The Hunt: Getting on the Path to Employment- Military Spouse Style

Military spouses move… often! In fact, according to Tutor.com we are ten times more likely to move than our civilian counterparts. The duty locations those PCS (Permanent Change of Station) orders send us to are not always big metropolitan cities, such as Manhattan or Washington DC, but rather Twenty Nine Palms, Fort Hood, or Scott Air Force Base. Combine those factors with a 26% unemployment rate among spouses, it is no surprise that finding a job can be a challenge… and establishing a career can seem like even more of an obstacle.

The good news is that your fellow military spouses have created dozens of employment-based programs that fit the unique lifestyle you lead, and they can be accessed for FREE. From assessing your goals to creating a quality resume to mock interviews, below is an outline of all of the military service organizations who specialize in military spouse employment. We did the research, it is up to you to create an actionable plan that conforms to what YOU want to be when you grow up… or what you want to be during this current duty station assignment.

Smart Goals

First, in order to accomplish any goal you have to evaluate what it is you want to achieve. Are you looking for a job to make some extra family income, or do you want to be on a path to your dream career? An effective tool for outlining your objectives is S.M.A.R.T goals: Specific-Measurable-Attainable-Realistic-Timely.

• Specific: Write out exactly what it is you are looking to achieve; for example, “I want to find a part time job at a hospital so I can gain experience in a healthcare setting.”
• Measurable: What is the measured outcome of what you want to accomplish? For example, “I want to find a job that earns enough to cover food shopping costs.”
• Attainable: Set yourself up for success by choosing a goal that you can conquer.
• Realistic: When creating a plan, take into account all of the components of your life. Do you have a deployment on the horizon? Busy sports’ schedules for your children? Will you be moving soon?
• Timely: What is your timeframe for accomplishing your goal?

The Military Spouse Foundation is another avenue to assess exactly what you are looking to complete; they offer complete career assessments and self-evaluations. Further, starting in April and running through November, they will be offering Career Prep Rallies & Workshops. You can find a schedule of events at: https://www.militaryspousefoundation.org/career-prep-rally-and-workshops/

Becoming a Viable Candidate

Next, establish the tools you need to be competitive in the employment process. Creating cover letters and resumes that stand out is not an overnight process and the ‘rules’ of what employers are looking for are always evolving. Organizations like the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN) can help you build a resume that appeals to what employers are looking for in a candidate. In the last 55 working days, MSCCN has helped 512 applicants find jobs. They offer one on one training, like building career battle plans, helping you to understand the employment process, and taking you through a mock interview.

Reference: (https://www.msccn.org/)

Stand Out When Competing Online

In today’s job market it is common for employers to have an all online application process. So, how do you differentiate yourself from other interviewees? We asked Stacy Swearengen, of Military Spouse Portable Career Planning, how to stand out amongst hundreds of online applicants:

1. Stop applying to jobs online (…sort of). The ease of applying online gives many job seekers a false sense of accomplishment every time they hit “submit” on an application, which can lead to subconsciously measuring success by the number of applications submitted. This means most people are spending more time on the quantity of resumes they send than on the quality of one or two applications. To stand out, take at least 30 percent of the time you are spending searching/applying to less-than-fitting jobs and instead spend it into tweaking your resume and cover letter to match the one or two dream jobs you really want.

2. Transfer all of the preparation you do for a career fair into your online actions. When going to a career fair or applying to a job in person, you wear appropriate attire and (hopefully) present your best professional self. In today’s virtual world, you have to think about your online presence in the same way. Some of the savviest job seekers are developing simple online sites and portfolios to showcase their most recent accomplishments, current projects and ultimately market themselves. This is key because the information can be changed, even after the application is submitted. Consider putting any information on your site that demonstrates your skills (stay away from personal information and anything that you wouldn’t tell a potential employer). You can start this easily using a wordpress site.

3. Manage your online identity to ensure the Google Results that employers are pulling are what you want. You can use tools like https://www.onlineidcalculator.com/index.php to start the process. Also, make sure to Google yourself and check the results consistently.

Reference: https://www.portablecareerplanning.com/

Consider a Career That Will PCS With You

Licensing careers have been a hot topic within the military community because spouses want to be able to have a continuation of career once those PCS orders come. Fields such as nursing and teaching can offer great advantages to those in a portable lifestyle. To date, 28 states have signed legislation to grant spouses ease of transfer. See where your state falls on the map:

View The Map

Reference: Executive Director of Joining Forces, Todd Veazie

The Most Portable Career: Entrepreneurship

According to the Blue Star Families survey for 2012, 26% of spouses own their own business. Entrepreneurship gives a strong sense of empowerment because it is one of the few things in this unique life that you can have control over. The Small Business Administration (SBA) has SCORE offices around the country that can help you create a business plan, apply for funding, and learn skills like marketing and advertising. Additionally, the Military Spouse Business Association (MSBA) was founded by three military spouses who are entrepreneurs themselves. They offer legal advice, mentorship, a small business incubator, and resources on starting and managing your own business.

Reference: https://www.sba.gov/; https://www.milspousebiz.org/

Steve Jobs once said, “Your time is limited, so don’t waste it living someone else’s life. Don’t be trapped by dogma – which is living with the results of other people’s thinking. Don’t let the noise of others’ opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.” If you want a job, get a job. If you want a career, get a career. Whatever you decide to do, do it for you and let your peers who have paved the way walk alongside you through the support programs they have created. Let your interests and your motivation guide the direction you take your job hunt so that you can land the exact thing you want to be doing.

The Spouse Employment Players