Today is Memorial Day in the United States. It celebrates those from the military – past and present. The technical training and skills the military provides gives a great platform for a career in the civilian field engineering workforce. This article focuses on why ex military bring value to civilian field engineering.

Many of the skills and challenges are directly transferrable and are therefore of value to civilian companies.

However, it is the soft skills that military service teaches, which are often even more attractive to civilian employers.
Field Engineering is one major area which benefits from the pool of talent available when people end their military service.

Why Ex-Military personnel transition into great civilian Field Service Engineers

Ex-military bring value as field engineers

Why do ex-military people make good field engineers?

They have the following skills, attitudes and aptitudes:
A breadth of cross functional skills
Excellent specialist training
An aptitude in more than one technical area
A strong work ethic
Used to travelling often at short notice
Adaptable
Possess a “can do” attitude
Are tenacious
Able to be self sufficient, while being very team aware
Realistic and pragmatic problem solvers
Have learned not to over promise
Clear and concise communicators
Possess a desire to help and make a difference
Used to working in dangerous, uncomfortable situations
Accustomed to having to make use of the tools and equipment at hand

UK guidance for transitioning from the military
US guidance on transitioning from the military

If you have moved from the military to a civilian Field Engineering job, please let us know your experience and advice?

Feel free to message us with links to relevant information from your country, or you can post them in the comments.

Further Reading

A US Navy veteran who installs and services baking production line equipment for Kaak North America

Successful Unsung Heroes of the Engineering World