WannaBe,
Lots of good stuff on here especially the licensing pitfalls and tips. As to some of the things you need to do after that little hurdle, here are a few things that worked for me after leaving the RAF FJ world 18 months ago after 18 years.
AFT at Exeter highly recommended. Lots of Civ and ex-mil chaps who are all very good at teaching you what you
need to know to pass an IR safely but in minimum time/cost. They recognise that you are an experienced mil pilot but that you will know cock-all about NDB holds and assymetric ILS' in a Beech Duchess (I certainly didn't). Most guys seem to do it in around 12 hrs or less which included a ME Skills test. Two yrs ago it all cost about £4k and if you're still tight for cash you can stay in the RM Officers' Mess at Lympstone.
RAFCARS worked well for me. Used it on my BA app and got a call for interview 4 weeks later. Also very surprised to get a call out of the blue from someone at Cathay and at Netjets so the networking thing seemed to be in operation here. If, for example you are going for BA, it will also allow you to go for interview up to 2 yrs (I think) before your exit and then await a sim date in the knowledge you have that little hurdle sorted. Agree with comment elsewhere that the BA tests are similar to those in the RAF. By lucky chance I was interviewed by the chap in BA who runs recruitment and they seem very pro ex-RAF. There will always be exceptions to this and you do occasionally hear stories of some ex-mil tossers about the place but thats life in a big company!
Did the MCC at Jetlinx.
http://www.jetlinx.co.uk/index1.htm.
Can't praise them enough. Planned to do it immediately before the BA sim. It is done at Cranebank with BA instructors using broadly BA SOPs on either the A320 or B757 - your choice. It seemed a tad more expensive than some others at £3300 but was worth the long-term investment IMHO. To keep cost down agin you can stay at RAF Uxbridge or use some resettlement accom money here where hotels are more expensive than around Exeter. For this or the IR you can use ELCs.
A few guys I know joined some other very good companies at the same time. Never here too many gripes about Virgin for sure. In BA, now that the BARP pension is just about sorted, once you throw in a bit of monthly Air Force Pension, greater salary, time off etc etc you realise that life is pretty good on the outside.
Good luck with the whole process and feel free to pm me if necessary.
Cheers, SG