New year, new opportunities! Whether you are an employer looking to fill skills gaps or simply looking for skilled, quality candidates, the good news is, SaluteMyJob can help.
IT and technology were undoubtedly the most in-demand sectors of 2024, with healthcare, finance and renewable energy also industries seeing increased growth. In 2025, it is predicted cybersecurity, software development and operations and project management are the careers set to most in-demand this year. If you’re looking to fulfil job roles within those sectors, look no further. Lucky for you, veterans already possess the skills needed to excel in operations and project management.
Here we delve into some of the 2025 top jobs and how the skills and experience of veterans are well-matched:
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity is a booming industry which has seen rapid growth over the past few years. But, with the rapid expansion has become significant skills gaps; that is one of the reasons we created our innovative Pathways Programme, which trains and provides the commercial experience for members of the Armed Forces Community – and now, former and current Police Officers to compete for demanding roles, within cybersecurity and AI. The programme is also supported by employers offering guidance, further training, work placement and employment opportunities. Find out and how you can support the programme as an employer here.
Why are ex-military personnel well-suited to cybersecurity?
1. Security Mindset
Ex-military personnel have extensive military security and risk management training and experience. They have applied these skills in the most challenging situations and start their planning with security as the first priority, not an afterthought. With cyber warfare on the rise, there is also a growing number of individuals within the Armed Forces that have been specially trained in threat intelligence, risk management, compliance and cyber security, who are ready-trained to join the civilian cyber battlespace.
2. Adaptability
Military veterans are used to regularly adapting to different roles, new teams and different responsibilities. As a result, they are highly motivated, adaptable and quick to learn. They also know that, however through the planning, ‘no plan survives contact with the enemy’, so their flexibility in execution, and in a crisis, is a skill developed and tested in fast paced and ambiguous situations. Such breadth of experience is unrivalled and makes them highly employable in the commercial world.
3. Cross-Functional Soft Skills
Organisations that employ veterans report that they exhibit much needed cross-functional skills, notably team-working, motivating others, powers of communication, problem-solving, organisational skills and strategic thinking.
4. Teams Skills
Whether a team member or team leader, veterans offer proven team skills, with increasing responsibilities placed on them as they progress through the ranks. These skills, experience in managing risks, the ‘mission focussed’ ability to get things done are all key proficiencies that make ex-military personnel contributors and leaders you will want in your organisation.
5. Working under pressure
Front-line roles in cyber incident management need people who can be trusted to deal with high-pressure situations quickly and effectively. Ex-military personnel are accustomed to working in highly pressurised operational environments, and know how to act decisively and calmly, a skill gained from experience of working across geographies and diverse environments.
Project Management
Every patrol, training exercise or operation is a project, so project management is an ideal second career in civilian employment. The acquired military skills and experience are easily transferable into civilian roles and a great-match to help employers overcome a significant skills shortage.
Why are ex-military personnel well-suited to project management?
Strategic leadership skills, getting stuff done, understanding and managing risks, often in challenging environments – are all key proficiencies many ex-military personnel possess and are highly sought-after in the project management profession. Other noteworthy skills and experience include:
- Trained and experienced in the military ‘estimate and planning’ process
- Relentless mission focus, results driven
- Coordinating military activity is core to all military planning
- Negotiating with stakeholders, often in the most challenging situations
- Adaptability, flexibility and resourcefulness are instilled in the military mindset and key to success in civilian project management
- Understanding and managing risk
- Experience of military IT, construction, engineering and change projects
- Well developed leadership skills
- Willingness to take ownership
- The ability to understand complex problems, develop practical solutions and implement them
- Negotiation skills, often developed in high pressure situations
- The ability to get things done
- Stakeholder management
- Team skills – building, leading, contributing
- Calmness under pressure
Operations Management
It is widely known that the military produces some of the best leaders – innovative, entrepreneurial and skilled at leading under pressure, problem solving and getting stuff done. No other organisation teaches discipline, management and operations and logistics like the Armed Forces.
Why are ex-military personnel well-suited to operations management?
In the Armed Forces, you learn how to become expert leaders, skilled at making quick decisions, giving concise orders, often in the most challenging situations. For these reasons (and many more, see below), Operations Management roles can prove to be an ideal fit for ex-military personnel who come ready-programmed with high standards and an inbuilt ability to multitask under pressure.
- Leading and working in teams of operations specialists and developing individuals’ skills to a high level of competence and readiness.
- Keeping ships, aircraft, vehicles, weapons and other equipment operational.
- Training and developing subordinates of all ranks and bringing them up to a high state of operational readiness.
- Preparing or modifying operational strategies and plans after identifying objectives and desired outcomes.
- Motivating and leading subordinates to achieve objectives, often in difficult and dangerous conditions.
- Allocating equipment, personnel and resources effectively to achieve clear objectives.
- Communication effectively with all levels, both orally and in writing through briefings, operational reports and presentations.
- Diagnosing and solving problems and crisis management.
- Ops Room experience (a military Ops Room shares many similarities with a Cyber Security or Network Operations Centre)
- The ability to get things done
- Experience of working within and/or leading a team
- Strong written and oral communication skills
- Analytical and problem-solving skills
- Excellent interpersonal skills
- Flexibility and reliability
- The ability to multitask, prioritise and get stuff done – to the highest professional standards
- The ability to understand complex problems, develop practical solutions and implement them
- Calmness under pressure
- Adaptability and resourcefulness
Discover an exceptional network of talented candidates here.
