FORT CAMPBELL, Ky. – The Spouse Employment Center is a resource for military spouses seeking help with obtaining a job, a task staff approach in several ways, including through resume building, job fairs and workshops.
“Whether a spouse has never worked before, has gaps in employment, encounters obstacles to employment, or is a licensed professional seeking employment after a permanent change of station move, counselors at the Spouse Employment Center can help spouses find resources to achieve their career goals,” said Holly Nusom, employment services counselor.
This month the Spouse Employment Center will host three workshops designed to assist spouses with searching for jobs and marketing themselves for the careers they want. The workshops are Job Search Strategies, Mastering Resume Essentials for Military Spouses TEAMS workshop and Lunch and Learn – Pathways to Federal Employment: Recent Graduates.
Appointments or workshop registration
Because of COVID-19 social distancing requirements, each workshop can only accommodate 15 participants, and staff at the Spouse Employment Center recommend calling the center to reserve a spot.
Those interested in the workshops or scheduling an appointment should note the Spouse Employment Center moved in May and is now located at 5662 Screaming Eagle Blvd., Nusom said.
To schedule an appointment or register for a workshop, call 270-412-1720.
Job Search Strategies
Searching for a job can be stressful. The Job Search Strategies workshop educates spouses on how to narrow a job search, Nusom said.
“There are ways that you can narrow your search so that you’re maximizing your time and really honing-in on those positions that you’re interested in and qualified for,” she said.
This is the first workshop of its kind and is intended to be hands-on. Spouses will not only learn how to search for employment more efficiently but also will have the chance to put into practice.
“We have computers that each participant can use,” Nusom said. “They can actively participate in the job search and try out some of these new techniques while they’re at the class.”
Patrice Hamilton, employment services counselor, said coming to the center for workshops can be helpful to spouses who are new to the area.
“Coming into our center gives spouses the opportunity to understand the location, and where some of the employment opportunities are,” Hamilton said. “When you’re new to an area, it’s often not very clear what the or where the employment opportunities are available within the surrounding area. We also connect them with employers, employment opportunities, and resources that many are not aware of.”
The Job Search Strategies workshop is 1-2:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Spouse Employment Center.
Mastering Resume Essentials
One of the biggest challenges spouses report when applying for jobs is their resume, Nusom said.
“Either they don’t have a resume, or they have a resume that they don’t feel quite ready to start sending out to jobs,” she said.
For spouses who change location often or take time off between jobs, the gaps in employment periods can feel intimidating or difficult to communicate on a resume, Hamilton said.
“Many people have gaps in their employment and years where they’ve not worked,” she said. “Or we have many of our spouses who have utilized their time well throughout the years with volunteer opportunities and service, and they just don’t know how to articulate that on a resume. We make them aware that their time is very valuable in regard to closing those gaps and showing that they have worked or developed skill sets that will be beneficial to an employer.”
By the time participants leave the class, they should have a strong start to a resume, Nusom said.
“When they leave the class, they should have a solid draft of a resume that they can then use to apply for a position,” she said.
The Mastering Resume Essentials workshop is 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m. Sept. 28 at the Spouse Employment Center.
Lunch and Learn
Lunch and Learn is a Q&A session in which spouses who are interested in federal employment can inquire about a program for recent graduates.
“It’s an overview about that pathway and how someone who has recently graduated from high school, from college or if they are a current student, how they may be able to get in with the federal government,” Nusom said.
The lunch and learn is an hour long and takes place noon-1 p.m. Sept. 29 at the Spouse Employment Center.
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