There is some good advice above.
Some years on from my release, I would certainly echo the idea of "civilianising" your CV - no abbreviations or jargon. I would also advocate this with regard to language (i.e. saying "Ministry of Defence" as opposed to saying it as MOD).
There are civilian employers couldn't care less that you have a service background, and this can be a surprise to some. Equally, there are those employers who value the qualities it can bestow upon an individual.
When I left, I too my first job at £9,500pa, after a military salary of £22,500pa. Having been unemployed for over six months, I bit their hand off for it - being unemployed is not fun when you're work minded.
Good luck - there
is a world out there - it's just different!
