Blue Star Spouse Employment Toolkit
A Guide to Making the Military Life Work for You!
Compiled and Presented by Blue Star Families’ Department of Research and Policy
Sponsored by:
Top Military Life Issues
What are the top three military issues that most concern you?
2012 Top 5 2010 Top 5*
% of Respondents Ranking Issue #1:
*Op4on not included as an answer in 2010. Kids’ Educa4on was a 2010 Top 5 issue, but did not make the 2012 Top 5.
Minor percentage difference for the boGom four can be explained by bringing percentages to the tenth:
Effect of Deployment on Kids= 7.4% OPTEMPO= 6.5%; Spouse Employment/Educa4on= 6.0%;
PTSD/Combat Stress/TBI= 5.8%.
31%
20%
7%
7%
6%
6%
18%
15%
14%
ReJrement Benefit Changes*
Pay/Benefits
Effect of Deployment on Kids
OPTEMPO
Spouse Employment/EducaJon
PTSD/Combat Stress/TBI
Over Half of Military Spouses Desire Employment . . .
However… “...the requirements upon both the service member and the military spouse often present serious employment challenges to military spouses.” -BSF’s “Blue Star Spouses Employment Toolkit”
Of those not currently employed,
53% of military spouses surveyed indicated they would like to be
employed, according to Blue Star Families’ 2012
survey.
Are you currently employed outside of the home?
Air Force Army Navy Marine
Corps Coast Guard
Yes, full time (35 hours a week or more) 24% 24% 24% 32% 19%
Yes, part time (less than 35 hours a week) 16% 13% 15% 17% 24%
No 60% 64% 60% 51% 57%
Impact of Military Lifestyle on Spouse Employment
Almost half of respondents (48%) felt they had not goWen a parJcular job, been treated differently in terms of pay, benefits, or other workplace treatment
because of their military spouse status.
CURR
ENT EM
PLOYM
ENT STANDING
Employment obstacles caused by the uniqueness of a military lifestyle can impede military spouses from maintaining employment and establishing career tenure. . .
A Military Lifestyle Contributes to Unique Spouse Employment Challenges
92%
67%
45%
20%
17%
7%
Job Market Alignment (overqualified, underqualified or lack of career field
opportuniJes)
Childcare (unable to find including cost & quality issues
Deployment or PCS challenges
Student
CerJficaJon/ Licensing challenges (due to cost or interstate transfer)
Job Loss within past year (not due to military life)
REASONS FOR NOT WORKING
49%
37% 29%
17%
5%
0%
50%
100%
I Am Not Aware of Any Spouse Employment
Resources
Military Spouse Employment Partnership
Branch Specific Services Chamber of Commerce "Hiring our Heroes" Job
Fairs
Other
Almost half of respondents weren’t aware of any resources and over half (57%) felt that being a military spouse had a negaJve impact on
their ability to pursue a career.
BSF is seeking to fill the need for more diverse employment resources that capitalize on skills developed in the course of a military lifestyle.
Military Spouse Employment Resources
1. Resume Translator Transla4ng Volunteerism and the Military Life Experiences into Strong Resumes
2. FAQ’s Real Advice for Military Spouses Seeking Employment from Military Spouses Who Have Been There on Topics from Networking to Tough Interview Ques4ons
3.Career Sector Advice Sector-‐specific Strategies & Resources Tailored to Military Spouse Lifestyle
4. Sample Resumes Examples that illustrate how to effec4vely incorporate volunteer work and military life experience to overcome common challenges like frequent gaps or short periods of employment
The Employment Toolkit Covers the Four Most Frequently Topics in Military Spouse Employment
#1 Volunteering = Employment Skills & Experience
HAVE VOLUNTEERED
IN THE PAST YEAR About 10% volunteer for
30 or more hours a month.
Where have you volunteered in the past year?
34%
43%
56%
37%
Religious Group or Orgs.
School/EducaJonal Group or Orgs.
AssisJng Neighbors & Friends
Military Spouse OrganizaJons
When wriJng professional resume for job applicaJons, most do not consider ciJng military support volunteer
experiences and applied skills.
Transla4ng Volunteer Skills Into Strong Resumes event planning spouse group leadership project managing newsletter designer
Even though 81% of spouses volunteered in the past year
Not Applicable 31%
17% thought it did not apply
18% had not considered volunteer experience as relevant
crisis management supply chains outreach coordinator guidance counseling
Transla4ng Volunteer Service to Effec4ve Resume Content
Navy Ombudsman:
Likely DuCes Performed: PotenCal Resume Phrasing:
Regularly communicate and distribute informa4on to and from the command and command family members
Established and maintained a communica4on system ensuring accurate and 4mely informa4on dissemina4on for over 300 members of organiza4on
Develop and implement plans for families affected by individual and group deployment ac4vi4es
Advanced organiza4on’s objec4ves by determining and providing appropriate informa4on referral and services to targeted members of organiza4on
Provide informa4on and referral to assist command families with any concerns
Served as organiza4on’s representa4ve on community-‐wide execu4ve board requiring frequent interface and teamwork in order to achieve consensus among numerous and disparate stakeholders
Transla4ng Volunteer Service to Effec4ve Resume Content
USO Team Leader Volunteer: Likely DuCes Performed: PotenCal Resume Phrasing:
Open and close USO center Receive orders and packages, reconcile invoices No4fy USO staff of any issues or concerns
Coordinated with USO staff in opera4onal support ac4vi4es by serving as a liaison between USO management and staff in the resolu4on of day-‐to-‐day administra4ve and opera4onal problems
Fill-‐in for USO Staff Alert USO staff to volunteers’ problems or concerns Employ excellent customer rela4ons
Advanced organiza4on’s objec4ves by determining and providing appropriate informa4on referral and services to targeted members of organiza4on
Volunteer on USO center’s board Served as organiza4on’s representa4ve on community-‐wide execu4ve board requiring frequent interface and teamwork in order to achieve consensus among numerous and disparate stakeholders
• Real Advice for Military Spouses Seeking Employment, from Military Spouses Who Have Been There and Made It!
