Milestone 1: Assess the Options
Maybe you knew what to expect. Maybe you didn’t. Regardless of your expectations, you are resilient and willing to grow wherever you’re planted. That isn’t easy when the only thing predictable about military life seems to be its unpredictability. You do not need to sideline your career aspirations, but you do need to know when to call in reinforcements. There are organizations and programs nationwide that understand the difficulties you may have starting and maintaining a career and want to support you in identifying the available resources that can help you build and strengthen your skills, find fulfilling remote work, or start your own business. Utilizing their tools and knowledge, while leveraging their networks will give you a strong support system while you explore your options.
Understand the estimated length of time stationed in this location
You know that you may have to relocate at any time, so before you can focus on any specific area of career development or pursue a particular career, try to evaluate the length of time you will likely live in your current location and how frequent moves may impact your earning potential and chosen career path. There is no one-size-fits-all approach, but ask yourself baseline questions that will help you set long-term career goals as much as possible. For instance, will you be in any one location long enough to complete a course of training, or would you be better served to seek and secure gainful employment that adds to your professional experience? To set your personal strategy, take a little time to consider the return on investment of your time, money, and energy. In doing so, you can embark on career-related endeavors that help you now and later.*
Real Life Snapshot
One military spouse shares the questions she considers for employment each time she moves: “How long can I expect to be in this location? Is it worth it to try to maintain my career path – in terms of time, effort, and money? Is it worth it to apply for the teaching license, to seek the engineering certification, to pass the bar, when I might have to move before I can put it to use?”
All Set with Your personal Strategy?
Evaluate Possible Employment Opportunities
Finding meaningful work in any location can take a great deal of time and effort. You may have taken the lead on all of the household and family logistics related to your latest move, and now you’re ready to attack your job search with the same determination. Don’t skip your research phase! As you’re considering all of the available opportunities, gain a clear understanding of the local job market, salary ranges, top industries, and the resources available to assist you. Other considerations such as your service member’s work schedule and possible deployment schedule; child care; commute times; and cost of living for your area may also influence your career decisions. You can even start your research before you move, so you can hit the ground running once you’re settled in your new home.
2019 Survey: Key Finding
Military spouses think it’s common to put their careers on the backburner, not apply for jobs because they feel they don’t have the right skills, and find themselves overwhelmed on how to get started looking for work.
| Put your career on the backburner because of the challenges of being in a military family | Put your career on hold because it is too much effort to re-credential in a different state | Take a job that is uninteresting, low paying, or below your skill level | Feel there’s no point in pursuing a job because your length of stay is so uncertain | Find yourself overwhelmed on how to get started looking for work or training opportunities | Learn a new skill set to make it easier to find jobs when moving a lot | Start a business or do freelance/contract work because traditional employment opportunities are unavailable | Avoid applying for a job because you didn’t think you had the right skills | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Common Among Military Spouses | 78 | 76 | 76 | 76 | 72 | 69 | 69 | 63 |
| Has Happened to Me | 78 | 37 | 70 | 55 | 68 | 58 | 40 | 68 |
Each time I look for a job I feel very underqualified or overqualified and it’s really disheartening.
2019 Military Spouse Survey Respondent
Resources For
EXPLORING THE LOCAL JOB MARKET
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PARTNERS
American Job Centers
There are nearly 2,400 AJCs that provide free help to job seekers for a variety of career and employment-related needs.
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PARTNERS
CareerOneStop Self-Employment Resources
CareerOneStop is your source for online career exploration, training & jobs from the Department of Labor.
U.S. BUREAU OF LABOR STATISTICS
Occupational Outlook Handbook
Browse jobs by field or see careers in the fastest growing or highest paying fields.
Resources For
Employment Support
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR PARTNERS
INSTALLATION RESOURCES
Use the MilitaryINSTALLATIONS website to find a Spouse Education, Training and Careers program. Go to Military One Source’s Military Installations. Choose that you are looking for a “Program or service” from the drop-down menu, then type in “Spouse Education, Training and Careers” and then search based on zip code or installation name.
Department of Labor
Transition Employment Assistance for Military Spouses
TEAMS workshops are stand-alone training modules conducted virtually with a facilitator to assist spouses in planning and preparing for the job search and pursuit of employment goals.
GOOGLE Remote Work Job Search
Search “work from home jobs” on Google to explore remote job opportunities across industries.
Hiring Our Heroes
Military Spouse Resources
Provides military spouses with career development, fellowships, and networking opportunities in military communities around the world.
Resources For
CHILD CARE AND SCHOOL-AGE CARE
Department of Defense
Military Childcare
This secure Department of Defense (DoD) website provides a single gateway for you to find comprehensive information on military-operated or military-approved child care programs worldwide.
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
ChildCare Aware
Child Care Aware has partnered with the United States Military and Department of Defense to serve and support their families through the Fee Assistance and Respite Child Care Programs.
NO LONGER ELIGIBLE FOR MILITARY COMMUNITY RESOURCES?
Childcare.gov is a resource for those who are no longer eligible for resources attached to service. The site provides links to your state’s resources to find childcare.
Done Evaluating Job Opportunities?
Consider Education and Training Opportunities
You have already invested in yourself with education and professional skills, but if your thirst for knowledge and self-improvement prevails, it will only increase your value to potential employers. Upskilling or enrolling in a degree program can help you develop new abilities in a specific discipline such as health care or business, boost technical skills like project management or graphic design, or strengthen soft skills such as communication or problem-solving. As with anything that impacts your career, you’ll want to feel good about your choices, so just look at it with your long-term plan in mind. Before you enroll in a training or degree program, consider all the factors that will help you choose an educational program that contributes to your career goals. These factors include costs and timelines for training completion, your preference for online versus traditional or hybrid classroom-style learning and work and family obligations. As you consider your learning options, resources are available to help prioritize upskilling and educational endeavors, while still working and navigating military life.
Real Life Snapshot
Military spouses shared some of their considerations when determining whether to upskill or reskill with Hiring Our Heroes. One spouse told us she asks herself the following questions: “If I invest in further training and education, will it pay off? How will I know if the training I’m investing in will be portable?”
Key Findings
Military spouses frequently pursue training and education opportunities to open up new or expanded career paths.
The 2019 Military Spouse Career Journeys study demonstrated that:
- 8 in 10 military spouses have already pursued additional training/education, and a majority are still ‘very likely’ to pursue further training/education in the future
- Military spouses were equally interested in pursuing a degree, a certificate, or brushing up on new skills
- Military spouses were most focused on getting skills they could use no matter where they lived
- Overall, military spouses were interested in HR specialist, office supervisor, and market research analyst positions, and showed some interest in IT support professional and software developer positions
