How to find a job in the defence industry, apply the experience and skills gained during military service, and access support at different stages — in the Ministry of Defence’s explainer.
The Ministry of Defence of Ukraine is developing opportunities for service members who have completed their military service and want to continue their professional careers in the defence industry.
The ZBROYA government services portal brings together practical tools for job searches, career counselling, training and professional development.
What opportunities are available on the ZBROYA portal
Those looking for jobs in the defence industry can use one or more of the following tools:
- apply for career counselling — after submitting the form, a career adviser will contact you;
- browse current defence industry vacancies on partner platforms, including Lobby X, Robota.ua, Work.ua and DOU;
- explore training and professional development opportunities, including the state education voucher, the professional adaptation programme, KSE ProTech and the “Narodnyi FPV” course;
- access psychological support — the page provides links to book consultations with the NGO Vilnyi Vybir and Vesta Charitable Foundation;
- visit the “Legal Assistance” section, which brings together relevant services and useful contacts.
You can start your job search in whichever way is most convenient for you: seek career counselling, browse vacancies independently, or first identify which knowledge and professional skills you may need to develop to transition into a new field.
How to choose a career path in the defence industry based on your experience
The experience gained during military service can provide a strong foundation for a career in the defence industry. At the same time, it is not always obvious how to translate military skills into a civilian profession or present them effectively to an employer.
This is why career counselling from Lobby X specialists is available through ZBROYA.
During an individual consultation, you can:
- identify your strengths and professional interests;
- assess the experience and skills gained during military service;
- identify potential professional roles in the defence industry;
- prepare or improve your CV;
- adapt your military and combat experience to an employer’s requirements;
- find relevant vacancies;
- identify the need for training, retraining or an internship;
- prepare for a job interview;
- receive support throughout your job search.
To use the career counselling service:
- Go to the ZBROYA portal.
- Open the relevant section for service members who have completed military service.
- Select “Career Counselling”.
- Click “Submit an application”.
- Complete the form.
A career adviser will then contact you.
The ZBROYA portal also provides links to career counselling offered by the NGO Free People Employment Centre and Superhumans.
How to search for jobs in the defence industry
If you already know what kind of job you are looking for, you can go straight to the vacancy listings.
ZBROYA brings together links to four platforms with current defence industry vacancies: Lobby X, Robota.ua, Work.ua and DOU.
This allows you to search for positions based on your experience, specialisation and professional interests.
Do you need additional training?
Not necessarily. Training can be the next step if a particular profession or vacancy requires new skills, deeper knowledge or a change of specialisation.
The ZBROYA portal features, among others:
- the state education voucher — for retraining or professional development;
- the state professional adaptation programme;
- KSE ProTech — free technical training with the possibility of subsequent employment;
- “Narodnyi FPV” — a free online course covering the basics of assembling and configuring training FPV drones.
If an assessment of your experience shows that additional competencies are needed for the position you want, training or retraining can become the next stage of your professional transition.
How to prepare for employing veterans
Successful employment depends not only on the candidate. Defence companies also need to prepare their teams and internal processes for integrating service members who have completed their military service.
ZBROYA provides training for defence industry representatives on employing and professionally integrating people with military and combat experience.
These sessions cover practical issues such as:
- preparing teams to work with service members after military service;
- adapting HR processes;
- integrating employees with military and combat experience;
- psychological support;
- ethical and appropriate communication;
- using experience gained during military service to strengthen teams and the production capabilities of defence companies.
Work is also underway to assess the needs of defence manufacturers regarding the employment and integration of service members after completing their military service. The findings will help provide a better understanding of companies’ needs and improve the relevant support tools.