• All advice researched, developed, and tested by military spouses based on personal job hun4ng experiences.
#2 FAQ’s Use Original Research to Answer Employment Ques4ons
• Networking remotely in an4cipa4on of your next duty sta4on
• Whether to men4on military spouse status in a resume or interview
• Answering the dreaded, “How long will you live here” ques4on
• Gemng your “non-‐portable” career to move with you
• Discussing the advantages of military spouse experience in an interview
Topics Covered in FAQ’s Include:
Federal and
Public Sector
Nonprofits and
NGO’s
Corporate and
Private Sector
Retail and
Service Sector
#3 Employment Resources and Strategies Listed by Career Type
Sector-‐Specific Employment Advice Tailored to Military Spouses
One method of effec4vely incorpora4ng volunteer work into a professional resume:
#4 Leveraging Volunteer Experience on a Resume
Sophia Spouse
Objective To advance an established career in sales and management. Professional Accomplishments Management Chairman of a 5 member Scholarship Committee Family Services Coordinator responsible to 700+ families Supervisor of 9 volunteer leaders Founder of Career Coaching Home-based business Advised Senior Executives on Family Support, Policy, and Implementation of Programs
Fund Raising/Fiscal Management Raised $2000+ for non-profit in support of families of deployed soldiers Raised $500+ for Scholarship Fund Distribute $10,000 for Scholarship Fund Manage Budget for Small Business
Training and Development Facilitated training for volunteers at various locations; Approximately 100+ Developed Leadership workshops for Volunteers Developed a Reunion Workshop for Spouses of returning Soldiers Facilitated a Financial Planning program
Project Management Managed bi-monthly Volunteer/Family activities for 29 months Developed a Haunted House; 250+ attended Facilitated Leadership change for Family Services organization
Focus on the learned experiences and areas of func4onality rather than a chronological order of job roles:
Blue Star Careers A Broad Range of Ini4a4ves Throughout Career Path Educa&onal Programming
• Blue Star Scholarship • Helps Military Spouses finance par4cipa4on in high quality, academically rigorous distance-‐
learning programs.
• Blue Star Credits • Pilot program with Tidewater Community College, which offers an Organiza4onal Ombudsman
Career cer4ficate. This cer4ficate will build upon the formal training par4cipants receive in the Navy Family Ombudsman Training program.
Employment Programming • Blue Star Spouse Employment Toolkit
• Shows spouses how to leverage their exis4ng volunteer and military life experiences into successfully loca4ng a desired posi4on.
• Blue Star Networks • Unique planorm for military spouses to empower, connect and advocate for themselves across
three career fields.
• Blue Star Jobs • Online job-‐matching database
Blue Star Networks
Career-‐Specific Professional Networks • Blue Star Networks are sector-specific, peer-to-peer, professional
networks that enable members to address common career challenges like obtaining local job information, transferring state licensure, building professional networks via Facebook and Google.
• On Blue Star Networks, military spouses: • Harness collective experiences • Advocate for policy changes • Build professional networks
• Three Specific Networks: • Blue Star Entrepreneurs • Blue Star Health Care Professionals • Blue Star Educators
Blue Star Careers in Action!
I just want to say how thankful I am for this group. Great info and advice are posted on this page! I had three job offers this week. To everyone who offered advice, I did apply to some of the places that were recommended and it paid off!
~ Navy Spouse About Health Care Professionals Network
The Resume Builder has been a blessing. I have been stuck trying to figure out my accomplishments when applying for jobs. The Resume Builder has helped me figure out all the great things I have done for my command by volunteering in my commands support groups over the years. Now I feel confident that my accomplishments and skills I have developed in those positions will help me obtain a job in my field. Thanks so much for the guidance
~ Aspen Kelley Military Spouse
• Your experience is unique and valuable
• Counter concerns employers might have with these posi4ve military spouse traits!
• Military spouses are well educated, more travelled, highly resilient problem solvers!
Present Your Military Spouse Iden4ty As an Asset… Not a Liability!
QuesJons? Please contact Cris4n Orr Shiffer
our Blue Star Careers Managing Analyst
at
with ques4ons/sugges4ons
Download a copy of “Blue Star Spouse Employment Toolkit!”
www.bluestarfam.org/Policy/MilSpouse_Resume_Builder
