In the last blog, I referenced the types of services available to spouses at the various family support centers.
They say that somewhere around 70% of military families live off the installation. Knowing this, I wonder how many people actually come back on base to utilize the services available through Fleet and Family Support, Airmen and Family Support Centers, Army Community Services, etc….
I’ve spoken to a lot of program specialists who work these programs and marvel at the depth and breadth of the free information and resources that exist out there.
As an example, when I moved to the DC area, I spent a fair amount of money having my federal résumé written. If I had done a little more research before pulling out my checkbook, I would have found out that there were federal résumé writing classes being held on at least 2 installations in my immediate vicinity.
I also read a number of books and came across some employment websites that pointed me to the importance of doing personality tests to help identify my optimal work environment. I found out that at some installations, these various assessments are offered free of charge to the spouses of currently serving military members. This prompted me to schedule an appointment to take advantage of some of the spouse employment programs available to me.
I was first given a password then directed to the web where I took both Meyers Brigg Type and the Strong Interest Inventories. Once I was done with both of these assessments, I called in for a consultation. On the day of my scheduled appointment, my consultant had an in-depth analysis of my assessment results that we discussed at some length. She then went on to help me identify the types of structure that would best suit my interests and my optimal work environments, co-workers and areas of responsibility. At the end of the session, she pointed me to some job search websites and search engines.
As military spouses, I think we are somewhat bred with low expectations, so knowing that this type of quality service was available to us for FREE blew me away. I know how much these services cost in the civilian sector (having just paid to have my résumé done), so I marvel that there are not lines of people waiting to take advantage of this program. These consultants not only understand the ins and outs of employment, they also understand the military lifestyle – many of them are military spouses or retirees themselves. They are not as apt to look at you like you’ve grown three heads when you tell them that you need the flexibility of a job that will allow you to leave when you get phone calls from your children’s schools because mom or dad has been gone for 15 months and your kids are acting out. Nor will they be as likely to balk when you talk about consideration for unexpected days off because your spouse will be in the area for an unexpected TDY from whatever remote location they are stationed to for the next year. They may tell you those ideal work situations will be challenging to find, but they’ll understand where you’re coming from.
The family support centers on all the installations are easy to find, but if you’re doing some research online before jumping in the car, use any search engine and type in the installation name and family support (or the appropriate derivative) for a good start. Many installations have people dedicated to military spouse employment, but if they don’t, calling the main number of the family support center will generally get you where you need to go.
Remember, don’t do what I did. Check out what you have available to you for free on base and online before you pull out that checkbook.