Lisa Jones, OA Career Consultant, explains why work placements are good for veterans and employers.
Benefits to veterans
Work placements will develop your skills and give you vital experience, improving your employability. They also increase your knowledge of different industries, helping you to make better informed decisions about your career. You can be exposed to new areas where veterans often struggle, such as customer service and gain commercial experience.
There is no ‘bad’ work placement. You will always learn something new, so it is never a waste of time. During transition, it is important to explore all the options, so you have no regrets later. If a placement within an organisation did not meet your expectations, then you can disregard that career path – saving you time, effort and money in the longer term – and focus elsewhere.
CVs and LinkedIn profiles that include work placements look more impressive. They provide evidence of you applying your skills and experiences outside the military environment. Employers can see you are proactive and willing to learn, and have a good understanding of their industry. In interviews and competency based job applications, work placements can provide useful non-military examples to reinforce your suitability.
Completing a work placement sometimes leads to an offer of temporary or permanent employment. However, even if this does not happen, the fact that you were selected for the placement in the first place means that you may attract other employers’ interest.
Finally, work placements are a great way to build your network and gain exposure to new opportunities.
For more information about work placements, register with the OA to book a free career consultation.
