According to Dana Manciagli of Forbes Magazine “Active duty military spouses face a 24% unemployment rate. And over 31% are working part-time even if they would prefer to work full-time.” This statistic has been higher than the national unemployment rate for civilians for quite some time. While several initiatives are now taking place to help military spouses with employment opportunities, several military spouse entrepreneurs have decided to act upon these statistics and help their communities. They are taking on that challenge and finding ways to help turn the statistics around.

Remote work is the best option for military spouses for several reasons. First, the flexibility offers the work-life balance military spouses desire. Second, the portability of remote careers are a great fit as military families move every three to four years. Next, the high cost of childcare makes it tough for many military spouses to work outside of the home. Last, military spouses are highly motivated, well educated, and capable of handling multiple projects at a time. This makes remote work a perfect fit for the military spouse community.

Below are 5 military spouse-owned companies who are changing the employment struggles for the entire military community by offering remote careers.

1-Squared Away

This Virtual Assistant Company began in 2017 and has quickly grown to employ many military spouses across the globe. The owner, Michelle Penczak, is a Marine Corps spouse and understands the career struggles many service member spouses face. The team camaraderie and support you get from working for this company is priceless. Did I mention that motherhood is celebrated here? If you are a mom, military spouse, and professional, you will find your tribe working at Squared Away. Once you make it through the interview process, you begin training and onboarding. Then, you are matched with a client and begin work as an executive assistant. To learn more about this company, click here.

2-Instant Teams

Instant Teams, formerly known as Mad Skills, has been around since 2017. It was created by two Army spouses, Erica  McMannes and Liza Rodewald. This amazing remote company helps military spouses find remote careers by matching them to positions that fit their skill level. First, you need to create a profile on their website. If positions become available that match your skill set, then you will be contacted to see if you are interested. Next, you will proceed through the interview process. Last, the hiring and onboarding process takes place if you are determined to be a good fit. Click here to get started.

3-VirtForce

This military spouse owned business is helping the community find virtual work in many different industries and pay grades. Companies who want to put military spouses to work will send their job opening to Virtforce. Then, they relay these positions to their network of military spouses to give the employer a pool of highly qualified military spouse applicants to choose from. Join the Facebook group and sign up for the newsletter here to get those first notifications of new job alerts.

4-Freedom Learning Group

This e-learning company is owned and operated by a U.S. Marine Corps Veteran and his wife. Nathan and Stacey Ecelbarger have a military spouse and veteran hiring preference. They are always recruiting subject matter experts in higher education for contract-based positions that are remote in the e-learning industry. For more information, click here.

5-WISE Advise + Assist Team

Created in 2016 by Diana Jaquith and Laura Early, this business employs military spouses, veteran spouses, and veterans virtually in areas such as; graphic design, web development, and digital marketing. To date, WISE Advise + Assist Team has helped 500 clients and employed over 50 military spouses. To learn more about this company, employment opportunities, and how you can outsource some of your business needs, click here.

© Strength 4 Spouses LLC, 2019.

References

Manciagli, D. (2019, January). The Military Spouse Employment Plight. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbescoachescouncil/2019/01/09/the-military-spouse-employment-plight/#2ff4f9e012d1

Wendi Iacobello is a new mom, has been an Army wife for four years and part of military life for six years. She spent nine years of her career as an adult educator, has a Master of Arts in Educational Media, and a Bachelor of Science degree in Early Childhood Education. Her teaching career includes; Middle and High School Special Education, Correctional Education, and Community College Instruction in Early Childhood Education, Compensatory Ed, as well as Adult Basic Education. Currently, she is a blogger, freelance writer, aqua cycling instructor, an executive assistant, and an avid volunteer in the local Fort Bragg community. Wendi is extremely passionate about helping others find their inner strength by sharing her experiences, insight, resources, and inspirational stories on her blog Strength 4 Spouses.