Military spouse employment and education resources
I cannot stress enough that in addition to the resources listed below, if you are near a military installation, use their services for finding employment. For example, the Army Community Services (ACS) has an Employment Readiness Office with amazing tools and resources that you should take advantage of. Some of their services (which are free) may include:
- Career counseling
- Career Center, internet access, fax, phone, photocopier
- FREE self-paced MS Office Suite computer training
- Job bank and employer referrals
- Resume assistance
- Employment resource library
- Work-from-home opportunities
- Family member scholarship websites
- Teen employment resources
- Career fairs
- Employment workshops
Your local public library is another valuable resource in your job search. Some local libraries have career counselors as well as workshops to enhance your computer skills and job search strategies. Some libraries have a partnership with Lynda.com which gives you free access to many professional online training videos.
Military Spouse Friendly Employers
AMVETS Career Centers
The AMVETS Career Centers powered by Call of Duty Endowment provides free of charge career training and employment assistance for veterans, active duty service members, national guard and reserve plus spouses.
Blue Star Families - Military Spouse Career Central
Blue Star Families’ mission is to help military families with challenging hurdles—both during and after active service. Our military spouse employment and education programs support military family members through their entire career path through education, connection, and support services.
Blue Star Families - Spouseforce
Blue Star Families Spouseforce is a place for all military spouse business owners to share professional information and network.
Boldly
Finally, a career that travels with you. Your own fulfilling career on your terms, working remotely, and progressing no matter where military life takes you. Boldly is an employee focused remote staffing company, offering their talented team W2 positions with the freedom to build their own schedules and contribute to amazing businesses.
Bunker Labs
Bunker Labs seeks to inspire veterans and veterans spouses to start their own business, then equips them with right training and connects them to the right people to grow those businesses.
Business and Professional Women's Foundation
Mentoring, jobs, and resources for women veterans and military spouses
Need a mentor to give your career a boost? BPW Foundation’s Joining Forces Mentoring Plus provides free resources, including mentors, subject matter experts (SMEs), and online connections for women veterans and military spouses to assist them in successfully obtaining meaningful employment and a successful career.
Career One Stop
Career One Stop is your pathway to career success. Tools to help job seekers, students, businesses, and career professionals. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor.
Career Spark
The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation’s Hiring Our Heroes program, Toyota, and Blue Star Families introduced Career Spark, a first-of-its-kind online tool that gives military spouses the resume they need to start and maintain a meaningful career. Career Spark walks military spouses through developing a resume based on their unique skills. Once completed, spouses have the option to make their resumes searchable to thousands of employers nationwide looking for qualified veteran and military spouse candidates.
Congressional Military Family Caucus
The Congressional Military Family Caucus seeks to educate Members of Congress and their staff on resources the military has for families. Specifically, the Congressional Military Family Caucus focuses on issues such as education, childcare, healthcare, spousal employment, and the effects of multiple deployments. Through educating Member of Congress, it is our hope that the Congressional Military Family Caucus will be able to develop legislation to better support our nation's military families.
eKnowledge free SAT/ACT PowerPrep
eKnowledge, a group of NFL players, and the Department of Defense have teamed up to distribute more than $16,500,000 of eKnowledge's SAT/ACT PowerPrep™ Programs to military service members and their families.
Empower Employ
Empowering companies to employ and retain top veteran and military spouse talent.
Excel Easy
Microsoft Excel is an important skill in many projects and jobs. Excel Easy offers the
#1 Excel tutorial on the net. Easy to follow, fully illustrated + 300 examples. It's 100% free.
FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship Program
The FINRA Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship Program gives military spouses the opportunity to earn a career-enhancing credential—the Accredited Financial Counselor® certificate—while providing financial counseling to the military community. The fellowship covers the costs associated with completing the AFC® training and testing.
Created in 2006, the program is administered in partnership with the Association for Financial Counseling and Planning Education® (AFCPE®) and the National Military Family Association (NMFA). To date, the FINRA Foundation has awarded nearly 1,200 Military Spouse Fellowships—and participants have logged more than 279,500 hours of service back to the military community.
Hire Heroes USA
Hire Heroes USA is dedicated to creating job opportunities for US military veterans and their spouses through personalized employment training and corporate engagement.
Hiring our Heroes - Career Forward
Career Forward is a new learner-to-earner program that can help you level up your career for free. Gain industry-recognized skills through a Google Career Certificate in data analytics, IT support, project management, or user experience (UX) design. Then you’ll connect with ready-to-hire employers.
