When you're looking for your first job outside the ADF, think about your transferable skills and experience. What industries could use your skills? Do you need further training to get where you want to go?
If you are unsure of what types of jobs suit your needs and skills, it might help to talk to a careers counsellor. Defence provides assistance to prepare for civilian employment.
Don’t be afraid to think outside the box - if there are no openings for the type of work you want, you may be able to plan a pathway to your preferred job. You may also consider going into business for yourself.
Job search tools for veterans
There are a number of ways to search for job opportunities, including Job Boards and Career Websites such as Seek, Jora, Indeed, CareerOne, Glassdoor, AllJobs, Workforce Australia or APS Jobs.
Workforce Australia: the Australian Government's Workforce Australia's website lists jobs flagged as Defence Force Experience Desirable (DFED). Follow these steps:
- Visit the Workforce Australia website
- Put in your search parameters
- Under Special Vacancy Type select 'Defence Force Experience Desirable'; and
- Press Search.
It is also worth searching for the word 'veteran'. Many employers identify their interest in employing veterans within the job description.
Workforce Australia also provides veteran specific advice and resources to assist your job search.
Jobs Hub: The Australian Government's Jobs Hub website lists job opportunities and also provides advice and resources for matching skills to job types, exploring vocational and educational training (VET) and more.
Seek is one of Australia's larger job marketplaces, allowing you to search for job vacancies by location, industry, pay scale or area of interest. You can create a profile to attract interest from prospective employers and use the details in the profile to build an online resume.
Australian Public Service Jobs
The Australian Public Service (APS) provides job opportunities across a wide range of roles and duties throughout Australia.
The APSjobs website is your gateway to a career in the APS.
APSjobs publishes vacancies daily in a range of job categories from entry level positions through to senior leadership roles. You will also find links to vacancies in the Australian Parliamentary Service and State and Territory Government vacancies.
Find a veteran-friendly workplace
The Veterans Employment Commitment is a public commitment by businesses to support the employment of veterans. The Commitment is for all Australian businesses who recognise the skills and experience of our ex-service men and women.
By signing the Veterans Employment Commitment businesses have declared that they value the skills and experience of ex-ADF members.
You can browse the list of businesses that have signed the Commitment to identify veteran-friendly employers based on their location, industry and business size.
Find a Veteran Committed Employer
Guide to Australian careers
The Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business provides information about Australian careers, labour market trends and employment projections thought its Job Outlook publication.
You might look to use as a guide to make decisions about the next step in your career or to undertake further study and training.
Self-employment assistance
The Australian Government offers a range of services to help you start a small business.
Explore services for new businesses
ADF Transition Services
Defence provides comprehensive transition services, including assistance with preparing for civilian employment. These services are available for up to 12 months after you leave the ADF.