DCG provides a flexible, remote work environment for military spouses to thrive.
For military spouses, finding meaningful employment can be a challenge. Finding meaningful remote, portable, flexible, and supportive employment is a dream. DCG is a great place to work (the awards say so, I checked), and it’s a supportive environment for military spouses to work and thrive.
In 2018, after marrying my husband, who had already spent six years in the Marine Corps, I packed up my life in Wisconsin and moved across the country to California. After just 15 short months, my husband received orders, and we moved from coast to coast, landing in North Carolina.
I was very fortunate to already be in a remote role, where my job moved with me. I wasn’t in my field of study, and my opportunities for advancement were limited as a remote worker, but I had secure, sustainable employment. My story is very different from so many other military spouses who have had similar moves where they need to leave their jobs behind, which puts their careers on pause — or often, reset.
Savana with her spouse.
Military spouses are great employees
The Department of Defense’s 2021 Active-Duty Spouse’s Survey found that pre-pandemic spouse unemployment was 21%, with even more estimated to be underemployed. The White House’s Joining Forces initiative recognizes that the employment struggles of military spouses are a national security imperative.
The survey also showed that 49% of spouses have a four-year or higher degree, and an added 41% have some college, a vocational or technical diploma, or an associate degree. In addition to being educated, military spouses are adaptable, resilient, and team oriented.
Military spouses are a talented and diverse group of people, but they have barriers to employment that their civilian counterparts may not, including frequent permanent change of station (PCS) moves, trainings, and deployments. They may be stationed at remote, isolated installations or locations outside of the United States with their own set of hiring struggles. With frequent moves, they may contend with short-notice availability of childcare, transferring licenses or credentialling, and simply establishing themselves in a new location.
Seeking out military spouse-friendly companies
It was important to me to find a company where being a military spouse was an added value to my professional experience and understood the unique demands of military families. DCG is Veteran-owned and operated, fully remote, and a HIRE Vets Gold Medallion recipient. Much of the work DCG holds directly affects Veterans, active-duty military, their spouses, and their families, allowing me to make a difference in my own community through my work.
Even as a fully remote company, DCG has given me opportunities to feel connected to other employees, provides professional development benefits, and offers a formal mentorship program. In addition to the professional benefits, DCG offers the work-life balance and flexibility that I need to work around my spouse’s high-cadence training and deployment schedule.
Community at work
DCG strives to keep its employees connected and engaged. I’ve had the pleasure of (virtually) connecting with some wonderful DCGers, including other military spouses, who shared their stories with me:
Brent Wingfield is an Army veteran and military spouse. While stationed at Ft. Stewart in Georgia, Brent and his spouse welcomed their daughter. With no family nearby, Brent recalls his DCG team becoming his family, helping him and his spouse welcome their second child. When his wife separated from service, DCG supported him through his final military move, finding extra coverage when needed and providing flexibility. In his DCG client work, Brent makes a meaningful impact for fellow veterans and their families.
Brent with his family.
Michelle Barascout is a soon-to-be military spouse, and her DCG team was supportive throughout her fiancé’s recent overseas deployment with the U.S. Navy. Michelle’s team connected to send her a gift to show her they were there for her during the deployment. Michelle supports the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Suicide Prevention Program, a program she has a personal connection to as a military spouse.
Michelle welcomes her fiancé home from deployment.
Effie Palacios is a fellow Marine Corps spouse. While finishing her graduate degree, she was concerned about finding a career that met her aspirations outside of the D.C. area. DCG enabled her to take her career to Southern California, supported her through her spouse’s mid-pandemic deployment, and allows her to remain flexible around the schedule of her blended family. Her work as a researcher informs and affects multiple contracts that directly impact the military community.
Effie with her spouse on their wedding day.
Mission-focused work making an impact
DCG has been awarded work across several government departments that directly affect military spouse employment.
Through the Small Business Administration’s Office of Veterans Business Development Boots to Business program, DCG helps reach military spouses and promote programs to help them start and succeed in their own small businesses as entrepreneurs.
DCG supports communications for the Department of Labor Veterans’ Employment and Training Service, which offers employment-focused workshops for military spouses through its Transition Assistance Program.
Read more about the work DCG is doing in the Veteran and military communities.
A great place to work
At DCG, I can be mission-focused at work, working on projects that make a difference, while remaining mission-ready at home. I am excited to be here, and I am looking forward to growth at DCG. If you are looking for a great place to work and make an impact, check out the open positions.
Mission-Ready: Meaningful Employment as a Military Spouse was originally published in DCG Life on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
