Celebrating the superpowers of military spouses

Today, on Military Spouse Appreciation Day, we join the nation in honoring the American heroes who are often working behind the scenes.

They might not wear capes, but here at VA, we recognize military spouses for the true heroes they are and appreciate the superpowers they’ve developed during years of supporting our troops.

Now, you can use your powers — as well as your unique perspective of military experience — in a meaningful career helping serve Veterans at VA.

Your top powers

“[You have] extremely important leadership skills and strong skills that we are looking for in our talent pool. Don’t sell yourself short,” said Cheryl Mason, chair of the Board of Veterans’ Appeals at VA in an advice video for military spouses applying for VA jobs.

At VA, we know how much talent this special group brings to the table. We know that:

1. You’re unstoppable. You’ve survived deployments, permanent changes of station and much more. Your career has probably been uprooted many times throughout your spouse’s military service, but you can hit the ground running at a new job better than a seasoned triathlete. Employers, including VA, are always looking for workers with your resiliency and ability to overcome obstacles.
2. You can change direction on a dime. GPS has nothing on you. You’re constantly recalibrating as situations change. Good news! Adaptability is one of the top five soft skills employers are looking for in 2020, according to LinkedIn. “VA sees that and VA needs that,” Mason said. “We want to invest in you if you want to invest in us.”
3. You’ve got super speed. You know how to address an issue quickly. After all, with a home to manage, kids to wrangle and a job to do, who’s got time to drag their feet? The world of health care moves quickly too, and we always need workers who are ready to get the job done fast.
4. You’re a problem solver. Problems don’t stop you in your tracks. You know how to think about the big picture and transform problems into opportunities.
5. You’re the ultimate juggler. “Multitasker” may as well be your middle name. You’ve overseen moves, settled children in new schools and adapted to a new community, all while singlehandedly managing a household. “If you’ve gone through one move, let alone four, you’ve probably handled all the stuff that goes with the move because your spouse was somewhere else,” Mason advised. “Think about those skills.”

Consider a VA career

Help advance the quality of care for more than 9 million Veterans enrolled in VA by bringing your superpowers to a VA career.

Recently, we partnered with the DoD’s Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) program to  help the rich talent pool of more than 600,000 military spouses kick start meaningful careers at VA. We offer competitive pay, premium-support group health insurance, access to the Federal Employees’ Retirement System (FERS) and remote work options. We pride ourselves on providing work-life balance, offering 13-26 days paid annual leave that start accruing your first day along with 13 sick days annually with no limit on accumulation and 10 paid federal holidays.

VA has a multitude of career training and leadership development programs. You can even earn up to $4,000 in tuition to pursue licensing in targeted fields through the My Career Advancement Account scholarship.

VA jobs ideal for military spouses are tagged on USAJobs and key information — such as remote work opportunities, flexible work schedules and child care benefits — are highlighted in all job announcements.

For many positions, you’ll enjoy what’s called noncompetitive eligibility (NCE), meaning you can apply for jobs that are open only to federal employees. You’ll also be hired outside of the formal competitive job announcement process.

We’re always looking for military spouses with health care experience or training as a physicians, nurses, social workers or occupational therapists. You can work at any of our locations in the U.S. and its territories with one active license.

Work at VA

Consider a career with VA that is meaningful, supports the military community and puts your talents to use.

• LEARN more about opportunities for military spouses at VA.
• SEARCH for open positions on USAJobs.
• WATCH our LinkedIn live video on the MSEP program.
• EXPLORE the benefits of a VA career.
• REACH a recruiter at VAcareers@va.gov