Imagine it. There’s a calm vibe around your house.
Savoring this rare time to chill, you decide to return a phone call. At the moment you start chatting, your child launches himself off the couch, enticing your dog to start chasing the cat, while the UPS man knocks on your door in need of a delivery signature.
I'm sure, fellow military spouses, that a whirlwind like this has happened around your home. Just when you think all is well, everything becomes topsy-turvy!
On a similar note, when you take a moment and think of how much you enjoy your current job and are happy with where you live, your spouse will come home from work with military orders for a new assignment. Every. Time.
Thankfully, there is hope when this military life becomes topsy-turvy.
There are gobs of online resources for when a military spouse must start all over again. When questions like, “Maybe I’ll go back to school?” or “Maybe I want a different type of job?” become a part of your PCS, there are answers available.
Take a peek at this list of updated military spouse education and employment websites.
Bookmark these military spouse resources!
MilitaryByOwner's Blogs and Resource Articles
We are constantly updating our Resources and Blog posts here on the the MilitaryByOwner website, covering topics specific to military life such as employment, raising military kids, deployments, PCS, and much more! Along with our staff writers, we're happy to feature guest writers with expertise on the issues that matter to you as a military spouse.
Military OneSource
Military OneSource is also a bookmark-worthy site on your trusty laptop, tablet, or device. At Military OneSource, you can find answers to the wide array of questions that pop up in this often spontaneous military life.
Under the “Education & Employment” tab of the MilitaryOneSource website, there’s a link to “Spouse Education & Employment Opportunities”(SECO). With topics from financing education to working overseas, this easy-to-navigate web page is filled to the brim with helpful information.
For further guidance, you can create an account with the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) program. This program is tied to the SECO Military OneSource website and offers networking and job listings as part of its career portal. An added plus of MSEP is the “Spouse Ambassador Network” which advocates, mentors and supports military spouses and their quest for meaningful employment.
Hiring Our Heroes
With a compilation of helpful resources for job seekers, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce website includes the Hiring Our Heroes initiative. This nationwide effort offers veterans, transitioning military, and military spouses helpful resources as they look for employment.
Under the “Work” tab of this website is the latest news on networking events, informative summits, and hiring fairs. With the “Hiring Our Heroes” link, if you hover over the “Spouses” icon you'll see links appear with a wealth of information available for military spouses and caregivers.
In Gear Career
Included in the above links is one for the In Gear Career program.
Want to meet with other career-minded military spouses? Consider being a part of this online community or attending the local In Gear Career chapter activities.
Blue Star Families
Hiring Our Heroes joined with Blue Star Families to provide a Spouse Employment Toolkit for resume and job-hunting support.
This online instrument syncs with the Career Spark program for military spouses. Career Spark is affiliated with popular websites such as CareerBuilder, Monster.com, and the U.S. Dept. of Labor website AmericanJobCenter.com.
Additionally, AmericanJobCenter offers a web page designed with military spouses in mind, Career One Stop.
For further military spouse career and education resources, consider the following.
- Business savvy military spouses looking for remote career opportunities can browse the job board and career tips at America’s Career Force.
- Tips posted on the military-to-civilian career transition website Corporate Gray may help prepare a military spouse for interviews and networking.
- With the Instant Teams site, a military spouse may build a profile, look for jobs, and connect with other military spouses via this professional network.
- When hunting for a job online, Military.com offers a job search engine as part of their Military Spouse Career Center.
- Browse the Spouses and Scholarships tab from the National Military Family Association to discover grants and aid.
- The Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN) partners with Corporate America Supports You (CASY) to support military spouses with training and employment programs.
- With PCS Proof Your Career, hunt for job listings and follow the tips and hints shared on the blog.
- Powerhouse Planning gives military spouses samples of cover letters and resume layouts, an interview checklist, and tips for positive presence on social media.
- After clocking a designated amount of time at an assignment, a military spouse may be eligible for the Department of Defense (DoD) Priority Placement Program with civilian employment. With the Air Force, enrollment with the Civilian Personnel Department occurs at the Military Personnel Flight (MPF) office.
- Salute to Spouses offers education and scholarship information along with job listings via the National Resource Directory (NRD).
- Another option may be an online search on the website of your state. For example, I currently reside in Virginia so my state site is Virginia.gov. Your state's site may have a list of government jobs available and resources for job placement.
As described in MilitaryByOwner's resource article, “The Ultimate Guide For Military Spouse Employment”, each branch of service has employment websites for a military spouse to explore. On the same note, there are branch-specific spouse education benefits available.
It may be helpful to speak with someone at the Education Center of your military station for more details on financing your education goals.
If you're soon facing the whirlwind of another PCS, browsing the employment and education resources noted in this post may bring positive changes with your career aspirations or higher learning pursuit!
