Job Resources to Help Military Families Succeed

Question:

“My spouse is in the military.  We move around every one to three years, and it is tough getting a job, much less advancing my career. What resources are available to help me?” — Lisa from Ft. Knox, KY

Answer:

Dear Lisa,

Let me first off say thank you to both you and your spouse for your service to our country.  The sacrifices our service members and their families make in support of our country are truly humbling.

Early this year, First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden launched Joining Forces for just this very reason – to draw our nation’s attention to the needs of military families and our responsibility as a country to support them just as we do active-duty service members.

To get a job and launch your career, I would start by checking out the Joining Forces website and exploring the resources listed there. You will find a number of businesses and other organizations linked there that have services available specifically for military families, many of which focus on the very issue you’ve identified – finding work and building a career.

To support Joining Forces, we at Goodwill launched our own initiative called Goodwill for America Heroes and Their Families. We are supporting military family members in two primary ways: hiring them for open Goodwill positions and providing services that lead to jobs and careers.

Goodwill serves tens of thousands of individuals connected to our nation’s military every year – and have hired over 600 military family members and veterans since April alone.  You can connect to services and employment opportunities at the Goodwill nearest to you by using our locator.

Finally, I would invite you to connect to the Military Spouse Employment Partnership. The MSEP is a Department of Defense effort to connects spouses from all military services – Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard- with Fortune 500 and other companies who are seeking the essential job skills and positive attributes that military family members like you possess.

Contact Your Nearest Goodwill