The Military Spouse's Employment Pocket Guide

MILITARY SPOUSE EMPLOYMENT ASSISTANCE

 

During the past 25 years the military has increasingly recognized the importance of helping military spouses find jobs and develop portable careers that are compatible with the military's lifestyle and retention goals.

Today, initiatives center around the Family Employment Readiness Programs (FERP) attached to family support centers of various services:

Army . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Army Community Service Centers
Navy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fleet and Family Support Centers
Air Force . . . . . . . . . . Airman and Family Readiness Centers
Marine Corps . . . . . . . Family Services Centers
Coast Guard . . . . . . . . Work Life Programs

In addition, military transition assistance centers on all bases offer spousal employment assistance for transitioning families as part of their Transition Assistance Program (TAP).

One of the first things you should do upon arriving in a new location is contact your appropriate family services office about military spouse employment opportunities and related support services. Most of these offices offer the following assistance:

  • individual testing, counseling, and support
  • job search skills training (writing resumes, interviewing)
  • critiquing resumes, applications, and job search letters
  • networking opportunities
  • job listings with and referrals to local employers
  • access to computers and the Internet
  • information on federal jobs and applications
  • use of copy machines, faxes, and telephones
  • referrals to local job clubs and placement firms
  • access to employment resources (books, magazines, DVDs)
  • information on Military Spouse Preference (MSP) program for DoD jobs and Career Advancement Accounts (CAA) for spouses (pays up to $3,000 a year for education and training at some locales)
  • Family Readiness Groups

Personnel staffing these family service centers provide assistance and support - invaluable for anyone embarking on a job search that is often filled with anxiety, rejections, and disappointments when done alone.

Get to know your Center's personnel and services - they may become your best resource!

My Local Family Service Center

Name ____________________________________________

Address __________________________________________

_________________________________________________

Tel. _____________________________________________

Website: _________________________________________

Email: ___________________________________________

Key contacts (names): _____________________________

_________________________________________________

Services I plan to use through the Center:

1. ___________________ 5. ___________________

2. ___________________ 6. ___________________

3. ___________________ 7. ___________________

4. ___________________ 8. ___________________

 

SOURCE: Adapted from Ron Krannich, Ph.D., The Military Spouse's Employment Pocket Guide (Manassas Park: Impact Publications), pages 1-2. Copyright 2009. All rights reserved. Copying strictly forbidden.