“WFM is a world of constant change - a position of comfort for many veterans.” 

News

In 2023 we launched the Veterans in FM Network, a dedicated career route for veterans to network and support each other in their workplace and facilities management (WFM) careers. Click here to discover how veterans can find pathways to success in WFM. Veterans possess an array of skills, experiences and ambitions, so we’re keen to highlight individuals from this rich talent pool to better understand their different WFM paths.   

One such individual is Rich Garland, Operational Account Director at Mitie, who retired as a Late Entry Major from the Royal Engineers in 2016. Rich spoke to us about overcoming hurdles in his career transition, his most valued transferable skills and the perks of a career in WFM. 

Briefly describe your military background and introduction to WFM. 

With multiple roles during my military service and many operational deployments, my introduction to WFM via this career was obvious and well supported by a career in the built/project environment. Although I didn’t fully comprehend the scope and scale of what WFM involved outside the military, the correlation to my service profile and my general working interests made WFM an obvious choice. 

The primary hurdle was around the quality of my CV. I paid a professional CV writer to transform my CV which had an immediate effect and helped secure my first interview and my first job outside of the Army. I didn’t really experience any other hurdles because my resignation was entirely voluntary and the pace at which I departed (due to securing an early job) meant that most of the final phase of ‘normal’ termination was avoided. 

What transferable skills and experiences from your military service have been important in your WFM career? 

Given that WFM is a world that can be very dynamic/chaotic, I think the primary skill which really helped was being able to remain calm in a crisis. Being able to stop and think about the situation whilst keeping those around you in a calm and controlled state of behaviour. Additionally, having a career in the Royal Engineers certainly exposed me to working with multiple stakeholders and having to adapt my engagement and communication style to fit the situation. The value of that skill in WFM is incalculable.  

In what ways did you need to adapt your skillset? 

As is common amongst service leavers, I would say that my commercial acumen needed some work. I undertook some short courses to assist with that and followed up doing an Executive MBA programme in WFM; this got cancelled in its second year due to Covid restrictions but offered a huge amount of value in more strategic learning than I’d been exposed to previously.  

What advice do you have for other service leavers or veterans considering a career in WFM?  

I often see service leavers fail to ‘demilitarise’ their profiles. It is very common for service leavers to struggle to grasp what transferable skills they bring to the civilian sector and that translates into CV/LinkedIn profiles that, intentionally or not, suggest a reluctance or struggle to transition.  

My advice would be to reach a level of acceptance as early as possible that you are about to become a veteran and to truly understand that you can compete on the outside. The breadth of opportunity is enormous and limited only by ambition and aspiration.  

Veterans come in many shapes and sizes, but I think what we all bring is a willingness to adapt and remain flexible. WFM is a world of constant change which can be a position of comfort for many veterans.  

To find out more about Veterans In FM’s work, click here or visit us on LinkedIn.