10 free resources military spouses can tap to gain experience and grow careers

When the annual Blue Star Families Military Family Lifestyle Survey came out in March, many military and Veteran spouses cited barriers to work as a top concern.

It comes as no surprise then that many sessions at the 2022 Virtual Military Spouse Symposium, from May 10-12, were dedicated to military spouse employment.

This includes a resource-packed session on the many ways military spouses can tap the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program to gain experience and career skills, largely for free. If you’re based in the United States or overseas, these no-cost “MySECO” services are available to you as a military spouse of active duty, National Guard and reserve service member; of a military member separated from service for less than 365 days; and of a military service member who died while on active duty.

Whether you’re looking start, switch or advance in a career, use the resources to focus your work-related skills, interests and values, advised MySECO Career Coach Kristen Silverman, who presented the “Gaining Experience: Build Your Career and Get the Skills You Need” session on May 10. Here are just 10 sample benefits among many more available to military spouses:

1. Assess your career personality. Are you searching for or changing careers? Create or use your existing MySECO account to access the Traitify Personality Assessment tool and other tools that guide you to your dream job based on your interests, skills and education. Traitify’s visual personality assessment in 90 seconds analyzes how you fit within seven career “personalities.” It provides you with tailored career recommendations with details like the required level of education and degree, expected salary and the possibility for job growth, according to Silverman and information at MySECO. Details: Find Traitify and other MySECO career self-assessment tools at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/career-self-assessment-tools. Do some job prospect research on your own by reviewing the MySECO occupational outlook handbook at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/occupational-outlook-handbook.

2. Gain experience. Silverman noted that if you’re short on skills or have gaps on your resume, acquire experience through apprenticeships, fellowships, internships, externships (“job shadowing”) and volunteering. She recommended starting your search for these experiences and job opportunities at the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP). MSEP connects you with more than 540 employers who’ve pledged to recruit, hire, promote and retain military spouses, she said. Details: Search by keyword, location or experience (e.g., apprenticeship) at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/msep. Access other experiences through DOD SkillBridge Program, https://skillbridge.osd.mil/spouses.htm; the Registered Apprenticeship Program, https://www.apprenticeship.gov; and Pathways for Students and Recent Graduates to Federal Careers, https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-information/students-recent-graduates/#url=Overview.

3. Become a volunteer to advance your career. Silverman noted that volunteering can also advance careers and help you get hired. She cited a 2016 survey by Deloitte finding that active volunteers build leadership skills and that having “volunteering experience on a resume may make job candidates significantly more attractive to employers.” Details: Silverman said search for volunteer opportunities at MSEP, https://www.volunteer.gov/s/; at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/virtual-volunteer-opportunities; and at local chambers of commerce.

4. Brush up on hard and soft skills. As a military spouse, you have free access Udemy’s more than 5,000 flexible online courses. This is thanks to a pilot program launched in June of last year that Silverman said has been a “phenomenal hit.” On Udemy’s self-paced platform, take classes taught by expert professionals immersed in their career fields, and graduate with a certificate of completion. Silverman’s presentation noted that Udemy can help you prepare to become certified for specific careers such as accounting, project management or information technology. Or take deeper divers into topics such as management 101 or communicating effectively at work. Other popular courses include data science, design, language learning, marketing and sales. Details: Act fast — this benefit is available through June 29, 2022, according to the article at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/udemy-free-online-courses. To become a Udemy member, call [login to see] or click the “Live Chat” link on the MySECO pages (linked below).

5. Improve your networking skills. As a military spouse, you also get free, one-year access to LinkedIn premium (https://socialimpact.linkedin.com/programs/veterans). This connects you to an array of LinkedIn Learning courses, lets you build your profile before you start your job search and allows you to enhance your networking opportunities through the highly active LinkedIn MSEP group (https://www.linkedin.com/company/military-spouse-employment-partnership-msep-/), Silverman said. Military spouses also get a free one-year member to Flex Jobs, an online search site for job openings in remote and flexible work. Details: Learn more about networking basics at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/how-to-get-better-at-networking-basics and find out more about FlexJobs at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/remote-and-flexible-jobs-for-millife-get-a-free-flexjobs-members.

6. Get paired with a mentor. Silverman also suggested getting connected with a professional mentor through the Military Spouse eMentor program or the MSEP-affiliated Spouse Ambassador Network, which provides mentorship and other services and support through 25 member organizations. Other sources for mentoring and networking mentioned in Silverman’s presentation include Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Professional Network (https://www.hiringourheroes.org/career-services/education-networking/mspn) and the Military Spouse Foundation (https://www.militaryspousefoundation.org/mentors). Details: Learn more at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/military-spouse-ementor-program and at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/military-spouse-ambassador-network.

7. Make your resume the best it can be. Silverman noted that employers typically spend less than 30 seconds reviewing your resume. With MySECO’s resume toolkit, make sure your skills stand out. This service lets you review sample resumes, access resume-builder tools, and submit your completed resume and cover letter for an expert analysis, all for free. Feedback arrives within three days, Silverman said. Details: Call [login to see] to schedule resume services or for the On-Demand Resume Review, email resumes and cover letters with career goals or job descriptions to [login to see] .

8. Take advantage of coaching packages. Focus your career goals and job search by accessing one of MySECO’s career coaching packages, which cover the following areas of specialized interest to military spouses:
Career pathways.
Career readiness.
Entrepreneurial spouse.
Federal employment.
Freelancing in a gig economy.
Gaining experience.
Health care.
Information technology.
Intelligence and cybersecurity.
K-12 education coaching.
New spouse.
Permanent change of station.
Reentering the workforce.
Transitioning spouse.
Working overseas.
Working remotely.

Details: Learn more at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/military-spouse-career-coaching-packages.

9. Get reimbursed for licensure or scholarships for schooling. Are you a licensed professional who has to pay to get certified in another location due to a military move? Silverman pointed out that you could get paid back up to $1,000 from the military for licensure or certification costs (policies vary by service branch). As military spouses, you are also eligible for tuition assistance and scholarships through a number of sources. Details: Learn more about licensure reimbursement at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/article/licensure-reimbursement-pcs-moves and about tuition assistance at https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/scholarships. Find out about interstate licensing requirements at https://www.dol.gov/agencies/vets/veterans/military-spouses/license-recognition.

10. Apply to work on behalf of military spouses for MySECO. You can also apply to become a MySECO career coach or look for other career opportunities at military-spouse-friendly employer Zeiders Enterprises, where Silverman works. Details: Research and apply at https://www.zeiders.com/careers/supporting-the-military-community.

Learn more

About Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program: https://myseco.militaryonesource.mil/portal/about