The MOAA Foundation Military Spouse Professional Development program comprises several components designed to educate, train and empower military spouses to establish and sustain a successful career while meeting the challenges of a modern military family lifestyle. The program content is guided by the MOAA Currently Serving Spouse Advisory Council through continuous feedback regarding the types of syllabi, educational and training tools needed to best serve the professional development of military spouses.

The Need:

In 2014, MOAA and the Institute for Veterans and Military Families published a research study examining the state of military spouse professional development and particularly military spouse employment. Its key findings were striking:

• Approximately 95 percent of military spouses are women, and the group has an average unemployment rate of 20 percent among those seeking work, about four times higher than their civilian counterparts today.
• Military spouses, age 18-24 have an unemployment rate of 30 percent compared to their civilian counterparts at 11 percent. From 25-44, military spouses have an unemployment rate of 15 percent compared to their civilian counterpart rate of 6 percent.
• Remarkably, 90 percent of military spouses are underemployed based on their experience and education level, and military spouse average salaries are 38 percent lower than their civilian counterparts.

 

The Program:

Keeping a Career on The Move

The MOAA Military Spouse Professional Development Program "Keeping a Career on the Move®" is a one-day personal and professional development conference designed specifically for military spouses planning to enter or re-enter the workforce or taking the next step in their professional career.

This symposia series is created solely for military souses and focuses on your unique needs and desires to keep a career on the move -- whether that means keeping your career progression in motion, or keeping a career intact from one PCS to the next.

These one-day seminars presented at military installations around the nation provide training to military spouses who are planning to enter or re-enter the workforce or who are taking the next step in their professional careers. The MOAA Foundation offers these events through its partnership with the U.S. Chamber of Commerce's “Hiring our Heroes” Transition Summit program.

Attendees will have the opportunity to connect with local and national resource specialists and recruiters, as well as attend sessions focused on a variety of topics including:

• Résumé Development
• Networking Best Practices
• LinkedIn Strategies for Military Spouses
• Employer and military spouses panel discussions, and more!

This event is free and open to all spouses of active duty, reserve, National Guard, retirees, veterans, and surviving military spouses. Servicemembers and veterans are welcome to attend.

Complimentary food, beverages, LinkedIn profile photos, and giveaways are included. Please bring your business cards or copies of your résumé, if available.

Each event:

• Includes a “Real Spouses, Real Stories” panel discussion featuring military spouse mentors,
• helps spouses identify and articulate personal goals,
• helps them build a bridge to local and federal resources,
• connects spouses directly with the local workforce by providing opportunities to engage with installation, community, state and federal representatives, and local and national employers and offers MOAA subject-matter expert advice, assistance, and expertise on leveraging personal experiences to obtain employment.

 

The seminar trains spouse attendees how to effectively use industry best practices in areas such as resume development, advanced LinkedIn techniques, and networking. This event is free and open to all active duty, reserve, National Guard, retiree, veteran, and surviving military spouses, servicemembers, and veterans.

Military Spouse Employment Guide

The military lifestyle includes travel, adventure and new experiences. On the flip side, it also guarantees a transient lifestyle and challenges to maintaining a career. This publication will be a helpful resource to you in your pursuit of a career. 

 

Find the guide here. 

 

Connect with MOAA Spouse and Family Resources via Social Media:

MOAA Spouse Resource Center

 

MOAA Military Spouse Facebook

MOAA Military Spouse Twitter (@MOAA_MilLife)