Explore tools and resources designed to help transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses prepare for and build meaningful careers.
Kelly Grivner-Kelly, career counselor and military spouse
Durham, NC
For many military spouses, it’s important to have a career that can move with you. From an improved remote job search experience to new ways to sharpen your digital skills, we’re offering free tools and resources to help you build a meaningful career, wherever you are.
Military spouses can now apply a “work from home” location filter to job searches on Google to find remote work opportunities. Unsure what you want to do? Try searching “work from home jobs” to explore job opportunities across industries.
You can search “jobs for veterans” on Google and enter your military occupation code (MOS, AFSC, NEC or rating) to see relevant civilian jobs that require similar skills to those used in your military roles.
You can enter your military occupation code or search for work from home jobs on the career sites of companies like Siemens, veteran and military community job sites like RecruitMilitary and Getting Hired, and job boards like CareerBuilder. Any job site can use this Google technology through Cloud Talent Solution to display relevant job postings for transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses.
There are currently 150,000 open IT support jobs in the U.S. with median salaries of $52,000. Transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses can get qualified for an entry-level job in IT support in 8 months or less with the IT Support Professional Certificate. No IT experience is necessary.
After completion, we’ll help you connect with potential employers like Google and many others that are hiring entry-level IT Support Specialists. Transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses may be eligible for a scholarship through the USO, Institute for Veterans and Military Families, and Student Veterans of America.
The Primer app offers free lessons that you can use to learn new business and marketing skills. Explore the app to find tons of helpful tips, like how to create a business plan, build a successful website, plan a budget, and more. Primer also offers custom minicourses for military spouses, who can search “milspousebiz” or “milspouse” to get started.
You can now identify your business as owned, led, or founded by veterans by adding a “Veteran-Led” attribute to your listing on Google, which will show up when people look for your business on Google Search and Maps. You can manage your listing and add the attribute through Google My Business.
People with military experience are uniquely suited to life at a startup. Google is partnering with Veteran Capital, Patriot Boot Camp, and Bunker Labs to empower transitioning service members, veterans, and military spouses to get startup jobs and pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Our support brings these organizations to new cities across the U.S. and provides specialized Google advisors to mentor and share product expertise. Learn more here.
Noah Currier, founder
Oscar Mike
Rockford, IL
Marine veteran Noah Currier started the Oscar Mike Foundation to provide funding for wounded, ill, or injured veterans who want to participate in life-changing adaptive sports. To raise money and minimize overhead costs for the foundation, he started Oscar Mike Apparel, an American-made lifestyle brand that offers T-shirts and activewear through the brand’s online store. With the help of Google Ads and free resources from Grow with Google, Oscar Mike is able to reach more people across the U.S. and overseas.
Tianna Dean, co-founder
Cornerstone Design Co.
Fayetteville, NC
Tianna Dean and her husband Mike are the co-founders of Cornerstone Design Co., a custom furniture and home decor shop based in Fayetteville, NC. When Mike retired from the military, the couple chose to start a business together. To keep their company on track, they use their Google My Business profile to reach new customers, G Suite tools to stay connected with employees, and Google Hangouts to have virtual design appointments with clients all over the U.S. Today, their thriving small business provides custom farmhouse furniture to clients in their tight-knit military community and beyond.
Andrew Esau, level 1 technician
IT consultancy
Paducah, KY
Andrew spent eight years in the Army as a medical specialist, but around the barracks he was better known as the unofficial IT guy. So when logistics and costs dimmed his plans for a post-military medical career, Andrew began to think about IT. While searching for options that could give him credentials, Google’s IT Support Professional Certificate caught his eye. The flexibility of being able to do the courses in his free time was very appealing, and he enrolled. The certificate built on his basic networking knowledge, but also challenged him with his first exposure to Linux. In six months he completed the certificate and soon had a job as a level 1 technician at an IT consultancy in Paducah.
Daniel Sotoamaya, client
USO Pathfinder Center
Seattle, WA
Army veteran Daniel Sotoamaya was among the first people to test Google’s military code job search tool. Daniel entered the U.S. Army at 17 years old with no work experience and left as a senior leader. During his transition out of the military, the USO provided support and guidance and introduced Daniel to Grow with Google. The military code job search tool helped him identify relevant civilian jobs that required skills he developed in the military, like leadership and decisiveness. Today, Daniel has a full-time job as a Customer Center Supervisor.
Suzie Mills, founder
Honest Soul Yoga
Alexandria, VA
Suzie Mills, an Air Force veteran, decided to open a studio after yoga practice helped her difficult transition back home. After opening Honest Soul Yoga, she realized that being a veteran-owned business allowed other veterans and their spouses to feel more comfortable there, as they felt part of a community. Honest Soul Yoga is helping them find inner healing with others and within themselves.
