The Stars Are Lined Up for Military Spouses for Federal Careers
The Stars Are Lined Up for Military Spouses is an essential resource for military spouses looking to make a change in their lives and careers.
Kathryn Troutman’s The Stars Are Lined Up for Military Spouses for Federal Careers is a detailed road map for military spouses who are hoping to secure a federal career. Packed with practical advice covering everything from resume layouts to navigating the job search, the book also includes a comprehensive list of federal agencies that offer employment to military spouses.
With over a decade of experience in designing federal resumes, Troutman brings her keen eye for composition to every chapter, emphasizing the importance of keywords and skill presentations in getting applicants noticed. Sections devoted to employment benefits and the differences between competitive, merit, and excepted service positions are helpful. Six real-life case studies of military spouses who landed esteemed positions using the book’s job-hunting and resume strategies stand out. Each example shows a before and after resume so that applicants can see the impact of making specific changes, and the accompanying cover letter templates specify the exact criteria to include. A cover letter, the book claims, should be targeted using keywords that demonstrate why a candidate’s unique strengths and background match the job description.
While trying to write a federal resume that gets attention is no doubt a “daunting task,” the book defines a resume format designed exclusively for military spouses and their particular backgrounds. Military spouses looking to make career changes will benefit from the book’s encouraging words. It argues that military spouses are in an excellent position to leverage their knowledge of living on military bases and their familiarity with military services: “You could STAND OUT if the hiring manager knows you are a military spouse and where you have lived and your experience.” It also acknowledges that many military spouses may be entering the work force for the first time in years because they were busy supporting their active duty spouses and raising families.
Troutman shares professional expertise based on her own work of writing twenty-eight books on federal resumes and incorporates recent changes in federal hiring policies that open new doors for military spouses, even if they lack work experience. The book will help military spouses to take advantage of these new hiring practices while also expressing their dedication to military life and the many challenges they’ve overcome.
The Stars Are Lined Up for Military Spouses is an essential resource for military spouses looking to make a change in their lives and careers.
Reviewed by
Tara Mcnabb
Disclosure: This article is not an endorsement, but a review. The publisher of this book provided free copies of the book and paid a small fee to have their book reviewed by a professional reviewer. Foreword Reviews and Clarion Reviews make no guarantee that the publisher will receive a positive review. Foreword Magazine, Inc. is disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
