It’s not quite as simple as Mr Ward suggests. There are certainly occasions when an ex-services person will be the ideal candidate, but there are just as many occasions when the military ethos is a major disadvantage in the commercial world. In terms of individual drive, being results driven and giving one’s all, military training is excellent preparation but that is not the whole story. Often in the commercial world you are forced to work with people many grades above you who are not burdened down with a massive intellect or a comprehensive understanding of the task, but to point this out only makes the situation worse. If you have no concept of playing politics with subordinates or superiors, it will often bite you at annual review time. A bit like those of us who used to think “Bloggs does not suffer fools gladly” was a compliment, instead of realizing it meant you were self-serving and intransigent.
In my experience, the smaller and more agile the organization, the easier it is to utilize previous military experience. People who run or control their own businesses often have a much more focused view on how to exploit the capabilities of an employee, and the employee can see the benefits of their contribution more readily than if they were in a large corporation. It really is horses for courses in most cases, which is why I shudder as the sweeping generality that ” …employing Ex Military personnel is great for business”. Did Mr Ward never meet an absolute tool in the military, because I know I did. Transition to civvy street would not have improved any of these dullards, only voluntary euthanasia could have really helped them. Some people really were truly career limited at whatever rank they made it to, and nothing in the commercial world will ever change that.
Some of my sharpest colleagues are and have been prior military, and some of the people who have been moved on have also been prior military. Like most of life it comes down to the individual and how they choose to exploit and sell the valuable skills the military invests in them. It’s always going to come down to the interview or the recommendation, hiring somebody solely on the strength of prior service is a gamble I would be unwilling to take. Mr Ward isn't totally wrong, but he is wrong to think “Ex military” is a valid employment group without further and extensive qualification.