6 Military Spouse Career Resources That Will Land You a Job

Inside this post: Military spouse career resources to help you build skills and find your true passion without getting a formal education.

It’s difficult to control the circumstances military life throws at you. From separations to frequent moves, it’s not easy to trail blaze the career path you dreamed about. In fact, it’s hard to even land a military spouse job without feeling defeated.

I vividly remember when I landed my first job interview as a military girlfriend. Attempting to move to be with my service member, the first thing on my to-do list was “get a job.” I submitted my resume to every available nursing job that seemed like a good fit.

My first interview went so well, and I was told that I was “perfect for the job.”

I never heard from that employer again.

While I did eventually find work, I felt weary continuing to leave my career at the mercy of the military. I wanted to do more to build my skills, give myself an edge and create the opportunity to generate a full-time income working from home.

Military spouse career resources.

If you find yourself feeling unfulfilled in the military spouse career department, there are a ton of resources out there to help you discover your passion, start your own business or find a job you truly love within the confines of the military lifestyle.

As someone who went from obtaining a college degree to working a traditional job to leaving it all behind to start my own online business, I know there is something out there for YOU.

These resources aren’t what you would traditionally expect, but when it comes to finding a military spouse job that works for your lifestyle, you absolutely must think outside the box.

1. Learn how to freelance on the side.

Wherever you are in the world, you can earn an income doing freelance work. When I first started my blog, I did a fair amount of freelance work on the side to supplement my income. If you aren’t sure how to start with freelancing, this is one class you can take for a super reasonable price.

2. Build your people skills.

Following your dream career path may get roadblocked without excellent interpersonal skills–otherwise know as “people skills.” This class will teach you the communication methods and relationship-building strategies that will transform your interactions. You will learn how to increase your likability, deal with difficult people, be a master conversationalist, and quickly identify personality types.

What I love most is that the course allows you to view a live classroom setting in the comfort of your own home.

3. Make a living selling what you make.

Whether you are crafty or not (I’m definitely not!), we all know how to make or create something that is worth selling. This class teaches you how to build a thriving business from things you make or create. It’s taught by Megan Auman who created a jewelry line and successfully sold in stores across the US as a career. Her class shares her step-by-step guide to success.

Similar classes like…Turn Your Etsy Shop into a Sales Machine and Start a Handmade Business are great options to explore too!

If you aren’t sure what you could make and turn it into a business, Crafsy.com has a ton of classes and recourses to help you learn things like…

Jewelry Making
Woodworking (most bases have a woodworking shop you can use)
Art Classes
And more!

4. Discover your purpose.

Knowing your true life purpose is essential to finding a career path that will work for you. One course I highly recommend is Upstream from Art of Simple. I took this course last year, and it just relaunched with even richer content to help you find your purpose. I learned more about myself taking that class than I did reading self-help books for the past 10 years.

5. Get strategic about work and money.

I’ve listened to Ramit Sethi speak multiple times on my own entrepreneurial journey, and while he is a bit intense at times, I do think this guy knows his stuff. Most of Ramit’s classes cost over $1,000 (I’m dead serious!) so to see this offering price is too good to pass up.

He teaches the ins and outs of resumes, interviews, natural networking, negotiations and beyond. If your career aspirations fall into categories like math, science, engineering or business, this is hands down a course I would pay for over and over again.

Explore photography.

Photography isn’t for everyone, but wow, there is an incredible amount of online resources in this field. I’ve known several military spouses who started out doing this as a hobby and turned it into a full-time business for their family. There’s a beginners course on CreativeLive that can help you decide if this is a good fit.

From there, you’ll find a slew of advance courses to help you take the next step.

Let’s work smarter, not harder.

Three years ago when I started my own online business, I never dreamed it would turn into a full-time income for our family. And I’m not the only one. I’ve watched military spouse after military spouse break the mold and build a career from scratch into a full-time income.

These resources are not the only way, but they open the door for opportunity when you allow yourself to think outside the box, take a non-traditional path, and stay flexible. You’ve got this.

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6 Unique Career Resources to Build Your Skills and Earn More Money