Personal Development

There are lots of reasons why working overseas may not be practical or feasible for you. However, there are other options to help fill the career gap:

Volunteering

Volunteering is a great way to fill gaps in your CV, and can help you integrate in your local community while gaining new skills and experience.

Speak to your Community Liaison Officer or Welfare Team for information on local opportunities. You can also find more ideas on our Volunteering page.

Upskilling

Being overseas may be the perfect opportunity to gain new skills or qualifications to ensure that you are ‘employment ready’ when you return to the UK.

Do make sure that there are no study or education restrictions in your location, and check any training and exams are accessible remotely. If the training is funded, ensure that it is available to you outside the UK.

For inspiration and information, visit our Upskilling and Reskilling pages.

Language Training

Being in a new country is not only a great opportunity to experience a new culture, you can also have the chance to learn a new language which always looks good on your CV (whether you have a basic grasp or are fluent).

Depending on your overseas location, you may have access to language training or funding to support this. Ask your Service person to find out what is available for you.

Stay Connected

Maintaining your professional contacts and network while you are overseas is important to help you feel connected and enhance your employability when you return to the UK.

LinkedIn is a great professional networking platform, but there are also networks specifically for military spouses and partners, such as MCN that can provide a sense of community.