Upcoming Hiring Fairs - LINK
Instant Teams
Instant Teams is a talent marketplace that uses skill-based hiring to provide remote work opportunities and career continuation to military spouses and untapped talent communities.
IVMF – Institute of Veteran and Military Families - Syracuse University
The IVMF and its staff of more than 100 professionals deliver class-leading programs in career, vocational and entrepreneurship education and training, providing service members, veterans and their families with the skills needed to be successful in education, work and life. The IVMF also coordinates comprehensive collective impact strategies; and works with communities and nonprofits to enhance service delivery for veterans and their families. Includes:
CAREER TRAINING:
- Onward to Opportunity
- VetNet
ENTREPRENEURSHIP
- Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV) Accelerate
- Boots to Business (B2B)
- Veteran EDGE
- Veteran Women Igniting the Spirit of Entrepreneurship (V-WISE)
- V-WISE IGNITE
- Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans (EBV)
- Entrepreneurship Bootcamp for Veterans’ Families (EBV-F)
- EBV-SPARK
- Coalition for Veteran Owned Business (CVOB)
- Center of Excellence (COE) for Veteran Entrepreneurship
- The Startup Training Resources to Inspire Veteran Entrepreneurship (STRIVE)
- R.I.S.E.
COMMUNITY SERVICES:
- AmericaServes
Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) Civilian Careers
We are thrilled that you are contemplating employment with our organization. At installations throughout the country, we are searching for highly-motivated individuals to join us to better serve Marines and families and ensure their personal and family readiness through mission, career, and life events.
Military - Civilian
We offer a unique and personalized service networking your recruitment needs with integrity. Our mission is to bring job-seeking military veterans together with hiring companies to fill open positions worldwide.
We are not merely a job board or a recruiting service: we are dedicated to providing both proactive assistance for veterans and their families with their transition back into the civilian workplace, and assistance for companies with open positions in fulfilling their recruitment needs.
Military.com - Military Spouse and Family Educational Assistance Programs
Military Friendly
Military Friendly® is part of the ratings division of Victory Media, a service-disabled, veteran-owned business. Military Friendly® rates companies and colleges on their programs to recruit and retain veterans and military spouses. Includes lists for:
- Military friendly employers
- Military friendly schools
- Military spouse friendly employers
- Military spouse friendly schools
- Award categories and levels
Military OneSource - Military Spouse Education and Career Opportunities
The Department of Defense Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program provides Education and Career Guidance to military spouses worldwide and offers comprehensive resources and tools for all stages of your career progression.
Military OneSource - Online libraries
The Military OneSource Online Libraries have something for everyone. From children's audiobooks to career preparation exams, these free resources are available from the comfort of your home computer.
To locate this feature on Military OneSource, log in, locate the Military Life & Deployment tab, the Military Life tab, the Military Family Life tab, then then scroll down to locate the Online Library Resources.
Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN)
Military Spouse Advocacy Network (MSAN) is a 501c3 nonprofit organization with a mission to create stronger military families through education, empowerment, and support.
MSAN’s Military Spouse Mentorship-HUB helps to bridge military families from every branch of the armed forces and their surrounding communities in locations around the world through a Virtual Education and Resource Center, New Military Spouse Support Program, and Leadership Development Program.
MSAN’s collaborations with official military installations, Department of Defense (DoD) resources, and trusted partner organizations provide a structured and personal approach through a one-of-a-kind peer-to-peer mentorship experience, building long-term connections to local and national resources expanding the military family sense of community. MSAN strives to improve morale and military retention, increased utilization of resources, and an ongoing investment in the communities that our leaders serve.
Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA)
The Military Spouse Career Advancement Accounts (MyCAA) Program is an employment assistance program that provides up to $4,000 of financial assistance to eligible military spouses who are pursuing a license, certification or Associate’s degree in a portable career field and occupation.
Military Spouse Corporate Career Network
The MSCCN is a nonprofit organization in excellent standing with the IRS. We focus on employment readiness, applicant referral, job training, and job placement assistance for military spouses, transitioning military, veterans, war wounded, and caregivers of war wounded. The MSCCN was founded and created by a Navy spouse in 2004 and is operated and managed by a team of geographically diverse military spouses, veterans, and caregivers of war wounded, working from home offices located near military installations across the country.
Military Spouse JD Network - A Bar Association for Military Spouses
The Military Spouse JD Network supports military spouses who pursue a legal career by:
- Advocating for bar membership without examination,
- Encouraging hiring military spouses, and
- Providing a support network.
