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I have a question on the behalf of a Navy wife. What are the best or most common possible job openings on a Naval base, both CONUS and overseas in Japan (Okinawa)? Same question for career fields?
This young lady (22) has a dual-major college degree in the sciences (pre-vet, I believe) and sociology.
(She is currently working as a vet-tech.)
Could either of these degrees be used in potential job openings on base? If so, what areas?
Also, she's not yet sure what field she wants to pursue. Have there been any job openings both Conus and overseas that perhaps consistently pop up or field that have a need to be filled?
For instance, what about teachers? Human resources? Management?
She's open to further education - either certificate or master's. Any recommendations that may increase her chances of being hired?
There are veteranarians (did I spell that right?) on every base. I'd think that would be a good possibility. I always see civilians there except in combat areas. Those are Army - but the Army vets are (again) on every base. They do meat inspections in the commisary, like USDA people. Plus K9 cops, plus dependent animals.
Dependent spouses get priority for most jobs. There are agencies designed to help employ spouses.
I recently retired after a career in the Navy and drug my wife around with me for all 26 years. She always worked and had no trouble finding a job.
A job as a vet tech will be tough because most bases don't have vets on base so she'll have to find employment out in town, which is where most military spouses work anyway while stateside. Overseas some bases have vets but the job opportunities would be limited.
The most jobs available on base were clerical and retail jobs. My wife worked as an Office Manager at a DOD High School while we were stationed in Japan and then got a similar job when she got back to the states.
I have a question on the behalf of a Navy wife. What are the best or most common possible job openings on a Naval base, both CONUS and overseas in Japan (Okinawa)? Same question for career fields?
This young lady (22) has a dual-major college degree in the sciences (pre-vet, I believe) and sociology.
(She is currently working as a vet-tech.)
Could either of these degrees be used in potential job openings on base? If so, what areas?
Also, she's not yet sure what field she wants to pursue. Have there been any job openings both Conus and overseas that perhaps consistently pop up or field that have a need to be filled?
For instance, what about teachers? Human resources? Management?
She's open to further education - either certificate or master's. Any recommendations that may increase her chances of being hired?
Thank you in advance for your responses!
Dandiday
I am a Navy spouse who is a certified teacher and a civilian Navy employee. My current command does not have any DOD-run schools. Base housing is served by the local public school district, and they as a rule do not make a point to employ relatively transient folks such as spouses, nor are they under Navy command, even though their facilities are located within base housing. I do work as a program assistant with Navy CYP (Child & Youth Programs). CYP oversees, among other things, numerous early childhood centers, school-age care, after-school programs, in-home child care programs, summer camps, tutoring and mentoring programs, and cosponsors various youth and family-oriented clubs and activities with local chapters of Boys and Girls Clubs of America and 4-H.
Navy CYP is under the umbrella of MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation), which is the chief agency that advocates for and assists dependent families on base. MWR is a large civilian/spouse employer on this base. Jobs range from preschool teachers to fitness instructors at the gyms on base to workers at the country club/golf course and marina to running the on-base bowling alleys and movie theatre, lots of others. They also sponsor and host numerous large-scale community events throughout the year like holiday celebrations, fun runs, and family fun fairs and carnivals, and hire personnel to coordinate these efforts. Human resources on base are generally civilian positions. Our base does actually have a veterinary clinic, but it has a very small staff and is not a major employer, by any means. There are clerical, retail, and food service jobs open to civilians at various places on base, as well. Our particular base is also affiliated with a Federal Health Care Center (VA Hospital), and they are a MASSIVE civilian employer, in addition to employing numerous military medical personnel.
I am considering adding a graduate degree in counseling therapy to my existing credentials, and may choose to put this to use as I get the opportunity through a military family life counselor position, depending on where we end up. I already work jointly with quite a few of these counselors, and am impressed with the services they provide.
I honestly have to say that I have had zero trouble finding a govt. job as a spouse, and was able to start automatically at the high end of paybands due to my prior experience, degree, and credentials. At this particular command, spouses with degrees and years of professional experience are not the norm, which has probably helped me to stand out.
I am a Navy spouse who is a certified teacher and a civilian Navy employee. My current command does not have any DOD-run schools. Base housing is served by the local public school district, and they as a rule do not make a point to employ relatively transient folks such as spouses, nor are they under Navy command, even though their facilities are located within base housing. I do work as a program assistant with Navy CYP (Child & Youth Programs). CYP oversees, among other things, numerous early childhood centers, school-age care, after-school programs, in-home child care programs, summer camps, tutoring and mentoring programs, and cosponsors various youth and family-oriented clubs and activities with local chapters of Boys and Girls Clubs of America and 4-H.
