How to Change Your Career as a Veteran Spouse?

Your Employment Questions Answered: How to Change Your Career as a Veteran Spouse?

Sometimes the best way to learn something new is by seeking advice from those who have been there. Asking questions is how we learn about new resources or can give us perspectives that we might never have considered. When you ask a question, you can gain the knowledge you are looking for that will help you figure out what you need to know to move forward, whatever the subject might be.

As a military spouse, once your service member retires, you may be looking for a change in job or career. But how do you find the right one? While searching for a new job can be a bit complicated, there are programs out there to help military and veteran spouses. These programs can give you the right tools and point you in the right direction to find a better-suited job.

Question: How to Find the Best Job Opportunity?

My husband retired from the military two years ago, and we live at Camp Lejeune. I am seeking a new career with a bachelor’s degree in business with a concentration in Healthcare Administration.

I am having a hard time finding the right job. I look at Indeed and USAJobs daily, and nothing is happening. I have always worked at Naval Hospitals as a contractor but want to move on to something else. Can you help?

Answer:

Looking for a new career or change can be such a smart move. It can be tricky, though. The good news is that there are organizations to help military spouses and veteran spouses do so. They can work with you to find the right job or to change careers. Here are a few of them.

Onward to Opportunity Program 

This program is a free career training program that provides professional certification and employee support services to transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses. They combine industry-validated curriculum, partnerships with leading veteran service organizations and private companies as well as comprehensive career coaching services to help you prepare and match you with a career.

You can work on certification in the Information Technology, Business Management, and Customer service industries. They offer over 30 classes in many different locations, including Camp Lejeune. The Onward to Opportunity Program is through IVMF/Syracuse.

Hire Heroes USA

Hire Heroes USA is a nonprofit that helps service members, veterans, and their spouses seek meaningful employment. They can give you one-on-one coaching, review your resume, give you LinkedIn help, mentor you, and much more.

Hiring Our Heroes

Hiring Our Heroes offers events, programs, and career counseling. They offer 65+ hiring events each year and offer a virtual education and training center with on-demand workshops.

CareerRecon

Also, make sure to check out the Recruiting & Staffing Profiles on Career Recon to find more companies and organizations that can help you with your job search.  or you can use our free tool that will help connect you with recruiting and staffing agencies that find jobs specifically for military, veterans, and their spouses.

You will also find this article, “Jobs for People With a Healthcare Administration Degree,” from Nurse.org, helpful for information on what you can expect by making this change.

If you do want to make a career change and find a job that would work better for you, there are many resources out there to help. Anything from tweaking your resume a bit to having access to job offers can get you on the right path for finding that ideal job. Good luck!

RELATED: Portable Career Fields for Military Spouses in Nursing