MILITARY veterans may face barriers when transitioning to the civilian workforce but they do not have to battle them on their own.

More than 700 ex-Defence Force personnel have found full-time work in the past two years through training and employment organisation WithYouWithMe alone, and there are many more companies offering a hand.

Employers such as Westpac have dedicated human resources initiatives to attract and support veterans.

There are also specialist recruiters focused on matching veterans to employers seeking their skills, and vocational training providers that fast-track veterans through apprenticeships and traineeships via recognition of prior learning (RPL).

WithYouWithMe chief executive and veteran Tom Larter recommended personnel considering leaving the Defence Force first investigate the job market then reach out to organisations, such as his, for guidance.

More than 6000 veterans have accessed WYWM’s free career-matching platform and pathway training in the past two years, including 600 currently on a free cyber security course created in partnership with Splunk.

WYWM account manger Will Lewis is one of 40 veterans also employed by the organisation and said the opportunity to help other veterans was really rewarding.

“If I can give advice so they don’t have to struggle and can succeed in their next career, that’s what gets me out of bed in the morning,” he said.

Mr Lewis was 23 when he left the Defence Force and admitted finding a new job was more difficult than he imagined.

“For quite a while, I was scrubbing dishes in a cafe, cash in hand, to make ends meet,” he said.

Mr Lewis did not realise the skills he had or how they could translate into a civilian career until he landed a casual role as a bar tender and was promoted to manager within three months.

“(That boss) was the first one in my civilian career to understand how I could be utilised in what he needed,” he said.

In his current role, Mr Lewis now saw the value of his skills, such as problem solving, team work and communication.

His advice to others leaving the Defence Force was to treat the transition like a military operation.

“Plan ahead and know your strengths and how you can translate them into what the company is looking for,” he said.

“That is the difference between sending applications to 20 different sectors or knowing which one sector you fit.

“It’s more a sniper rifle approach than shot gun approach.”

WYWM is hosting a National Career Expo, in support of Invictus Games, on October 26.