Military Spouse, Powerhouse
To set the stage for this conversation, we reflected on the results of the Military Family Lifestyle Survey (2024). Through it, we continue to see that military spouse employment remains a relatable challenge. Here are some pieces stood out to us:
Employment is a top issue of concern for 54% of active duty spouses.
39% of active duty spouses needed three or more months to find a job after moving.
51% of unemployed spouses said their families need the income of a second job.
As a military spouse-owned business, we understand that navigating your career can be challenging. How can you leverage all the experience you have gained as a military spouse to reach your career goals? During the National Military Spouse Network’s Military Spouse Career Summit, we shared the following tips, resources, and strategies.
Let’s learn how to unlock your professional superpowers!
Identifying your unique superpowers
We’re going to explore some example superpowers together. For each of these four example strengths, think about your specific experiences. What did you do?
Adaptability When did you adjust to unexpected change, a new environment, or a different way of doing things?
Decision-Making When have you made decisions or managed responsibilities independently?
Bridge Building and Communication When did you build relationships and communicate effectively with people of different backgrounds (military v. civilian, different regions of the world)?
Networking When have you developed or enhanced your support system through new connections, resources, or services?
Here are some examples of how you may have responded to various military life situations. Which ones can you relate to? Which have you used?
Reflect on the meaning of the situation
Reduce your obligations to give yourself more space
Stay focused on your current goals and plans for the future
Remind yourself things will get better
Participate in activities that bring you joy, humor, etc.
What did you do to make the situation work? What skills did you use? What were your strengths in working through the problem?
Leveraging your experience
We discussed three strategies that you can use today or in the next 1-2 months to leverage your superpowers, skills, and experience in professional settings.
Translate your superpowers into professional skills. Use one of the situations you identified from your military experience and think about how you can use the same skills in a professional setting.
Outline your buckets of support. Who do you have in your life as resources? What do you need from them at this moment in your career? Reach out to 1-2 people in each of these four buckets over the next 1-2 months, reconnect, ask them about your skills and strengths as well as how they have developed their careers.
Four buckets of support
Family and friends
Military connections
Civilian connections (neighbors, colleagues, etc.)
Resource professionals (therapists, community organizations, etc.)
Select a military spouse career resource. Review their website. Attend one virtual or in-person event. Connect with one person who works with them. Ask your network which resource would be best for you right now.
Developing your professional development roadmap
For your professional development roadmap, we’re focusing on a toolbox called Psychological Capital. The four components of psychological capital spell HERO! Each of these is malleable and can be developed, which research shows enhances work performance.
H is for Hope
Hope is rooted in a positive motivational state composed of two interactive elements: agency and pathways.
Agency is your goal-directed energy, or willpower—the determination to pursue your goals.
Pathways are your strategic ability, or "waypower," to generate alternative ways or routes to achieve your goals, especially when obstacles arise.
To cultivate hope, focus on setting specific, measurable, and personally meaningful goals. Then, break your goals down into achievable milestones or next steps.
E is for Self-Efficacy
Self-Efficacy stems from your confidence in your ability to move forward with the motivation, thought processes, and actions necessary to complete a specific task successfully.
This confidence enables you to set challenging goals and motivates you to invest the required effort and resources to achieve them.
Developing efficacy often relies on success experiences—what you have already achieved reinforces your belief in your current skills and competence. Continue to reflect back on your achievements and document them in a way that is meaningful to you.
R is for Resilience
Resilience is the capacity to bounce back from setbacks, difficult experiences, or even overwhelming positive change or increased responsibility.
Resilience is helpful as a reactive, proactive resource during difficult times.
Individuals high in resilience believe they have the necessary resources (physical, emotional, social, and psychological) to resolve or work through challenges.
Resilience supports the ability to adapt positively utilizing these existing resources.
O is for Optimism
Optimism in the context of Psychological Capital is a realistic outlook toward the future. It focuses on an explanatory style for interpreting events:
When faced with a positive event, you attribute it to personal, stable causes (your skills or hard work).
When faced with a setback, you attribute it to external, temporary, and situation-specific causes (lack of specific support or resources).
Using optimism as a tool to view setbacks as temporary and manageable helps you develop and sustain a belief that the future can and will get better. It can also help you make realistic goals about what you can achieve in any given situation.
By intentionally focusing on strengthening these four HERO components—your ability to plan (Hope), your confidence (self-Efficacy), your capacity to recover (Resilience), and your positive frame of interpretation (Optimism)—you invest directly in your capacity for success and overall well-being.
Final Reflection: The Value of Self-Compassion
Before concluding, we want to acknowledge that this is a difficult job market. It’s important to practice self-compassion as we continue to apply for positions or attempt to develop our career paths.
Use mindfulness to recognize when you are struggling or feeling overwhelmed. Acknowledge the feeling without judgment ("This is a moment of stress").
Remind yourself that you aren’t alone in your experience and feelings ("Many military spouses feel this way; I'm not alone").
Offer yourself a kind, supportive message, like you would a friend ("It's okay to feel this way").