Navy CYP is under the umbrella of MWR (Morale, Welfare, and Recreation), which is the chief agency that advocates for and assists dependent families on base. MWR is a large civilian/spouse employer on this base. Jobs range from preschool teachers to fitness instructors at the gyms on base to workers at the country club/golf course and marina to running the on-base bowling alleys and movie theatre, lots of others. They also sponsor and host numerous large-scale community events throughout the year like holiday celebrations, fun runs, and family fun fairs and carnivals, and hire personnel to coordinate these efforts. Human resources on base are generally civilian positions. Our base does actually have a veterinary clinic, but it has a very small staff and is not a major employer, by any means. There are clerical, retail, and food service jobs open to civilians at various places on base, as well. Our particular base is also affiliated with a Federal Health Care Center (VA Hospital), and they are a MASSIVE civilian employer, in addition to employing numerous military medical personnel.
I am considering adding a graduate degree in counseling therapy to my existing credentials, and may choose to put this to use as I get the opportunity through a military family life counselor position, depending on where we end up. I already work jointly with quite a few of these counselors, and am impressed with the services they provide.
I honestly have to say that I have had zero trouble finding a govt. job as a spouse, and was able to start automatically at the high end of paybands due to my prior experience, degree, and credentials. At this particular command, spouses with degrees and years of professional experience are not the norm, which has probably helped me to stand out.
Thanks, everyone, for your responses! It does sound like she needs further education or certification, maybe in business management, human resources, or counseling.
Tabula, what exactly is your educational background and certification, if you don't mind me asking?
thank you, too, for your very comprehensive response. I'll be sure to save this information for her.
Tabula, what exactly is your educational background and certification, if you don't mind me asking?
thank you, too, for your very comprehensive response. I'll be sure to save this information for her.
Dandiday
I have:
-a bachelor's degree in English and Secondary Education
-teaching certification in Language Arts teaching, grades 9-12
-teaching certification in Reading, grades 5-8
-teaching certification in Special Education (mild-moderate cross categorical disabilities), grades K-12
-an early childhood credential issued by the Navy's child development program, earned while teaching by completing a program specifically set up by and for accredited Navy child development centers. I was able to proficiency test out of much of the program due to already holding active teaching certification centered around the appropriate developmental level.
Base housing is served by the local public school district, and they as a rule do not make a point to employ relatively transient folks such as spouses,
This couldn't be further from the truth. I'm an HR Director (with a Masters degree in HR and SPHR certification) and my wife is a hiring manager at a school district and what job an applicants spouse has isn't a normal question during job interviews. Unless the person comes out and tells me that they are married and what their spouse does I'd never know. I ask questions about their qualifications for my position I'm trying to fill, not their personal life or family information.
As I said earlier, my wife only worked on base one time when we were stationed in Japan. The rest of my 26 year career she worked off base and almost all of her jobs were at school districts. I've never seen qualified military spouses discriminated against when applying for jobs.
Not to mention, the average time employees stay on the job these days is right over 4 years so the entire workforce is "transient".
Tabula, thank you for that! My DD wants to pursue the same track - she's unmarried at present, but dating a Navy man, so who knows? Looks like her path will be helpful if she becomes a Navy spouse. She also is entertaining the idea of counseling as well, so it appears she'll have all "bases" covered!
Now, the other lady I spoke of is still trying to figure things out. I'll share all of this info with her, and she can glean from it what she will.
LBTRS, thank you for your perspective as well. I know that with all of the changes, budget cuts, etc. jobs and hiring potential has changed over the last few years. From my and my peer spouse's experiences in the Air Force, jobs overseas were difficult to get. Depending on the country, nationals had preference.
This was ultimately to the detriment of the military...take Germany, for example. Their work ethic was pathetic...My spouse's secretary took practically every 3rd day off, 6 weeks vacation, and was "sick" all of the time. There was absolutely NO incentive for her to come in and do a better job, as she'd get paid the same whether she showed up or not. She was not only worthless, but cost the military money, and took the job from a spouse who could have used the income.
thanks for all of the input! Still open for any more!!!
Dandiday
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thank you for the responses!
