Whether a former Intelligence Officer or Engineer, ex-members of the forces make fantastic job candidates in the tech industry. With their problem-solving skills, as well as their focus on decision making and ability to take initiative, there are a large number of jobs that transition well from experience in the forces to the world of tech.
With this in mind, many organisations are actively recruiting veterans and ex-forces personnel – companies like Amazon pledging to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses.
So, as tech investment booms across the country, what are the best tech jobs for individuals transitioning out of the service?
Researchers from FDM Group, whose mission is to bring people and technology together by providing services in the recruit, train, and deploy sector, conducted research to reveal the five best tech jobs for ex-forces.
FDM comments: “As an industry that is fast-paced and constantly evolving, it’s an exciting time to work in technology. Providing hundreds of different job titles, each with its own set of tech skills, there are so many opportunities for diverse career paths.
With over 100,000 unemployed veterans in the UK alone, there’s a large talent pool with candidates who have acquired core skills such as leadership, team building, and a variety of technical skills. Offering experience across a wide range of jobs, members of the forces make excellent candidates.”
From cloud consultants to cyber security analysts, FDM reveals the most transferable tech jobs for ex-forces.
-
Cloud Consultant
As the backbone of the internet, the cloud is all of the things you can access remotely over the Internet. Simply put, the cloud is one of the most important aspects of using the Internet – whether it’s accessing a web-based email service like Gmail, downloading software, or storing videos and pictures. Subsequently, the rise of cloud computing has seen many companies seeking to take advantage of the benefits that cloud computing has to offer – and they need great people to help them do it.
As a cloud consultant, you will be responsible for helping companies identify and act on their cloud needs. In doing so, they can leverage cloud computing in the safest and most efficient way possible. So as a consultant, you will help inform a company’s cloud-related decisions, guiding them to design, implement, migrate or maintain cloud applications.
Ex-forces personnel make good candidates for cloud consultants because of their ability to be highly adaptable, identify a problem and then provide the solution to a situation that is evolving rapidly. To become a cloud consultant, it can be useful to have a degree in computer science, information technology, or engineering, as well as other transferable life skills. There are also a variety of certifications you can take to set yourself apart from other candidates and deepen your knowledge.
-
Cyber security
Ex-forces talent makes excellent candidates for cyber security jobs because of the qualities they can bring to the role – including adaptability, trainability, and capability of learning new skills.
As an industry that is continuing to grow immensely, there is a lot of opportunity within this segment of tech, especially as data security threats and skills shortages are on the rise. As entry to mid-level jobs, roles such as Information Assurance Manager, Fraud and Financial Crime Analyst, and Security Consultant, make well-fitting job roles to consider.
Offering a security mindset, coupled with communication and leadership skills, ex-forces personnel have a great foundation for a career in cyber security. And while not all these roles will require qualifications, there are a lot of options for those interested in learning more. For one, an apprenticeship. Apprenticeships allow you to receive some qualifications or complete some cyber training – even if it is basic – to make you a more competitive candidate. There are also a number of great training programs, depending on the skillset you are trying to acquire.
-
Developer
Learning to code can align well with the logical and problem-solving mentality that many individuals develop during their time in the forces. Even if you have no obvious prior experience in tech, these skills can be highly transferable.
It’s also possible to get a variety of highly coveted tech jobs without a degree, with tech giants like Google, Apple, and IBM no longer requiring one. If you are interested in learning to code, there are several routes to go down. While you can choose to go back to university to learn, there are also a number of immersive boot camps that will allow you to gain coding skills faster.
Ex-forces members typically do well in this type of environment because of their experience with this type of format – receiving a task and purpose and then solving the problems on their own or in small teams.
-
Technical Engineer
As one of the most transferable jobs on our list, technical engineers are already an integral part of the military, making the skillset fit very well into civilian life. In the military, technical engineers are responsible for tasks such as overseeing construction site development, performing lab tests on materials, and building scale models to help plan construction projects, to name a few.
With this experience, ex-forces technical engineers can easily qualify for technical engineer jobs outside of the service, using the same skills acquired to work on projects across different industries.
As a technical engineer, you may work in a number of disciplines including computer technology, electrical, or mechanical engineering. The essence of the role is to understand the technical processes of a particular industry and to be able to help others with any technical issues.
-
IT Consultant
Using IT experience from the military or other service areas can be a great stepping stone into working in information technology back in civilian life. With thousands of IT jobs yet to be filled, there’s also a lot of opportunity in this market. And traits acquired from the forces such as helping people and problem-solving can align well with this career path.
IT consultants work with businesses and organisations to help them meet their unique objectives. In this, working as a consultant will require helping these companies meet their business goals through an optimised IT infrastructure, as well as improved design and implementation of technology solutions.
Many jobs in IT also don’t require a degree, meaning you can acquire any gaps in your knowledge through additional training courses and certifications.
If you’re interested in getting into the tech industry, whether it be as a drone operator, crime analyst, or everything in between, FDM offers a large array of exciting career paths for ex-forces personnel: https://www.fdmgroup.com/careers/ex-forces-careers/
