It happens. You move with the military and what you want to do is simply not available at that location. What do you do? Give up? Settle for a career field you aren’t excited about? Take a job, any job? Unfortunately, that is what many of us do. Yes, sometimes financially you have no choice but to do so. Before you do that consider a few options.

No.1: Build Skills You Need Through a Volunteer Position.
If you can manage without a paycheck for awhile, see if you can find or create the job you want with volunteer work. If that isn’t possible, identify the skills you need for your dream job — be it computer, marketing, managing others, fundraising, PR — and find volunteer work to teach you those skills.

LaMuir Baze gave up on college for herself when she married a Sailor. Since her husband was an E-1 there was no money for college courses. She started looking for work to fit a mobile lifestyle and saw an advertisement from the American Red Cross; they were looking for spouses to volunteer at the Dental Clinic. And, what’s more, volunteering 225 hours earns a certificate of completion to be a certified dental assistant.

“Since my training with the Red Cross,” LaMuir says, “I’ve been able to work in four states and qualified for the National Boards while working for Dental Command in New York.” LaMuir took some time off to spend with her now 5-year-old quadruplets. She’s back at work now for extra income and “a sanity break for mommy.”

“I’ve been blessed to have this opportunity,” she adds, “I’ve been able to support my husband in his military career, from starting as an E-1 in the Navy to being a CW2 in the Army as a Blackhawk Pilot. What other job would give me the flexibility to start and stop when I needed to in order to meet the needs of my family?”

Sarah Selvidge, an Army spouse, also built up her work experience through volunteer work. Selvidge wanted to work in marketing, so she volunteered at the Bamberg Germany community marketing office to learn the ropes. Through the Bamberg opportunity, she earned enough experience to become a marketing manager for World Vision in Seattle.

Samantha wanted to own her own pet resort. She first volunteered at her community’s vet clinic and was eventually hired at the vet clinic at her next location, giving her the opportunity to keep learning the ropes — and building her credibility — before she puts her own money and time into her Pet Resort.

Kathie built her speaking and writing business this way, taking volunteer positions using those skills in order to develop the skills and to develop her portfolio. She used a regular column for the Fort Lewis Wives Club newsletter followed by the Heidelberg Wives Club newsletter as stepping stones to continued writing. Those experiences gave her the courage to try for paid articles and columns. She could say to an editor, “I’ve had to meet monthly deadlines for more than three years and have never missed a deadline,” which is vital to editors who need good writers. She also had samples of published work to show.

No. 2. : Build Skills With a Paid Position Outside of Your Career Field.
What if you have to earn a living, and have to take any job? When you can’t find a job in your specific career field, at least be selective in what is available. Rather than just taking any job based on the income level, which is what most of us do, look for a job that allows you to learn or improve on skills you need in your chosen career. On the job, ask for opportunities to take on projects or training to enhance those skills.

And while you are working outside of your career field, be sure to do what you can to stay up-to-date with industry developments. Read your professional publication, continue to e-mail colleagues in that industry, and keep your professional association membership up-to-date.

That way you don’t have a true two- to three-year “break” in your career field. You’ll be able to show your next potential employer that you kept up-to-date on the skills you need and the industry knowledge you need to do that job for them.

Excerpted with permission from Help! I’m a Military Spouse — I Get a Life Too! How to Craft a Life for You as You Move with the Military (2d Edition due out March 15 2007 from Potomac Books, Inc.) by Kathie Hightower & Holly Scherer.