Remote and Work From Home Opportunities for Military Spouses
Recently, we talked about jobs that military spouses can find near any post. Now let's talk about jobs that you can just pack up and take with you, next time you PCS. There are plenty of work from home jobs for military spouses, but they're not all created equal.
Let's talk about what you need to know, then name a few that give you freedom and flexibility.
Why Should Military Spouses Work From Home?
Remote jobs can be a perfect fit for military spouses. You can maintain continuous employment no matter how often you PCS. It's possible to find full-time and permanent positions as a military spouse working from home.
That's something that can be difficult for in-person work – as soon as they find out you'll be moving in three years or less, your application's done for. Remote jobs for military spouses with specialized skills are a particular boon. You might never find work in your field where the military sends you. That's why 67% of military spouses who are college graduates report long stretches of unemployment, compared to 51% with a high school degree.
Finally, there is the flexibility of working from home. No commuting in an unfamiliar area, and you're always around for the kids.
What Should You Know Before Looking for a Remote Job?
These days, there are a lot of options when it comes to remote jobs for military spouses (because there are more options for remote jobs, period). You can find a wide range of skill sets in demand.
Some work-from-home jobs are full-time, some are part-time, and some allow you to be your own boss as a freelancer. The joys of working from home get hyped often enough. But there are a few things to consider:
- Not all work-from-home positions have flexible schedules. Some require set hours.
- Some remote jobs do have location restrictions due to factors like state employment laws, tax laws, and health insurance requirements.
- A freelance business can take time to build. In addition to whatever skill you're selling, you'll also need to learn business and marketing techniques.
- Even though you'll be at home, you may still need to figure out childcare for little ones so you can concentrate.
- Working from home can be isolating. You'll need social outlets outside of work, and some extroverts may find it difficult to be productive.
- There are plenty of scams that pretend to be work-from-home jobs, so learn the warning signs and stay on the lookout.
- Think twice before investing in a multi-level marketing company, also sometimes called direct sales. While it sounds like a fun, flexible way to earn cash, roughly 99% of people lose money, according to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC). Plus, military communities tend to have too many sellers and not enough buyers.
4 Great Work-From-Home Jobs for Military Spouses
Fortunately, there are plenty of real, paying jobs for military spouses at home. Below, you'll find a few of our favorites – including some that legitimately let you be your own boss. Even better, all of these career paths are eligible for MyCAA scholarship funds, because they let a military spouse work from home. Therefore, they qualify as "portable" careers.
Work from Home as an Adobe Certified Associate
If you want to work as a creative in the visual arts, in-depth knowledge of the Adobe Creative Cloud (CC) suite is a must. Whether you work freelance or for a particular employer, becoming an Adobe Certified Associate often gives you the flexibility to work from home and set your own schedule.
You'll learn how to use key software programs in the Adobe Suite, like Dreamweaver, Illustrator, InDesign, Photoshop, and Animate (formerly Flash). Plus, you'll get to know design basics, such as typography and text formatting.
If you like and appreciate graphic design and consider yourself creative, you are well suited to this online certificate program.
Work from Home as a Social Media Specialist
Social media marketing is big business, and companies often hire social media specialists to guide their marketing efforts and manage their social media presence. For big companies, this may be a full-time position. But plenty of smaller businesses hire freelance social media consultants to get the job done.
This can be an excellent career for military spouses working from home, especially if you're already social media savvy. However, it's not all kitten gifs and internet memes when you go pro. You'll need to educate yourself in the world of digital marketing first.
Learn how to engage and convert a target audience, create content they'll want to share, create strategies to further a business goal, and discover how to effectively manage a client's reputation. This doesn't require a marketing degree.
You can learn the requisite skills by studying for the Online Marketing Certified Professional (OMCP) exam. Having this well-respected certification on your resume will also catch the attention of potential clients and employers.
Work from Home as a Medical Billing & Coding Specialist
Medical billing and coding is a fast-growing career. Billing and coding specialists categorize patient information for billing and insurance claims. Sound like something you can do from home? Plenty of large insurance providers and medical coding support companies agree.
Billing and coding specialists can work full-time or part-time, and medical coding jobs from home are becoming more and more common. You'll need to earn one of the widely accepted professional certifications to get started.
Employers typically want to hire certified candidates, since errors in medical billing and coding can have serious consequences. Two of the most respected certifications are the Certified Professional Coder (CPC) and Certified Billing and Coding Specialist (CBCS) programs.
You can typically earn these certifications in 3-6 months online, then get straight to work with medical coding from home.
Work from Home as a Bookkeeper
Are you better with numbers than words or images? At-home bookkeeping might be for you. Bookkeeping work-from-home jobs have become a lot more common in recent years.
You can either work for a bookkeeping or accounting firm that allows remote work, or you can start your own freelance business. Many small businesses now use freelance bookkeepers. If you're starting from scratch as at bookkeeping, you'll need to learn accounting principles and how to use common software before you start looking for work.
Earn Remote Job Credentials, Online and on the DOD's Dime
Military spouses have trusted us with their professional education for over 25 years. As a MyCAA-approved school, all our programs qualify for MyCAA funds. Contact us today and get started on the training you need for a remote career that suits your lifestyle as a military spouse!