Volunteering is professional work experience and should be recognized as such. When was the last time you volunteered and did not apply, learn or gain an acquired skill? Think really, really hard. It is almost impossible to dedicate one’s time to a task and literally do nothing. Even the most mundane volunteer opportunities still require some type of effort, which means you have to be doing something in order to get a successful outcome. Military spouses across the globe donate countless hours to volunteering every year. Some of this in part to feeling called to contribute in order to support fellow spouses. Some of it has to do with only having pockets of time due to other commitments. Some spouses limit their time spent volunteering because they are busy with prioritizing other aspects of life outside of the military community. For a lot of military spouses, volunteering is a source of purpose that would otherwise be fulfilled by a part or full-time work-related position.
As military spouses, we are well aware of the impact serving alongside our military member has on our careers. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 53% of military spouses participate in some form of employment. While just half of all military spouses are employed, 89% of them have some level of college education. This means that nearly 90% of all military spouses have some form of higher education, but only half of them are applying their skills in a professional working environment. The majority of Spouses are not working because we do not want to. We are not working because we face unsurmountable difficulty in sustaining employment. If I could guess, the majority of military spouses that are not employed are not those that would be seeking just any job. They are spouses that either obtained professional degrees, licenses and/or certifications that became too difficult to keep up with and transfer across state lines or they were unable to spend enough time in a position that allowed them to work up the corporate ladder. Loyalty plays an integral role in promotions in corporate America. With frequent moves for many military spouses, it is impossible for us to remain loyal to a company that is not mobile. While remote positions allowed for more opportunity both during and post-COVID, many businesses and organizations are requiring their employees to return to their cubicles.
Along with the challenges of holding onto a career while constantly uprooting ourselves, military spouses also face many other obstacles. A new move means having to find available and affordable childcare, a shift in school schedules and routines, adapting to a new work schedule for the military member, applying for a lateral or next-level position, having to build a new network of support both personally and professionally and establishing a new way of life all while trying to hold onto what sanity we have left! I would love to say that when things “eventually fall into place” life is good…but it’s not. After spending nearly 20 years as a military spouse I can say with 100% honesty that I have never felt like anything has fallen into place. We have had eight assignments and have lived in places for a span of 1-4 years with our last two assignments being less than 2 years. I have a MA in Educational Leadership, a BA in Elementary Education and am a National Board Certified Teacher. I founded my own Educational Coaching business in 2022 and, instead of building my clientele, I spent the last two years “working” as a Family and Spouse Advocate for our squadron. Over the past twenty years, I have managed to continue my education at my own expense, renew licenses and certifications and acquire various teaching and coaching positions within the local school district. I have also, however, been forced not to work due to an overseas assignment, taken time off to have two babies, and chosen to serve and support the military community rather than contributing to the local school district. Three times now, I have been in a position to apply for administrative positions, but the opportunities have all come just as we are moving on to our next assignment.
While one could argue that some of my choices may not be reflective of how ingrained it is in me to be a working mom, I now know the value that both the volunteer and professional opportunities have brought to my life. I guess I just wish hiring managers would see it, too. I recently applied for two separate professional leadership positions – one within the military community and one in the educational field. As I sat down to update my resume, I was struck by the fact that, although I have been putting in 20+ hours a week as the squadron advocate, this experience would not be seen as applicable on my educational application. On the flip side my educational experience would not be considered applicable to the military position I was applying for. Since the majority of job applications are now completed through on-line systems, many of them do not ask the applicant to include volunteer experience. This put me in quite the predicament. I would either have a huge gap in “work experience,” which would then add to all of my previous gaps throughout my career in education or it would appear as though I have only “worked” the past two years with other military volunteer experience sprinkled in over the course of two decades.
When deciding what to do, I opted to take a chance and list my volunteer position under “work experience” at the top of both of my applications. I stated my title and placed “volunteer” in parenthesis. I highlighted the skills that could be applied to both positions, but worried that the hiring authority would not view my skills the way I did. I wondered as I filled out these applications how many spouses have found themselves in a similar position. How many spouses out there use strategic volunteer opportunities not only as a way to contribute to the greater good, but as a way to remain relevant? Furthermore, what can be done in order for hiring managers to see the value that volunteer experience holds for military spouses when being considered as a qualified candidate? What a world of difference it would make if they could see how our willingness to help others is a reflection of our determination, dedication, persistence, and motivation to keep our passion for work alive!
I do have a friend who was recently a direct hire in a family specialist position overseas. She has spent the majority of her life as a Spouse dedicated to volunteering and making a difference at each and every base her husband has been assigned. I reached out to her for guidance and inspiration when applying for the military position and she stated that, while there is still a long way to go, the military is recognizing volunteering as work experience in support of providing more opportunities for and hiring more spouses in government positions. I am cautiously optimistic that this trend will grow knowing it will take time for other professional fields to see our value, too. If nothing else, it is at least raising awareness which is always a great place to start. In the meantime, if you know anyone in need of a highly qualified educational administrator, parent coach or family advocate have them give me a call!
If you or a fellow military spouse would like guidance or assistance with building or updating a resume, Military OneSource, your local Military and Family Readiness Center (or branch specific family program), and Blue Star Families all offer helpful resources and support.
