Military Spouse Employment Initiative: CK

January 26, 2021 - Defence Stories

I have been married to a member of the Royal Canadian Navy for 10 years. In September 2019, we were posted to the NCR from Halifax, NS. Moving to a different province and city meant leaving everything behind and pretty much starting over. I left my career behind and once we arrived in the NCR, I started looking for a job. I found it difficult despite my background and my resume. Then my husband emailed me a link to Military Spouse Employment Initiative (MSEI) which we had never heard of before, and I decided to apply, and oh how happy I am that I did!!

The process was a breeze; I was contacted every day with possible job opportunities and positions that were the right fit for me. Meanwhile, while waiting on a call back from any of the hiring departments, I accepted a position as a French teacher (contractor) with a private language school, which new experience I have added to my resume and from there I started to receive even more opportunities.

In February 2020, I received a phone call from the director of the Canadian Forces Grievance Authority (CFGA) requesting an interview that led to a casual position as his administrative assistant. Due to COVID, my start date was pushed and I ended up starting in June instead of the end of February. After 90 days as a casual, I was appointed to an indeterminate position. I consider myself very lucky because I am part of an amazing team that is a big family. I have met (and am still meeting) great people and I am so proud to be part of a department that has such a positive impact on members of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF).

This job is the right fit for my family and me because as a mother of two kids under 3 years old, I have to be there for them at all times they are home. The impact that this initiative has had on our family has been very positive.

I have talked to many other military spouses in person or via social media and most of them are grateful to the MSEI as it helped them either find a position within their interest or start a new career with the government.

If I could recommend anything to my fellow spouses, apply to this inventory; in some cases it might take few months, but it’s worth the wait. I did not give up hope because the request for confirmation of interest that I received from member of the National Staffing Programs Team at HR-Civ about the open positions made me feel that the CAF not only cared for their members, but especially for their families as well. Military spouses are a very important part of every CAF member’s life and, in turn, we are important to the CAF’s success.

For more information on how to apply for a job or on how to access the inventory, visit the Military Spouse Employment Initiative website or contact the National Staffing Programs team.