Several organisations in the vocational sector offer recognition of prior learning for current and former police, military and emergency services personnel. CLET Training is one of these providers and have over 15 years experience in the transition space and have conducted over 20 000 free assessments for service personnel.
This process will help you target your skills and knowledge and open opportunities to acquire nationally recognised qualifications to help translate your experience to a language civilian employers can understand.
Step 3 Learning
Although you have experience from your time in service and have acquired a range of skills and knowledge, new learning is always a good practice. Do not be afraid to embrace a learning pathway that will freshen your thought processes and open new opportunities in the workplace. This can be a good step to contribute to better health for step one as well.
Many universities offer advanced standing for former service personnel, and this can help you enter a higher education learning pathway that will be a new experience for you and help you progress to a new career.
The new learning does not have to be formal. It may be a hobby, it may be a new team engagement, it may be teaching others, or it may be re-learning about your self and where you fit in your personal and working life.
It is important to be open to new experiences to help move forward away from service.
Step 4 Re-Employment
For some former service personnel, leaving service comes at retirement and although this still presents many challenges, seeking new employment may not be one of the solutions.
For most service personnel, exit from service often comes at an unexpected time and usually prematurely in the original life career plans. In this instance re-employment is important to sustain a lifestyle. It is also important for self-esteem and self-worth which also ties back into step one.
Ensuring that you have the right focus and the right attitude to transition into civilian employment is important. This comes from being decisive about what you want to do next and pursuing realistic opportunities. Making sure that you have everything you need when applying for employment is important and will help you start the process of moving away from service and into the civilian workforce.
Moving forward from a service career is not easy. You are faced with challenges and second thoughts together with moments of regret and loss and some feelings of abandonment.
The important approach is to understand that after time in service you are now in control of your future and these are your steps to take and your decisions to make.