Struggling to find a job as a veteran or military spouse? You're not alone. This guide offers resources and support to help you land your next job.
Article: 4 minutes
Updated: October 15, 2026 Published: November 23, 2022
By: USAA Reviewed by: Editorial contributors
Finding and maintaining meaningful employment after a military transition or during frequent moves can be challenging, but veterans and military spouses bring valuable skills that employers need. By translating your military experience to civilian life, leveraging available resources and targeting the right opportunities, you can position yourself for a successful job search.
Video Duration: 1 minute 26 seconds
Whether you or your spouse are going through a military move or leaving the military, one priority is probably top of mind: finding a job.
If you’re a service member transitioning out of the military, it can be difficult to find jobs that match your skillset, and even more difficult if you’re looking for one in a different industry. Even if the jobs market is doing well, getting a new job may take longer than you expect.
Military spouses can also have a hard time finding a job. In fact, they have a much higher unemployment rate than the national average. This can make it harder for them to maintain a career and support their families financially, often leading to problems like food insecurity.
To address these challenges, USAA has teamed up with RecruitMilitary to help military members and their families find jobs. Whether you’re transitioning out of the military or going through a PCS, RecruitMilitary helps match your skills with top veteran-friendly employers who are looking for people just like you.
At USAA, our mission is to help provide for your financial security. Having solid employment, with consistent income and benefits, is critical to your financial foundation.
Visit recruitmilitary.com/usaa to begin your job search today.
Description of visual information: [The information contained is provided for informational purposes only and is not intended to represent any endorsement, expressed or implied, by USAA or any affiliates.
The trademarks, logos and names of other companies, products and services are the property of their respective owners.
7610650] End of description
Whether either you or your spouse is going through a military move or you’re leaving the military, one of your top priorities is probably finding a job. If you're a service member transitioning out of the military, it can be difficult to find jobs that match your skillset, and even more difficult if you're looking to make a major career change. These tips and resources can help make your job search a success.
Military members have unique skills and experiences that employers value. For example: They aren’t afraid of responsibility, can make decisions under pressure, and can juggle several tasks at the same time.
The same is true for military spouses: Very few people have their organization skills and ability to work independently. Juggling three or four projects is not that hard when you have experience moving into a new home, telling the movers where to put everything and coordinating utility setup all while taking care of three kids and two dogs by yourself because your military spouse is deployed.
Sometimes, frequent moves or deployments mean military spouses have to step away from their civilian careers for a while. If this is the case for you, try highlighting any volunteer experience during that time, either on installation or off. Just because you were not getting paid doesn’t mean you weren’t working, leading or running projects.
As you look for your next job, make sure to effectively translate your military experience on your civilian resume. For example, many employers might not understand the value of leading a fire team through the mountains of Afghanistan while coordinating with locals to uncover HVTs, or high-value targets, to fulfill mission objectives.
But if you frame it on your resume as experience leading teams of various sizes to prioritize and overcome obstacles to accomplish strategic goals, that’s something they can understand. Also make sure to highlight teamwork and problem-solving skills. In the civilian world, you will work as part of a team and playing nice with others is very important.
As you write your resume, use action verbs and quantify results. The same performance report format of “action, impact, result” works well for a resume. It can also be a good idea to create more than one version of your resume so you can tailor each version to the job you are applying for and its specific needs.
Your resume should also show potential employers how the technical skills you developed in the military are relevant to civilian industries. Prospective employers might not understand the military, so help them understand your skills.
When you’re looking for a new career or making a big job change, it’s important to take advantage of any job search resources available to you.
The U.S. Department of Defense’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership connects military spouses with employers committed to hiring them. The program includes employers and nonprofit organizations nationwide and offers job postings, education and training, and more.
If you aren’t ready to apply for a job yet or aren’t sure what you want to do, you could try the Department of Defense’s Spouse Education and Career Opportunities, or SECO. SECO offers education opportunities and career guidance for military spouses, no matter what stage your career is in. This program has different coaching packages, helps you build your resume and even has a job board with remote and flexible opportunities.
Government programs aren’t the only ways to find jobs. Many companies make an extra effort to hire veterans or military family members. There’s also the Military Fellowship program, a partnership with Hiring Our Heroes. This 12-week program is designed for active-duty service members transitioning away from the military, as well as veterans, military spouses and members of the National Guard and Reserve. The goal is to help them gain corporate experience that hopefully leads to a full-time job offer.
Whether you're transitioning out of the military or going through a PCS, these military focused career resources can help match your experience with top veteran-friendly employers who are looking for people just like you.
Visit RecruitMilitary® to start your job search today.