My childhood was littered with stories of the adventures of an “army brat” all over Britain, not to mention tales of World War II and the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders aka “The Ladies from Hell”.

When I met my husband he was in the Australian Air Force. And so, when I moved out of the university dorms, I moved into ADF quarters and made the move to Katherine in the Northern Territory to follow him to his posting to Tindal. I was a newly-minted university graduate with doe-eyed eager anticipation of getting a real job and paying my own bills. Of course when I landed, the first thing I realised was there was a dearth of jobs that suited a university graduate who majored in medieval history and ancient archaeology. Not only did I find that the job availability was a bit scarce, but in order to make the move I had to make a sacrifice – I gave up my honours year at Monash University to move to be with my now husband.

These challenges are just a couple of the challenges faced by military spouses. The 2017 ADF Families Survey surveyed 4649 Defence members and their families. The outcomes for military spouses highlights these issues clearly. Three quarters of military spouses have had to make career sacrifices because of their spouse’s career. Unemployment is almost three times the national average, sitting at 14 per cent, and underemployment (where spouses are on part-time or casual hours and would like to work more hours) sits at 12 per cent. Employment is clearly a significant challenge for military spouses.

Moving to a new location every two years means military spouses are constantly changing jobs, which can lead to a resume that looks spotty at best. Having to re-register or re-licence for new state legislative requirements can cause financial and time-based challenges. And with the possibility of the Defence member being deployed, increased family responsibility can restrict the availability of the military spouse to be able to work at all. This can all negatively impact a spouse’s mental health and wellbeing. It can cause a sense of resentment and feeling trapped in a cycle that never permits the development of a meaningful career. In fact, research tells us that military spouses regularly earn less than their potential because the pattern that their career takes can stunt their progression.

However, don’t despair. As with everything related to your career, you need to unpack your unique experience and find the positives that can highlight genuine value. Military spouses with “spotty” work histories can demonstrate quality skills in adaptability, versatility, change management and a commitment to retaining currency in your career across a broad geographic area. What you offer an employer might not be the stereotypical offering, but you can use this to your advantage to sell your unique strengths. The ADF runs programs that provide funding for you to seek career support including coaching, training and career documents like résumés to provide you with support to re-establish your career in your new location. Reach out to them and find a career professional to learn how you can best position yourself to continue your own career journey, regardless of where you are living.