{Guest Post} 3 Flexible Jobs for Military Spouses

3 Flexible Jobs for Military Spouses

As a military spouse, you face challenges that most civilian families never have to worry about. While your spouse is working long hours, you are often left responsible for cooking, cleaning, paying bills and doing everything else necessary to run a home. If you have kids, you find yourself living like a single parent when your partner is deployed. Chances are, you don’t live anywhere near your family and lack a solid support system. On top of all that, you likely find yourself needing to move to a new city every few years.

With all of the challenges that military spouses face, it is no surprise that many struggle to build their own careers. When it seems like there are barely enough hours in the day to take care of your home and family, the idea of getting a job can appear downright ludicrous.

While being tied down to a traditional job might not be a good option for a military husband or wife, there are plenty of flexible opportunities that work remarkably well. Finding the right one means being able to earn extra money for your family while still being able to take care of everything at home. Keep reading to discover some flexible jobs for military spouses that will allow you to earn an income and feel great about contributing to your family financially.

Sell Arts & Crafts

If you are an artist or a crafter, start selling your creations for profit. You can work on projects at home during your spare time and sell them online to people around the world. When trying to come up with an idea of what to make, try to keep it relatively simple. If you live on base and have limited space, taking up furniture-making, for example, may not be a great option. Making beaded jewelry is a practical option that works well for military spouses. You don’t need a lot of space to work, and you don’t need to store any particularly large supplies. Since jewelry-making supplies don’t take up much room, they’re also easy to pack and move when you relocate.

Once you’ve settled on an idea, open up an Etsy shop. It takes some time to build up a strong business, but selling on Etsy (and similar sites) is easy and convenient. You could also look into selling your products at craft and vendor fairs in your local community. Just about every city has events from time to time where local artists and crafters can sell their handmade creations. Setting up a booth is a good way to earn some money, build awareness of your products and maybe even make new local friends.

Working on arts and crafts can lower stress levels, too, making this money-making opportunity even more beneficial for military spouses.

Seek Out Remote Employment Opportunities

More and more businesses are turning to the Internet to hire remote employees for a wide range of positions. They outsource things like customer care, data entry, software programming, administrative support, etc. to remote workers who, in turn, complete their assignments from just about anywhere. Xerox, for example, has a Heroes@Home program that hires military spouses for at-home positions. Several other major corporations have programs for military spouses, too. 

Online education is booming right now and provides amazing opportunities for military spouses. If you have the right credentials and experience, you can teach English, math and a wide range of other subjects from home. In many cases, you don’t even need to have a teaching degree in order to get started. If you have a special talent or skill, you could even start making your own courses on sites like Teachable.

Start Your Own Online Business

Thanks to the Internet, starting your own business is a solid option for anyone who has the drive to put in the effort to be successful. If you know your way around the web, there are countless online businesses you can start. Have you always had a knack for writing? If so, you might make a great content writer or content writer. Businesses always need fresh blog posts and articles for their websites, but many lack the time to write them on their own. Starting your own writing service can be quite lucrative, and since you can work anywhere with an Internet connection, it’s a great option for military spouses.

If you love spending time scrolling through Facebook or Instagram, you might be awesome at social media management. As a social media manager, you work with brands and influential people to create and curate content for their social media profiles. You might also interact with their followers, work on paid advertisements and more. Being a social media manager means you can literally get paid to be on Facebook all day. What’s not to love about that?

Virtual assisting (VA) is another online option that works well for many military spouses. As a VA, you might help your client manage their social media, write blog posts, schedule appointments, transcribe files, design graphics or handle all sorts of other tasks. You get to decide what services to offer and work with clients who have needs that fit your skill set.

Conclusion

As a military spouse, working at a “normal” job isn’t always an option. Your schedule is extremely full and you might find yourself relocating every few years. Instead of bouncing from one job to the next or giving up on finding work altogether, consider one of the more flexible options listed above. Whether you work for yourself or find a job working remotely for another corporation, you will be able to earn an income without sacrificing time with your family. Start doing some research to find the opportunity that’s right for you today!

Thank you to Brenda Kimble for writing this guest post. Brenda Kimble is the wife of a former Army Officer and current National Guard soldier and the mother of two daughters, a son, and a beagle named Duke! She loves writing, crafting, and spending time with her family in their hometown of Austin, TX. Look for her next post very soon!