Moving, overseas postings and career considerations for military partners/spouses

The RAF Families Federation’s latest, Spring edition of Envoy magazine includes a great article (pages 32-34) which you can read online. For the purpose of the article audience, it focuses on RAF families but the information within the article itself will apply to you, whatever single Service you are connected to.

It starts… Overseas postings are not unusual and can be an exciting lifestyle change. In fact, approximately 1,300 families in the RAF alone are based overseas at present. It’s easy to get swept up in the anticipation and administration of moving overseas, which can lead to your career becoming an afterthought.

In some circumstances, you may be able to take your job with you - however, this is not always the case. The Military Spouse/Partner Employment Report discusses that military spouses/partners often choose jobs such as nursing, teaching, and childminding, which are seen to be more portable. These are actually the careers that are less portable when moving overseas due to regulatory restrictions, which can make an overseas posting more challenging.

Whatever the plan for your career, the best way to deal with an overseas posting is to be prepared. Regardless of whether you want to continue your career, start a new one, or take a break, there are plenty of routes that you can consider and some inspiring initiatives to be aware of.

You can read the full article online.

Thank you to Helen Massy for writing this article.

Helen is also author of the 2020 Career Pursuit Guide for military families on the move.