Useful Links

There are many Government, For Profit and Nonprofit organizations that are working to support different aspects of Military Spouse employment and the number of websites and acronyms can be daunting. We have developed this list to reflect those resources that we believe are of most use to the Military Spouses employed in or seeking professional level opportunities.

Exploring Different Career Paths

O-Net: A Department of Labor sponsored site for exploring the skills and tasks associated with different occupational fields.

BLS: In depth occupational studies of each different career type.

Job Search

Military Spouse Employment Partnership. Over 130 military spouse friendly companies including some Fortune 500 companies advertise positions through the Military Spouse Employment Partnership portal. Although the majority of positions here are also advertised on Veteran Friendly websites, the Company website and commercial websites such as Indeed, the companies listed have made a commitment to military spouse employment. They have often had to adapt their website to incorporate the MSEP feed and report military spouse hiring numbers each month to maintain involvement in the Partnership. The companies involved may be more amenable to adapting long term work and career arrangements to support the military lifestyle. Application through this website rather than one of the other websites posting the same position will not give a direct preference but may have some inherent advantage due to the company’s MSEP involvement.

Military Spouse Corporate Career Network. The Military Spouse Corporate Career Network is a free resource which pairs military spouse job seekers with an assigned career counselor to locate appropriate employment.

Federal Employment

 
Employment with the Federal Government can be an attractive option for military spouse professionals. In Gear Career’s new publication, “The Military Spouse’s Guide to Federal & Contractor Employment“ explains the different types of Federal employment and provides strategies and tips to help you pursue professional-level positions within the government or with a government contractor.

Employment Assistance

Family Employment Readiness Program. Depending on your service branch, your Fleet and Family Support Center, Marine Corps Community Services, Airman and Family Readiness Center, or Army Community Service Center can provide you with information on their Family Employment Readiness Program. Each service branch sponsors information and support programs for service members and their families. You can call or visit any installation Army Community Service Center, Marine Corps Community Services, Fleet and Family Support Center, or Airman and Family Readiness Center regardless of your branch affiliation. Locate your closet Family Employment Readiness Program by Service:

• Army: www.myarmyonesource.com
• Marine Corps: www.usmc-mccs.org
• Navy: www.cnic.navy.mil
• Air Force: www.afcommunity.af.mil
• National Guard: www.jointservicessupport.org

Military OneSource. This free 24-hour service is available to all active duty, Guard, and Reserve members (regardless of activation status) and their families. Consultants provide information and make referrals on a wide range of issues. Free face-to-face counseling sessions (and their equivalent by phone or online) are also available. Call 1-800-342-9647 or go to www.militaryonesource.mil to learn more.

Next Steps for Vets is a website featuring tools and resources to help veterans and their spouses find employment and education opportunities. The site offers “The Post-9/11 GI Bill Calculator”, a tool that helps you estimate how much money you can expect to receive, and answers questions about the GI Bill and other education benefits.
 

Professional Networking

Linked In. There are a number of military spouse specific groups on linked in which are also populated by military friendly employers. Connect with other spouses or directly with employers who have positions advertised as this is far more effective than applying ‘off the street.’ Military Spouse specific groups include:

Military Spouse Professionals

Military Spouses Connected

Military Spouse Employers, and

Military Spouse Employment Partnership

Mentoring

MilSpouse eMentor Program. The MilSpouse eMentor Program allows you to personally select a business professional or senior military spouse in your field who has volunteered through the program to provide one-on-one guidance, support and encouragement in your career.

Social Media

Liking and following organizations and agencies on Facebook allows you to stay up to date with the latest news in Military Spouse Employment. Relevant pages you may be interested in include:

In Gear Career for Military Spouses

Blue Star Families

MilSpouse eMentor Leadership Program

Military Spouse Employment Partnership

Military Community and Family Policy

Joining Forces

MOAA Spouse

Hiring our Heroes

Macho Spouse

National Military Family Association

Military Spouses Residency Relief Act

Legislation and Programs that affect your career

Military Spouses Residency Relief Act: MSRRA enables military spouses to align their state of residence and taxation arrangements with the service member according to specific conditions. There is no nationwide website reflecting information for each state. The following link from Military.com provides a good start, or google your state and MSRRA for further information.

Military Spouse Unemployment Compensation: 40 States recognize ‘leaving a position to accompany a military service member on PCS’ as a valid reason to apply for unemployment benefits.

Military Spouse License and Certification Portability: 26 States (as of July 2012) have passed measures to enable military spouses to transfer their occupational licenses and credentials between states.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA): There are Military Family provisions under the FMLA which allow you the opportunity to take leave in certain circumstances (such as the deployment of a spouse, R&R with a deployed spouse, official military functions or to provide childcare while a spouse is deployed) if you work for Government, State or Federal Agencies, Schools or private companies of over 50 employees.

Please use the comments section below to share your experiences with these organizations and resources or to list any other websites that you have found useful.