Finding employment is important, especially if you want to support yourself or contribute to your home. Sometimes, Air Force veterans and spouses have a difficult time finding employment, whether it has to do with the difficulties related to the transition or because of the many challenges spouses face. However, it’s not impossible to find a job and to climb in your career, even despite the hardships. In this blog, we’ll go over some of the problems veterans and spouses face when finding employment, as well as resources and tips you can use to help you land your next job.

Why It Can Be Difficult to Find Work as an Air Force Veteran or Spouse

Being a veteran or Air Force spouse comes with many benefits, but there can also be challenges when it comes to finding stable and worthwhile employment. While there are several challenges vets and spouses have to overcome, the most notable challenges include:

• Difficulty transitioning: Air Force veterans in the midst of their civilian transition may be finding it difficult to adjust to life outside of being an Airman. This difficulty with the transition could also result in challenges with finding employment, especially if Air Force veterans don’t know how to leverage their skills correctly. Some veterans may also need to seek additional training or education to make advancements in their careers outside of the Air Force. 
• Discrimination in the workplace: While it’s not something that happens everywhere, some employers may discriminate against Air Force veterans and spouses. Employers may be concerned about an Air Force spouse’s ability to commit to a role since they may PCS within a few years or have other obligations that pull them away from work. In some cases, military spouses may only be able to find part-time work with limited hours and reduced pay if an employer isn’t willing to take a risk in hiring, and it can also create difficulties in climbing the career ladder. 
• Limited support: Sometimes, Air Force veterans and spouses lack the support they need to truly thrive in their careers and even their lives. Living somewhere where you don’t have the support of family or friends could make it difficult to get on your feet or find employment through networking. It can also be difficult for spouses to find childcare, which can make it more difficult to work if their job interferes with their ability to care for their children. 
• Additional challenges: On top of the above challenges, Air Force spouses and veterans can also face additional challenges, such as language or cultural barriers if they live somewhere unfamiliar. Moving around frequently as a spouse can also create gaps in employment or make it hard to hold down a job for more than a couple of years, which will make it harder to go beyond entry-level positions. 

Available Resources to Help With Finding Employment

If you’re an Air Force spouse or veteran looking for employment, there are some resources available to you that can help you find a stable job. Some of these resources include:

• USAJOBS: On this website, you can look for jobs that have a hiring preference for veterans and military spouses. You can use the filters to find jobs that are more likely to hire you and ones that you’re able to apply for rather than jobs you don’t qualify for. 
• Hiring Our Heroes: Available to current active duty Airmen, Hiring Our Heroes is a 12-week program that helps with the transition from the military, which includes the hiring process and employment. Military spouses and veterans can also use this organization to learn how to leverage their experience to find work. 
• Spouse Education and Career Opportunities (SECO): If you’re at the beginning stages of trying to find work, SECO can help you at every point of your search for employment. You can work with them to build your resume and look for jobs whenever you’re ready to start working. 
• Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP): MSEP is a DoD program that helps spouses find work with employers who are looking to employ spouses of Airmen. There are different resources through MSEP to help you with your job search, including training, education, job listings, and potential employment with non-profits.
• Veterans Preference: If you’re an Air Force veteran, there are plenty of jobs you can find that offer veterans preference, which will give you hiring preference if your skills match the employers' needs. You can find both federal and civilian employment this way based on your preferences. 

Our Top Tips for Finding and Securing a Job

While it can be difficult to find steady employment as an Air Force veteran or spouse, you have avenues you can take to help you find a job. Below are some tips we have for helping you prepare for your job search and keeping you motivated during the process.

1. Leverage Your Skills

Everyone has skills that make them valuable in the workforce, and Air Force spouses and veterans have a unique set of skills that can help them stand out in the hiring process if they know how to use them to their advantage. Some of the skills that these people can develop include the ability to work independently and organize, which can be excellent traits to leverage to a future employer. As you start applying, think about what skills you’ve developed and emphasize them to your potential employers.

2. Utilize Your Military Experience

As an Air Force veteran, you’ve developed many skills that will be useful when you start applying for work outside of your service. These skills will help you stand out from others applying for the same position. For example, if your work in the Air Force involved electrical work, you can find roles as an electrician in the civilian world that you’re qualified for without having to necessarily seek additional training.

In the Air Force, you can also develop skills in a broader sense that will also be appealing to employers. Some of these skills can include adaptability, determination, teamwork, leadership, and more. Many of these skills will come in handy, especially as you curate your resume and participate in interviews.

3. Update Your Resume and Participate in Mock Interviews

It’s important to make your resume as appealing and impressive as possible since it will be an employer's first impression of you and your skills. Make sure your resume emphasizes relevant experience based on the position you’re hiring for. There are different resources you can use online to help you create an effective resume.

You will also want to ask a friend or family member to help you with mock interviews. If you haven’t been interviewed in a long time, you might feel some nervousness or uncertainty during the process. Participating in a mock interview can help alleviate some anxiety and make you feel prepared for the different questions you might get. 

4. Take Advantage of Networking

As an Air Force veteran and spouse, you’ve likely met a lot of people throughout your life who can support you during your job-seeking process. You can reach out to the people you know to hear more about potential job opportunities, especially those that might not be on job boards. Reach out through social media, support groups, or talk to those in your personal contacts. 

5. Stay Consistent With Applying

You must keep applying for jobs if you want one, even if it might seem discouraging at first. Staying determined will help you get through the process, and the more effort you put in, the more likely you are to find a job. Even if you don’t necessarily feel like you qualify for a role, go ahead and try applying anyway. There’s always a chance that you will be the type of person with the right set of skills that an employer is looking for. 

Find Air Force Uniforms and Gear Here at AUSI

If you haven’t left the Air Force yet or you’re a spouse looking to support your partner, AUSI is here to help. We offer AFI-compliant uniforms so Airmen can worry less about finding the uniforms they need and focus more on their important work. We have an impressive selection of OCPs, rank, insignia, and more. Check out our impressive selection to get started, or contact us with your questions.