We'll spare you the “just be yourself” advice. This is about walking in prepared, focused, and ready to show exactly how you’ll add value, without sounding like a robot who memorised the company website.
Get Strategic With Your Research
Knowing the company name and tagline isn’t research. That’s base-level effort. What you really want is intel that helps you figure out where you could fit and how your skills (read: operational brilliance, leadership under pressure, and real-world problem solving) actually help them.
Here’s what to look at:
- Recent wins and big moves: New contract? Major project? Expansion into new sectors? Bring it up.
- Tech and tools: If they’re using platforms you’ve never heard of, get Googling. If they’re using stuff you’ve run before, even better. Link your experience directly.
- Company culture: Do they value flexibility? Innovation? 80-hour weeks dressed up as “high performance”? Figure out if they’re a match, not just the other way around.
- Market standing: Where do they sit in the wider industry? Who are they trying to beat? Which military roles of yours give you the upper hand?
- Industry developments: Staying on top of wider trends shows you’re not just job-hunting — you’re career-building.
Top tip: Don’t parrot their “About Us” page. Drop this knowledge into conversation like it’s second nature.
Use the STAR Method
The STAR format works. Situation, Task, Action, Result. But it doesn’t mean you need to sound like you’re giving a TED Talk in your best drill voice. Example:
- Situation: “I was leading logistics for a unit of 200 during an overseas deployment…”
- Task: “We had to reduce turnaround time while keeping compliance locked down…”
- Action: “I introduced a streamlined process and built a new reporting workflow…”
- Result: “We cut delays by 35% with zero compromise on quality.”
Pick a few of your best military occupational skills and wrap them in STAR format. Focus on leadership, decision-making, adaptability, the kind of skills that don’t just translate to civilian life, they improve it.
Practice aloud. Not like a monologue. Like a story you’ve told before, one where you were the calm one in a crisis.
If you’re stuck on how your military skills translate, we’ve got just the thing to get you going. Read this article on teamwork by Greg Poole.
[CALLOUT]
Ask Questions That Don’t Make You Sound Like Everyone Else
"What's the salary?" can wait. (although, when you get there, read this article about salary strategies for the civilian world) You want to show that you're thinking like someone who already understands how to lead. Try questions like:
- “What challenges are the team facing right now?”
- “How do you measure success in this role?”
- “How much autonomy does the team have when tackling problems?”
- “What kind of career paths have others in this role taken?”
These aren’t filler questions. They help you decide if this is a good fit, and signal that you're not just there to get the job, you're there to deliver
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Here's an article on how to stand out from veteran clichés.
Follow-Up Like a Professional, Not a Pushover
No fluff or over-the-top niceties. Just a clear, concise message that:
- Thanks them for the conversation
- Highlight something specific you enjoyed discussing
- Reaffirms why you’re a solid fit
- Includes any promised docs
- Politely asks about the next steps
If the conversation flowed well, connect on LinkedIn. Your MOD90 might be in a drawer now, but your professional identity still deserves to be front and centre.
Want Help Matching Your Experience to the Right Job?
We get it. Civilian job titles are confusing, the job boards are a mess, and half the “veterans jobs” out there are either security roles or a complete mystery.
At Redeployable, we leverage AI to make career resettlement simple, transparent, and tailored to you. Our AI-powered tools help to match you with careers based on more than your rank or role, analyse your skills to highlight civilian job matches
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