It's what you make it
Having been a civvy for twice as long as I was in the RAF I still find that I call on my experience from that time. I have had several jobs and currently enjoy a very senior position in aviation in Asia (non flying, I have to work for a living!!) I believe that it all comes down to the individual and their desire and willingness to adapt and adopt to their new environment, wherever that may be. I do have one complaint, why does every exiting serviceman think that having a string of letters after their name will make them more employable? In my experience they are largely meaningless and do not enhance the opportunity for employment.