Military spouses face unique employment challenges including frequent relocations (every 2-3 years), remote duty station locations, and licensing/credential portability issues across states. The Department of Defense addresses these through the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO) program and the Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP), which connects spouses with over 950 partner employers who have hired more than 360,000 military spouses since 2011.
10 steps across 1 sections
1. Steps Process
- Assess your career goals and constraints — Consider your current skills, education, desired career path, and how frequently you expect to PCS; remote-friendly careers offer the most stability
- Register on MySECO portal — Create an account at MySECO (militaryonesource.mil) to access career counseling, job listings, and education resources
- Use the MSEP Job Search — Browse jobs from 950+ partner employers by title, location, industry, or telework availability; these companies have committed to hiring military spouses
- Explore MyCAA scholarship — The My Career Advancement Account provides up to $4,000 for spouse education, licenses, and certifications in portable career fields; available to spouses of E-1 through...
- Research portable career fields — Healthcare, IT, education, accounting, project management, and remote work roles transfer well across PCS moves
- Address licensing and credential transfers — Many states have enacted military spouse licensing reciprocity laws; check your destination state's requirements and use SECO resources for guidance
- Build a flexible resume — Highlight transferable skills, volunteer leadership, and remote work capability; address employment gaps honestly by noting military relocations
- Connect with installation employment resources — Visit your local Family Readiness Group, ACS (Army Community Service), or Fleet and Family Support Center for resume workshops and job fairs
- Apply for federal preference — Military spouses may qualify for noncompetitive appointment to federal jobs under Executive Order 13473; use USAJobs and select "military spouse" preference
- Consider entrepreneurship — The SBA offers resources specifically for military spouse entrepreneurs including the Boots to Business program
Common Mistakes
- Not using MSEP
- Ignoring MyCAA eligibility windows
- Choosing non-portable careers
- Not claiming federal hiring preference
- Failing to network at each duty station
Pro Tips
- Remote work is the ultimate PCS-proof career
- Call SECO Career Center directly
- Use LinkedIn's military spouse features
- Stack certifications between PCS moves
- Check state licensing compacts