MSJDN includes military spouses from all branches of the United States Military: Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marines, and Navy as well as spouses of retired service members and legal and military organizations who support our mission.
MilSpouse EMentor Leadership Program
The MilSpouse eMentor Program is a dynamic online community where military spouses can receive personalized career guidance, advice, support and inspiration from more experienced military spouses who share a special bond through their common experience. Representatives of military-spouse friendly firms also participate as "corporate mentors" who can assist spouses seeking stable employment with an opportunity for upward mobility.
MilSpouse eMentor is a partnership of AcademyWomen and the U.S Chamber of Commerce's Hiring Our Heroes.
The MilSpouse eMentor Program:
- Is open to all spouses of military members in uniform or veterans, living or deceased. Divorced spouses are also welcome.
- Representatives of military spouse-friendly firms may participate as "corporate mentors".
Navy Civilian Human Resources
Are you ready to make a difference? Then consider working at the Department of the Navy. Here, the Navy and Marine Corps teams offer you the chance to tackle real world challenges; explore alternative energy solutions; perform breakthrough surgeries; troubleshoot radar systems on aircraft carriers … and that’s before lunch.
Explore the possibilities of a civilian career at the Department of the Navy … they are endless and cover virtually every occupation you can imagine. From aircraft mechanic to zoologist, electrician to engineer, pipefitter to physician — there are more than 558 different occupations across the country and the world.
Consider working at the Department of the Navy with talented people around the globe, competitive pay and benefits (health and retirement), and creative and challenging assignments. Most of all, as a civilian employee YOU can serve your nation and support America’s warfighter.
It all comes together here at the Department of the Navy. Make a
difference today.
Navy Exchange Jobs
The Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM), headquartered in Virginia Beach, Va., oversees five primary business units including Navy Exchange (NEX) retail stores and services, Navy Lodges, the Uniform Program Management Office, the Ship’s Store Program and Telecommunications. Its mission is to provide authorized customers with quality goods and services at a savings and to support quality of life programs for active duty military, retirees, reservists and their families.
The Navy Exchange System employs 14,000 dedicated associates worldwide, 27 percent of whom are military family members. It is also a partner in the Department of Defense Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) which pledges support to provide career opportunities for military spouses.
Next Step for Vets
Empowering veterans and military spouses with employment and education opportunities.
Onward to Opportunity (Syracuse University)
Onward to Opportunity (O2O) is a free career training program that provides professional certification and employee support services to transitioning service members, veterans and military spouses. O2O combines industry-validated curricula, strong partnerships with leading veteran service organizations and private sector companies, and comprehensive career coaching services to prepare and match you with your next career.
Patriot Boot Camp
Patriot Boot Camp (PBC) is a nonprofit on a mission to equip active duty military members, veterans, and their spouses with the education, resources, and community needed to be successful technology entrepreneurs.
The objective of PBC is to provide service members, veterans, and spouses with access to mentors and training to help them innovate and build the next generation of high-growth, scaleable and impactful companies. Patriot Boot Camp leverages a nationwide network of business and startup community thought leaders to help entrepreneurs bridge the gap between military service and entrepreneurial life.
Project: Return to Work
Project: Return to Work Inc. (R2W) provides employment services to all active duty service members, veterans and their spouses at Military & Veterans Employment Expos (MVEE). R2W also provides vocational rehabilitation services to wounded warriors and disabled citizens. R2W clients receive support from caring professionals and volunteers through an innovative evaluation, training, and placement process. R2W incorporates advanced technologies, methodologies, and a highly accurate online evaluation process to assist clients with finding the jobs they enjoy doing most.
Salute to Spouses
The go-to resource for education and career news for military spouses.
Scholarships - Military.com
Find millions of dollars in scholarships and grants exclusively for the military community!
Scholarships - Military OneSource
Military spouses are eligible for several benefits that offer aid in pursuing a postsecondary degree and advancing career goals. The programs, grants and scholarships listed will help pay for a college degree or a vocational training certificate of your choice.
Scholarships - National Military Family Association
National Military Family Association is the voice of military families because, for 48 years, we have proven that we stand behind service members, their spouses, and their children. Our Association is the “go to” source for Administration Officials, Members of Congress, and key decision makers when they want to understand the issues facing our families. They know we have “boots on the ground” with military families and understand better than anyone that “military families serve, too.” Through the support and programs we provide, and our respected voice on Capitol Hill, at the Pentagon and Veterans Administration, our Association always looks out for the families who stand behind the uniform and for those who serve.
SCORE
SCORE is committed to helping veterans, service members and their families looking to start and grow small businesses with significant, long term success. SCORE provides advice, training programs, and long term mentors for the life of any small business – no matter the stage.
