Five reasons why you should sign up to JobOppo today
Thinking about leaving the Military, considering a career change or know someone transitioning who needs extra support? Repeat after us. JobOppO.
Navigating the Military to civilian transition can feel overwhelming at times. But, it shouldn’t be. There’s an exciting new chapter waiting to be written. A spectrum of opportunities where you can continue making a difference and adding real value. The trick is, you just need to know who to speak to and where to look.
Meet JobOppO – a new and innovative recruitment platform which caters exclusively to the Ex-Military community. It connects people like you to companies that are craving your unique skill set. Discover why you should join our growing community of like‑minded service-leavers and veterans…
Our team have been there too
We were founded by Ex‑Military to serve Ex-Military. It’s as simple as that. We have been in your shoes and have used our personal experiences to create JobOppO from the ground up. Our Founder and former RAF Medic and Language Specialist, Kayam Iqbal, found the Military to civilian life transition “difficult”. He says: “Unfortunately, the support wasn’t there. I was one of quite a few who slipped through the net. “I ended up selling scratch cards for Camelot. Never having a CV, that was the only employment I could get. It was heart-breaking. But, like most Military personnel, the resilience was there. I retrained in project management and climbed the corporate ladder under some of the biggest names [Tesco, BT, Marks & Spencers], eventually overseeing multi‑million pound programmes.” The driving force behind his new platform is to do better for the community. Not only is JobOppO a destination to find your next role, but the go-to place for support, guidance and encouragement.
We only work with employers that value veterans
There are companies out there that see Military experience on a CV and are not sure what to do with that knowledge. They can’t translate those years of service or Military‑specific qualifications into tangible benefits for their business. Or they only want to hire veterans to meet a one-off initiative or quota. Well, we don’t work with them. The companies we work with already ‘get it’ or are open to learning more from us. They understand, appreciate and are keen to attract veterans to their workforce. Whether they’ve signed the Armed Forces Covenant, have been recognised by the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS) or have a public open-door policy for veterans, we only partner with genuine supporters. We are very selective with who we bring on to our platform, so that our community can find the perfect match. Globally-renowned brands including retailer Iceland, soft drinks producer BritVic and fast food giant KFC, were among the first to list a vast array of their opportunities to our closed community. Spanning 27 sectors (and counting!), roles range from entry-level up to senior management. Helen Tindle, HR Director at Iceland, says: “We encourage our colleagues to bring their personalities to work with them. And we find that Ex‑Military people are really comfortable and confident in doing that and they bring a great work ethic.” “We want to be absolutely crystal clear that we are open to anybody and that we open our arms wide to welcome Ex-Military personnel into our business.” When you apply for a role with JobOppO, you can feel confident and reassured knowing that there is a like‑minded employer on the other side of every application form.
Your skills are higher in demand than ever before
The whole world feels like it has been turned upside down over the past year. There’s been uncertainty, unrest and more mentions of the word ‘unprecedented’ than we’d care to count. If the pandemic has left you feeling hesitant about taking the steps towards civilian life, then rest-assured that your transferable skills are in higher demand because of Covid. Employers have switched their focus from checkboxes to life skills. Keeping a business going during a pandemic (and beyond!) means hiring a certain calibre of a person – someone who is highly-adaptable, resilient and level-headed. And if that doesn’t sum up the attributes of every service-leaver or veteran, then we don’t know what does! Louise Pugsley, former RAF paramedic, signed up to JobOppO a few months ago. After serving for 12 years and working as part of the Medical Emergency Response Team (MERT) in Afghanistan back in 2011, she’s looking for a new role to complement her current lifestyle. She says: “In job interviews when I’m asked to give an example of a difficult or stressful situation I say, there is no bigger stress than being on the back of a helicopter, flying over a desert to reach someone on the front line who needs their leg putting back together.” During her Military transition, she felt the workshops on offer didn’t help guide her to her next role. “I didn’t even bother to attend. It was pretty basic, all they did was a brief CV check and made you sign up to things like LinkedIn and other platforms. But, I had already done all that, so it wasn’t useful to me.” “I would definitely recommend JobOppO as there aren’t any job engines out there purely for veterans.”
Discover a meaningful civvy job not a ‘any old’ job
We’re not saying there aren’t other ways of finding your feet in the civilian workplace. It’s easy to sign up to all the job boards, chat to the never-ending conveyor belt of recruiters and make connections over LinkedIn. But, are you looking for the right role? Are you highlighting your best attributes? Our newly-appointed Director of Veteran Engagement and Development and former Infantry Officer, Garrath Williams, says: “I’m a long-term advocate of the merits of hiring veterans and helping people unearth those transferable skills from both ends of the spectrum – the veteran and the employer.” With an extensive Military background spanning 17 years, he says: “It’s also important we help those individuals find meaningful and sustainable employment that benefits them and their employers. Absolutely the job, not a job.” We offer support and development opportunities to our community, so you can have an open and honest conversation about your background and how to best represent your skills to employers. We give back to the community. We are not all talk. We take action and continually give back. 10% of our revenue goes to our chosen charity partner.
The Oppo Foundation supports the Ex-Military community in all aspects of civilian life, from housing to health and wellbeing. The funding they receive goes towards life-changing projects and research into supporting the Military transition. By signing up to JobOppO, the ripple effect continues to support future generations of service-leavers and the wider community.
Signing up to JobOppO is free and super easy.
Visit: www.joboppo.co.uk to find out more.