Since I made the decision to postpone graduate school earlier this year, I have been working on updating my resume and beginning my search for part-time work.

I have found the search to be a little more challenging than it used to be. I have a BA in psychology, but I’ve been out of the work force for four years. And in that time I’ve had four different addresses. And currently, we live hours away from any big city and opportunities are few and far between.

But the truth is, even after searching for a job on and off throughout the last few years, I have never applied to a position. I have never truly put myself out there since becoming a stay-at-home mom.

After a little reflection, I have realized it is because I am not only afraid of rejection, but I am not confident in my education or my experience. It is easier to make excuses and rationalize why a position wouldn’t be right for me instead of facing the reality that I may not be qualified. And, for many years, I have used our military life as a crutch to stop myself from making any real decisions about my future career or education plans.

I need to switch gears. I need to be proud of my undergraduate work and of my past work experience. And, I need to be proud of my experience as a military spouse. 

There are services available on base to help spouses create and update their resume, apply to federal jobs and prepare for the interview process. I have been a military spouse for almost eight years and have never taken advantage of this service. Partially because I am a little stubborn and feel like I can do it myself.

But also, I am afraid our military lifestyle will deter a potential employer from hiring me. We often do not know how long we will be in an area. I know this can be difficult for employers.

I have been out of the work force for a long time. I want to utilize this resource on base to make a fresh start and prepare me better in the areas where I am not as confident anymore. Ideally, employment will be the outcome.

But even if I do not find a job in the next few months, gaining a little confidence in myself will make me a better and stronger military wife and mother. I have nothing to lose!