Finding work when you leave the Armed Forces can be a daunting prospect, especially if that is the only job you've ever known. Leaving a military career to enter into civilian work is a very different experience and many people find it challenging.

However, a military charity is aiming to make it easier for those leaving the Armed Forces to find work and make the transition. Hire a Hero provides support for veterans and service-leavers, whether in the long or short term, to ensure they find suitable work.

Hire a Hero is aiming to ensure service leavers are able to enter into meaningful employment rather than bouncing from job to job as they try to find something that suits them. It has recently moved to new offices in Pontypool, Wales but provides nationwide help to veterans.

To date, the charity has supported over 120 individuals who have left the Armed Forces, reports Wales Online, allowing them to transition fully into civilian life.

Jennifer Lilley, communications officer at Hire a Hero, told the news provider that many people leaving the Forces often struggle to find civilian employment as they aren't sure what they want to do or can do when it comes to finding a new job. 

"Many individuals have spent years in the forces and in doing so may not have much experience of a civilian working environment and what this is like," she said. Needless to say, this can differ vastly from what they think of as the 'norm'.

"We, at Hire a Hero find that the struggle is often based around having the time and taking the time to adjust to these differences. Once this point is reached, those who have served are very valuable employees and members of society."

However, there are also issues when it comes to civilian employers not fully understanding the suitability of ex-Forces personnel for positions. There are many misconceptions about what it means to have been in the military, which can put potential employers off hiring service-leavers.

While there are people who have been affected by their time in the Armed Forces, continued Ms Lilley, only eight per cent are discharged on medical grounds. While there is a concern that veterans and service-leavers will be impacted by mental health issues, this is still something that affects civilians too and so should not be a reason not to hire ex-military.

However, Ms Lilley says that many companies approach them looking to recruit those who have left the forces due to the skills they possess and their work ethos, showing there are great opportunities out there.

The charity is available to help those struggling to get into work after leaving the Armed Forces.