Transitioning from a military to civilian life is almost always hard, stressful, and scary. Tens of thousands of servicemen and women have gone through it, and many others more will do the same. If you’re reading this, either you or someone you know is on the same path. Luckily, this process doesn’t have to be that hard or complicated. Here are several tips on how military spouses can help their partners navigate this transition.
The Job-Search Struggle
With many service members enrolling in the military as early as high school, most have never had to deal with the job market before. As such, they will be more skeptical in regards to how hard and how long it can take before they can land a well-paying job. A service member’s spouse can encourage their partners to start thinking about their civilian job as early as possible.
You can provide them with your own first-hand experience, letting them know that the process can take a while. MyComputerCareer is a veteran-friendly organization that provides rigorous, hands-on instruction. We prepare our students for valuable IT certifications from leading organizations such as Microsoft, Cisco Systems, CompTIA, and EC-Council. We also help our candidates ready themselves for hiring by aiding them with their resumes, cover letters, networking, and interviewing. For more information, contact us today!
While some service members may see themselves advancing through their military careers, this will not always be the case. It’s still a good idea to have a plan B, and it’s never too early to plan for it. Preferably, you should start while your spouse is still on active duty.
Always Be Networking
Landing a job today requires equal parts skill and networking. By knowing the right people and interacting with them, veterans and civilians alike will stand a better chance at finding a job. One of the prominent places to start this process is on social media. LinkedIn, in particular, is very effective since the majority of recruiters are using it for vetting candidates during the hiring process.
In-person events are also an excellent way for service members to navigate their transition successfully. For many veterans, it’s important that their spouses are present at these meetings as well, since it makes it feel more like a social event than a job-seeking opportunity. As a spouse, leading the way with networking will be a great way of relieving the pressure of your service members as they launch their civilian careers.
The Importance of High Morale
No matter what kind of job situation you find yourself in, it’s always important to keep your spirits up. It’s not uncommon for veterans to slowly see their morale going down as the job-seeking process takes longer than previously anticipated. This can lead to a downward spiral, resulting in less and less motivation to find a job, losing focus, or even stopping altogether.
Help keep your spouse positive and focused on self-improvement and the job hunt by providing them with tangible goals and things to look forward to, such as healthy routines, meaningful chores, etc. You can be a great role model during this transition by showing them how and what you’ve been doing all along.
With MyComputerCareer, your spouse will be well on their way to achieving career goals and rapidly land a job in IT. We will also help you during your job-seeking process. Contact us today and find out more about what MyComputerCareer can do for your family.