Top Business Careers for Military Spouses
It’s no secret that military spouses are some of the best out there when it comes to communication and resourcefulness. Their ability to adapt to unpredictable situations and manage their time is not only helpful when dealing with day-to-day life, but also when placed in professional settings.
In fact, the skills that many military spouses already possess are in high demand by businesses around the country.
To help you refine your search for a new career path, we’ve created a list of some of the top job options for military spouses. Bonus: all of these jobs have training programs that are eligible for DOD funding!
Clinical Medical Technician
Interested in contributing to the health care field but more on the lab end?
Clinical medical technicians perform routine laboratory tests in clinical settings so that doctors can diagnose, treat, or prevent diseases. Most work in hospitals, while others work for independent diagnostic labs. Some work in doctor's offices.
Some clinical medical technicians collect lab samples from patients themselves, while others stay in the lab and don't interact with patients.
Our clinical medical technician program prepares you to earn valuable certifications in clinical medical assisting, phlebotomy (blood draws), and EKG testing. Costs are completely covered by MyCAA, including the registration vouchers for your certification exams!
Dental Assistant
The demand for dental assistants is growing, and they're certainly needed everywhere.
Dental assisting is different from a dental hygienist – more basic but easier to get started in, so it's a good first step for any dental career.
As a dental assistant, you'll usually perform a mix of office and patient care tasks. You'll work closely with a dentist to assist them in procedures, and in some states, you may be able to perform simple procedures like polishing.
Our dental assisting program prepares you for valuable professional certification from the Dental Assisting National Board (DANB). It's MyCAA eligible and includes a voucher for the Radiation Health and Safety (RHS) exam, which is legally required for advanced dental assisting duties in several states!
Medical Billing & Coding
If you're interested in medicine but held back by a squeamish tummy, you may meet your perfect career in medical billing and coding.
Technically the "billing and coding" umbrella covers three jobs: medical coding, medical billing, or a combined role.
Medical coders translate patient records into standardized codes that determine how an insurance company is billed. You have to learn the coding language, but there can also be some detective work. You operate independently, for the most part.
Medical billers use the coded information to file the claim. This often involves acting as the go-between for patients, medical providers, and health insurance companies and following up until the situation is resolved. It involves more people skills since you'll be communicating by email or phone a lot.
Large employers (like hospitals and insurance providers) treat these as separate jobs, but smaller employers like doctor's offices will hire people for a combined role. Increasingly, you can do medical coding and/or billing from home, though probably not right away.
We actually have a few programs that prepare you for medical billing and coding roles, depending on where you want to work and what type of certification you should earn.
If you want to focus on a purely medical coding role, you probably want to choose our CPC program. If you know you want to be a medical biller or perform in a combined role, our CBCS program is probably a better fit.
To make yourself as flexible as possible on the job market, look at our Medical Administrative Assistant with Billing and Coding program. This provides you with a variety of skills so you have a better chance of finding a job wherever you PCS. You'll learn the ins and outs of medical office administration as well as billing and coding. Upon completion, you'll be ready to earn dual certifications: CMAA and CBCS.
MyCAA can cover the cost of whichever program you choose, including exam vouchers all around.
Child Development Associate
If you're keen on working in the early childhood education (ECE) industry, certification as a Child Development Associate (CDA) can be invaluable.
There are a few different educator pathways that benefit from this certification, including Center-Based Infant/Toddler, Center-Based Preschool, Family Child Care, Home Visitor, and interestingly enough, Military School-Age.
In our CDA program, you'll earn the required self-study certificate and prepare for the CDA exam. We'll cover the business side of working with children, how to build positive and productive relationships with guardians, developmental milestones, practical strategies for learning and behavioral management, and more!
To earn your CDA, you'll need to complete additional requirements, like work experience and undergoing a Verification Visit. Learn more at the CDA website.
About MyCAA
All of these career paths are what the DOD calls "portable careers." Portable careers are those that can withstand the active-duty military lifestyle – spouses can either take these jobs with them as work-from-home or find new positions near most postings.
Since helping spouses find portable careers can improve troop retention, the DOD supports training for portable careers with the Military Spouse Career Advancement Account (MyCAA) grant.
Not all military spouses qualify for MyCAA, so check to see if you’re eligible. Got questions? Fill in our contact form and our experts can help you navigate the rules.
About Meditec
Meditec is a MyCAA-approved training provider. Our courses are 100% online and self-paced, so you can set your own study schedule.
Plus, they're all designed to help you get the most out of your MyCAA grant money. We focus on national certifications that will make you job-ready and move your resume to the top of every pile.
We offer programs for dozens of careers from business to fitness, and of course, for our namesake, the medical field. To view all the programs that we have to offer, visit Meditec.com today