Aid provided by our Scholarship Service enabled a Military Spouse to break free from the grip of underemployment.
Transforming Challenges: Michelle Arteche's Journey Out of the Military Spouse Underemployment Trap
Michelle Arteche, a military spouse, found herself trapped in the Military Spouse Underemployment Trap, a cycle that leaves many military spouses struggling to secure stable, career-appropriate employment due to the unique demands of military life.
Arteche's journey began when she discovered the US Foundation's Service Scholarship for military spouses on LinkedIn. This scholarship, offered through a partnership with General Assembly (GA), an our group brand, provided Arteche with the opportunity to enroll in a part-time digital marketing course, free of charge.
Frequent relocations, required of military families, had inflicted multiple forced career restarts on Arteche. To accommodate her family's schedule, she had pursued a master's degree while working contract jobs. However, these jobs often lacked stability, benefits, and predictable income, making it difficult for her to utilise her full skills and education.
Arteche leveraged her new skills from the digital marketing course to seek a higher-paying job. Her hard work paid off when she accepted a position paying $55,000 more than her pre-scholarship position. Furthermore, she used the skills she learned to update her employer's web presence, resulting in a 312% increase in website visits.
The Military Spouse Underemployment Trap is caused by several factors. Frequent relocations (PCS moves) disrupt spouses' career continuity, making it difficult to maintain stable W-2 employment. Preference for flexibility, to accommodate military family schedules, deployments, and relocations, often leads spouses to consider more flexible work options or part-time roles that might not utilize their full skills or education.
Limited portability of licenses and certifications, employer reluctance, socioeconomic and educational barriers, and the preference for flexibility all contribute to the underemployment of military spouses. Underemployment reduces household income potential, increases reliance on the military spouse's income for family stability, and negatively impacts economic resilience during military moves or deployments.
In addition to financial insecurity, underemployment can lead to career disruption and stagnation, mental health challenges, and strain relationships within military families. Reduced access to benefits, such as health insurance, retirement savings plans, and unemployment protections, further impacts the overall financial and health security of military spouses.
The US Foundation's Military Alliance program offers scholarships to help military spouses avoid sacrificing their own career paths. By providing free courses in data analytics, digital marketing, and product management, the program empowers military spouses to build relationships, develop a reputation, complete education and training, and gain or build on experience.
Despite the challenges she faced as a military spouse, Arteche's story serves as a testament to the transformative power of education and opportunity. Her journey out of the Military Spouse Underemployment Trap is a beacon of hope for other military spouses seeking to build fulfilling and financially stable careers.
[1] Military One Click. (2019). Military Spouse Unemployment and Underemployment. Retrieved from https://www.militaryonesource.mil/family-relationships/family-life/work-life/employment/military-spouse-unemployment-and-underemployment/
[2] Military Spouse Employment Partnership. (n.d.). About Us. Retrieved from https://msepjobs.militaryonesource.mil/about-us
[3] National Military Family Association. (n.d.). Military Family Life Survey. Retrieved from https://www.nmfa.org/resources/military-family-life-survey/
- Michelle Arteche's journey began with discovering the US Foundation's Service Scholarship for military spouses on LinkedIn, a partnership with General Assembly.
- Despite multiple forced career restarts due to frequent relocations, Michelle Arteche enrolled in a part-time digital marketing course, made possible by the scholarship.
- Arteche lacked stability and predictable income with her contract jobs in the past, which hindered her full utilisation of education and skills.
- Arteche leveraged her new digital marketing skills for a higher-paying job, improving her family's financial situation and boosting her employer's web presence.
- The Military Spouse Underemployment Trap is affected by various factors, such as limited license portability, employer reluctance, and the need for flexibility to accommodate military family schedules.
- Underemployment negatively impacts family stability, economic resilience, and mental health, leading to financial insecurity, career disruption, and relationship strain.
- The US Foundation's Military Alliance program offers scholarships in data analytics, digital marketing, and product management to help military spouses build careers, relationships, and skills.
- Arteche's success story demonstrates the potential for education, opportunity, and career growth for military spouses, propelling them towards personal growth, career development, and job success.
