Armed Forces
Leaving the Armed Forces doesn’t mean leaving behind your skills and experience. The rail industry offers a natural next step, with opportunities to build a long-term, rewarding career in an environment that values safety and teamwork.
Starting your next chapter in rail
When military personnel make the decision to leave the Armed Forces, we understand how daunting it can be to decide on your next career move. We know this because many of our rail contractors and colleagues made that very move themselves. In the rail sector they found career fields where their transferable skills were not only valued but provided a real advantage when undertaking their roles.
Thousands of veterans and service leavers have forged a new career in the rail sector, and if you’re considering making the move then you’ll be supported throughout. You’ll gain industry-recognised qualifications and track clearance that can help you grow your career, whilst working on projects across the UK to benefit from hands-on experience.
Supporting the Armed Forces community
Here at NRL Rail we’re proud to be advocates of our military personnel and are pleased this commitment is endorsed through our Armed Forces Covenant Employer Recognition Scheme Silver Award.
Across the wider NRL Group our Recruitment business colleagues work closely with the Career Transition Partnership, the official resettlement programme for people leaving the military. Through employment fairs up and down the country they speak to people first-hand. They tell them they want a role that challenges them and allows them to utilise their broad skill set, whilst getting involved with interesting projects. A career in the rail sector provides all of this and much more, whilst providing critical services to keep the UK’s train tracks and infrastructure operating safely.
How your military skills transfer into a rail career
Across your responsibilities in the Armed Forces, you’ll have gained a wide range of transferable skills that will be instrumental in building a successful career in the rail sector.
- Safety awareness
- Teamwork
- Discipline
- Collaboration
- Operational compliance
- Process and procedure
- Technical skills
- Problem solving
- Working under pressure
- Incident response
- Co-ordination
- Leadership
Supporting you during your transition to civilian life
If you’re interested in exploring a career in the rail sector as you prepare to leave the military, or are a veteran looking for their next move, then our Recruitment business has shared some advice to help you get ready for your job search. We’re also committed to supporting the families of military personnel, and post internal roles to join the NRL Group on Forces Families Jobs.
How LinkedIn can help Armed Forces leavers find jobs
For anyone who is planning to leave the Armed Forces, the prospect of finding a new career and online job searching can feel daunting. When you add tools like LinkedIn into the mix, that may be a new social media channel for many service leavers, it can be difficult to know where to start.
Writing a CV as you prepare to leave the Armed Forces
When it comes to requesting a CV from candidates who are planning their departure from the military, people often confide in us that they do not have one. That’s no surprise, especially where service leavers joined the Armed Forces in their youth, or it’s been a long time since they last undertook a job search.
Real career pathways from military to rail
From working on the tracks delivering maintenance services and programme upgrades, to working in back office and operational teams, there is a rail career move that’s right for everyone. Below you can hear from NRL colleagues and contractors on their experience leaving the military and joining NRL Rail.
Steve Horbury
Today, I’m incredibly proud to mark nearly two decades at NRL – a journey that has taken me from the streets of Barnsley to a supervisory position. My path to NRL was shaped by my experiences as an infantryman, serving in challenging environments like Northern Ireland and Bosnia, where I learned the importance of resilience, adaptability, and teamwork.
Transitioning from the structured environment of the army to civilian life can be daunting, but NRL has been an invaluable ally in this journey. The company’s unwavering support, opportunities for growth, and inclusive culture have made the transition smoother and more fulfilling than I could have imagined.
From my humble beginnings as a grinding operative to my current role as a supervisor, NRL has provided me with invaluable opportunities for development and advancement. The unwavering support and encouragement from my colleagues and leadership team have played a pivotal role in my journey, and for that, I am deeply grateful. As I reflect on this milestone, I am filled with appreciation for NRL’s dedication to excellence, innovation, and inclusivity. It is truly inspiring to be part of a company that values its employees and fosters a culture of continuous growth and learning.
Phil Taylor
The Armed forces teaches you discipline, respect & loyalty it really is a profession like no other so upon leaving its understandable to think that it’ll be difficult to transfer those values to another organisation and to be able to use them in the same way.
With NRL not only was I able to use my current skill set effectively I was also able to gain the necessary experience through on the job training and taking qualifications in a classroom environment to improve my knowledge and skill set which has enabled me to have a very successful career away from the Armed Forces. There are always opportunities.
Alec Wright
I started working for NRL in 2013 as a grinder on the London underground. Worked my way through to GSM on the national grinding contract. NRL is a company that gives you potential to better your railway career.
Pat McCarthy
After 22 year service in the RAF, I had reservations about working in a civvy street. What I didn’t realise was that the skill sets developed in the mob, are more than transferable and greatly valued, as the engrained discipline and work ethos the Armed Forces foster is fully welcomed by any would be employer.
After originally going down the recruitment route, I was directly employed with NRL 11 years as the Group HSE&Q Manager. This is the nearest I have come to the service comradery since leaving the mob. NRL’s values lend themselves, to the core, of those embedded by the forces. The professionalism of all the staff is second to none as they ensure the values set are continually applied in promoting individual aspirations, they work as team with drive and vigor making individuals valued and invested in.
Start your career in rail
We’re always keen to hear from veterans and service leavers to see how we can support them with a career move into the rail sector, like many of our valued colleagues have done previously.
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