Entering the Work Force When Your Spouse Has Been Severely Injured

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Preparing for employment after your spouse's injury may feel overwhelming. Maybe you spend a great deal of time caring for your spouse and won't feel comfortable leaving him or her alone while you are at your job. Perhaps you have always put your spouse's career ahead of your own and never given your employment much thought. How do you prepare yourself for a job? What sort of work are you suited for, and how will your spouse's disability affect your career choice? There is a lot to think about as you prepare to enter the work force. Fortunately, help is available.

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Where to find help

You will find career planning tools and job listings online, but whenever possible, ask for personal help. Experienced and knowledgeable professionals will guide you through the many options, benefits, and services available to you as the spouse of a severely injured service member. If your spouse is rated with a 100 percent service-connected disability, you are considered by the government to be an "other eligible," giving you the same resources, rights, and services that are available to veterans and disabled veterans. You will be given priority in Labor Department-funded employment and training programs, and in most cases, you will receive preference in federal hiring. Far too often, spouses of 100 percent service-disabled veterans are unaware of their rights, so be sure to let the people helping you know of your spouse's rating.

• One Stop Career Center System. One Stop Career Centers are located throughout the country to provide job training and employment services to spouses in families that have suffered an active-duty casualty. If you already know where you will live when your spouse is discharged from the hospital, call the One Stop Career Center in that city. Find it by calling 1-877-US2-JOBS, or by going to www.servicelocator.org and typing in the ZIP code or city and state. When you call the One Stop Career Center, introduce yourself as the spouse of a recently disabled veteran and ask to speak with a work force specialist who can give you one-on-one help and tell you about job opportunities in the local area. If your spouse received a 100 percent disability rating, be sure to inform the One Stop staff of your eligibility for veterans' and priority services.
• The Military Spouse Resource Center. This is a Web-based service of the Department of Defense and Department of Labor. It provides access to information, resources, and opportunities related to education, training, and employment within the U.S. It also includes information on child care and transportation. Access it at www.MilSpouse.org.

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How you may be feeling

If your spouse's career always came first, finding a job of your own may be a brand-new process for you. It's likely that you are feeling a mix of emotions, from excitement to fear to concern. It's a good idea to talk with your spouse, family members, or a Military OneSource consultant about some of the changes you will encounter as you enter this new phase. Here are some of the things that you may want to talk about:

• Your new role in the family. Will you be replacing your spouse as the main breadwinner in the family? If so, your spouse may be concerned that he or she will become dependent on you. Agree that you will make financial decisions as a couple. If possible, team up to create a household budget based on your new income.
• Resentment. If you assumed that your spouse would take care of you financially, you may feel bitter about having to get a job. If you invest the time in finding the right career for you, it's likely that you will find work to be rewarding and personally enriching. Your One Stop Career Center employment specialist will work with you to identify training and education opportunities to start you on the way to a fulfilling career.
• Excitement. It's not unusual for a person to look forward to starting a new chapter of life. This may be the first time since your marriage that you have focused on your own career, aspirations, and dreams. You have a chance to go back to school, learn new skills, meet new people, and earn money. These are all good things and it's perfectly normal that you should look forward to them.

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What to think about

Your One Stop Career Center employment specialist will help you prepare for a new career by identifying available grants, training opportunities, and employment assistance. A good first step before speaking with the employment specialist is to think through what sort of career you would like. If you're having trouble deciding, the following activities may help:

• If you could do anything at all, what would it be? It's a difficult question to answer, but one that will give you a starting point to begin thinking about a career that will challenge and reward you over many years.
• What are the barriers to your success? Child care? Your spouse's disability? Your education? The area of the country where you will be living? Identifying the obstacles to your success will allow you to find ways to overcome them.
• Write down your skills, interests, traits, and experiences. Include job skills, but also list the ways your lifestyle and interests have prepared you for work. Maybe you moved frequently as a military spouse. If so, you're probably flexible and adapt easily to new situations -- two traits that are important in many careers. Perhaps you like to garden, or your hobby is woodworking. If so, you are probably creative, work well with your hands, and can plan and execute a project. Listing the things you enjoy and are good at will point you toward a career that takes advantage of your strengths.
• Look through the help-wanted ads and job sites. A good exercise is to find listings for jobs that you can and want to do. Cut or print these out and bring them to your employment specialist. He or she will be better able to help you if you can provide real examples of jobs that represent your interests and abilities.
• How likely is your family to move? Transitioning military families tend to move around a lot after discharge from the service, and this may be especially true for severely injured service members who need to be near certain medical facilities for specialized treatment. When you're thinking about your career, factor in the likelihood that you'll move around. For example, if you've decided to train to be a pharmaceutical technician, consider taking a job with a national chain of pharmacies, rather than a regional chain. If you move, you can request a transfer to a store in your new location.

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Other resources

Your military support services

Each service branch sponsors information and support programs for service members and their families. You can call or visit any installation Army Community Service Center, Marine Corps Community Services, Fleet and Family Support Center, or Airman and Family Readiness Center regardless of your branch affiliation.

If you aren't near an installation, National Guard Family Assistance Centers are available in every state. The Local Community Resource Finder on the National Guard Family Program at www.jointservicessupport.org will identify your closest center.

Military OneSource

This free 24-hour service is available to all active duty, Guard, and Reserve members (regardless of activation status) and their families. Consultants provide information and make referrals on a wide range of issues, including entering the work force. Free face-to-face counseling sessions (and their equivalent by phone or online) are also available. Call 1-800-342-9647 or go to www.MilitaryOneSource.com to learn more.

This article was written with the help of Daniel Nichols, Special Assistant to the Assistant Secretary for Veterans' Employment and Training, United States Department of Labor; Angel H. Alvarez, Jr., LTC, USAR, Ret., former Employment Services Coordinator, Military Severely Injured Center.

© 2005, 2010 Ceridian Corporation, Military OneSource. All rights reserved. 071410

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