5 Tips to Conquer Military Spouse Employment 

If you think military life is interesting, military spouse employment is a whole other animal. Finding employment in general, whether you’re a military spouse or not, can be difficult. However, it’s well known, that when your significant other is in the military, it adds an additional layer of complications. Read below to find out some of the best tips I found, as a military spouse myself, that helped make the impossible, possible!

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Education… Will it help me find employment? 

Not all jobs require long hours of education. HOWEVER, educating yourself can help set your resume apart from others. Something things to consider regarding education…

• Will this education help me get a job in any state? 
• Will this college/institution provide a military discount?
• Are there resources available to me to help me pay for this education? 
• Will I be able to continue my education if we get new orders? 
• Is this right for me? 
• Will this help add value to our income? 
• Do I like what I’m studying? 
• Will this be a field I can work remotely in?
• Are there jobs available in this field I’m studying? 
• Am I willing to make time for this? 

Before deciding on moving forward, the list above are some things you really should think about. As a military spouse, you do have a lot of resources available to you that you may not be aware of.  

For example, did you know that you may be eligible for a grant that will pay for education, professional certifications, and more! I’ve learned that sometimes having certifications are actually more beneficial than having multiple degrees. 

As a spouse, you can apply for a scholarship through organizations like MyCAA. Once accepted, you can then use that funding to pay for short-term education courses. MedCerts for example has helped well over 50,000 people earn certifications and helped their students earn higher-paid positions through their vast employer partner network! 

I have personally earned a scholarship through MedCerts which offers short-term training for healthcare and technology-based professional certifications. My results… I was able to find a fully remote higher-paying position that fits perfectly into our military lifestyle. 

I highly recommend checking them out if you are interested in any technical or healthcare certifications. The best part is that it’s all online and you can do it at your own pace! To Apply for more information on MedCerts Classes, click this link!

Are There Remote Options for Military Spouse Employment? 

OF COURSE! There are more opportunities than ever to find a remote position nowadays. Using job search sites like, Indeed, Monster, Linkedin, USAJobs, etc., you’ll be able to find a lot of opportunities for remote work. It helps when visiting those sites to filter the jobs out by searching for remote work only or searching for jobs in the specific field you want to work in. 

Be Willing to Put Yourself Out There!

This is something that is a MUST. If you don’t put your name out there and try to apply to jobs that you want but maybe think you’re not qualified for, then you will never know if you had a chance. I promise you it’s absolutely okay to not get the job, but if you don’t try, to me that’s worse. 

Sometimes you may not be as good as someone else who applied on paper, but you may have skills that they don’t have in person. DO NOT COUNT YOURSELF OUT! I applied for a job that I probably didn’t have as many qualifications as some of the other candidates but after interviewing I was offered the position. If I hadn’t shot for the stars, I would have never had such an amazing opportunity as I do today. Be like Nike… JUST DO IT!

What’s on Your Resume?

The way your resume looks, says a lot about you, literally. It’s important to spend time on your resume because that’s the very first impression you’re going to be giving. 

Some key details I HIGHLY RECOMMEND are…

• Include Skills Test Results…
  • • Skills tests are available on Indeed, LinkedIn, or other platforms that you can take to showcase your efficiency on a particular skill. The best part is they’re free!
• Make sure your resume is specific and to the point… NO FLUFF!
  • • Don’t go down the rabbit hole. Just tell them exactly what you did and when you did it. 
• Include date ranges… 
  • • this will help your potential new employer to have a better understanding of your background.
• Keep it professional…
  • • Don’t send a multi-colored document with pictures or cutesy elements… the cleaner looking the better! 
• PROOFREAD IT… then have someone else proof it again! 
  • • You really don’t want to send a resume with errors… it’s not a good look…
• HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY!
  • • Do NOT lie on your resume… They do background checks. 

These tips are great to use when looking for military spouse employment, and even better to use when building a resume. I was specifically told by an employer I was interviewing with, that it was appreciated when I included my skills test results on my resume. I even got hired because of them. The more transparent you are on your resume, and having proof to back it up can really go a long way!  

Military Spouse Employment Resources

As a military spouse, you are provided a bunch of different resources that you can use to help in your search for a new job. Military OneSource is a GREAT place to start. They provide a lot of different resources to you, not just for employment, so check them out for sure. 

Other resources include things like…

• Family Member Employment Assistant Programs (FMEAP) on Marine Corps Bases
• The Spouse Force program through Blue Star Families
• MyCAA (My Career Advancement Account) (This is the program I used for my certification courses.)
• LinkedIn Premium account access. As a military spouse, you are eligible for a one-year premium membership for LinkedIn for free.
• Military Spouse Preference. You can complete documentation to have military spouse preference when applying to certain jobs. This applies to you if your service member is an active-duty member of the armed forces. 

There are many other resources available to you as a spouse. Make sure you reach out to your Family Readiness Coordinator on Base, to learn more about the options that are available for you and your family! 

Final Remarks… 

Being a military spouse can be challenging at times, but so worth it in the end. The things that you and your spouse endure during a military career are no small feet. It will bring you closer and test your relationship more than you could imagine. It will be some of the hardest times, but you will create some of the absolute best memories and find some real friends for life. 

What you do with your experience is up to you. Know that you have so many resources in your back pocket, and you are never alone! Comment below some of your favorite resources as a military spouse. If you have any tips for this community, be sure to list them in the comments! Until next time…

If you liked this post check out some of my other posts… 

5 Tips on Navigating Military Life

What It’s Really Like Living on Base

How to Create the Perfect Moving Checklist