We have an initiative that is targeted to assist members of our military (active duty, reserves, and National Guard) and all veterans and their immediate family members with many unique special offers. This program is called the Veteran Fast Launch Initiative. It provides:
- SCORE’s mentoring program where Veteran Fast Launch participants are assigned a highly experienced mentor to guide them every step of the way.
- Free or significantly discounted resources for starting businesses, such as computer software and business services (provided by major corporate partners)
Second Service Foundation
Cultivating The American Dream -- Supporting veterans, military spouses, and Gold Star families as they grow their ideas and small business from startup to the stars.
The Dog Tag Fellowship Program (Chicago, IL)
The Dog Tag Fellowship Program equips veterans, military spouses, and caregivers with the tools and education to build resilience, find renewed purpose, and forge community beyond the military. Dog Tag provides a bridge from military service to the civilian world and acts as a catalyst for finding direction and moving forward.
Our five-month program combines equal parts classroom, bakery, community, and wellbeing.
Dog Tag Fellows earn a business certificate from Georgetown University (DC program) or Loyola University Chicago (Chicago program); bring their coursework to life by learning the ins and outs of running a successful business in the bakery; build community with each other; and enhance their wellbeing by committing time to introspection, storytelling, and personal growth.
Our fellows see and value themselves differently after they graduate and continue on their own journeys with greater confidence, resilience, and direction—an achievement described by many as nothing short of life-changing.
The MilSpo Project
The MilSpo Project is a global network of U.S. military spouses who believe entrepreneurship is a unique answer to the military spouse unemployment crisis in our country. Together we are embracing the unpredictability of this beautiful thing we call military life. We're redefining what it means to be a successful milspouse professional in today's world guided by our member-centered mission.
The Paradigm Switch
The Paradigm Switch is a virtual resource that connects military spouses with other career-oriented military spouses for motivation, mentorship, and community.
USAJOBS
USAJOBS connects job seekers with federal employment opportunities across the United States and around the world. As the Federal Government’s official employment site, USAJOBS provides resources to help the right people find the right jobs.
Veterans' Employment and Training Service (VETS) - Transition Employment Assistance for Military Spouses (TEAMS)
Transition Employment Assistance for Military Spouses and Caregivers (TEAMS) is a series of Department of Labor (DOL) employment workshops that extend the Department’s Transition Assistance Program to assist military spouses and caregivers as they plan and prepare for their job search in pursuit of their employment goals. All TEAMS workshops are instructor-led virtual training, provided at a variety of times, to meet the needs of individuals stationed throughout the world.
TEAMS workshops are stand-alone training modules. You can take all of the workshops or just a few and they can be taken in any order that fits your availability and schedule.
Veterati
Veterati is a digital platform for veterans & military spouses to access mentorship-on-demand from successful professionals across the nation.
Vet Jobs
VetJobs makes it easy to reach transitioning military, National Guard, Reserve Component Members and veterans that have separated over the last several decades and are now productive members of the civilian work force in all disciplines, and their family members.
VetJobs is available to assist ALL members of "The United States Military Family". This includes Officer and Enlisted, Active Duty, Transitioning Military, Reservists, Veterans, Retirees, of the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard, Marine Corps, Merchant Marine, National Guard, Navy, NOAA and Public Health Service along with Trailing Spouses, Eligible Former Spouses, Widows, Widowers and Dependents and DOD civilians.
Additional employment resources
CareerBuilder
Over the past 20+ years, CareerBuilder has helped millions of people find jobs and has equipped hundreds of thousands of employers with the talent they need.
Glassdoor
Glassdoor has millions of jobs plus salary information, company reviews, and interview questions from people on the inside making it easy to find a job that’s right for you.
Indeed
As the world's #1 job site, with over 200 million unique visitors every month from over 60 different countries, Indeed has become the catalyst for putting the world to work. Indeed is intensely passionate about delivering the right fit for every hire. Indeed helps companies of all sizes hire the best talent and offers the best opportunity for job seekers to get hired.
LinkedIn
Use LinkedIn Jobs to harness the power of your network and get hired.
LinkUp
Completely unique in the industry, LinkUp is the only job search engine that indexes jobs exclusively from company websites. Updated daily, the 3+ million jobs in our search engine are always current with no duplicates or job pollution.
Monster
Monster is a global online employment solution for people seeking jobs and the employers who need great people.
Copyright 2008 - 2022 Benita Koeman, Operation We Are Here. All rights reserved.
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