How Military Spouses Can Build a Thriving Career as a Virtual Assistant

It’s no secret that moving and finding a job are two of the most stressful life events, but what if you had to do this every 2-3 years? Enter the Military Spouse.

Spouses, partners and family members of Armed Forces Personnel serve and sacrifice in their own meaningful way. They take on the stresses of moving, employment, parenting, childcare, deployments, and several other aspects of uncertainty that military life brings. In short, they are incredibly resilient people.

So in the throws of moving, settling and re-settling children into school, finding work, making new friends and building community, what if you could create more stability in one of those areas? Enter the Virtual Assistant. 

My name is Whitney and I’ve been a military spouse for 5 years. My family have done 3 moves, with our 4th move (an abroad one!) rapidly approaching. My kids have been in 3 different nurseries and 3 different schools, and our closest family are currently 4+ hours away (soon to be a 5+hr flight away!). It’s been an adventure to say the least!

But I’ve also been a VA for 2.5yrs. And for me, and so many other military spouses, it has been the unicorn career path I was searching for. 

Becoming a VA wasn’t something I planned, but rather it sort of fell into my lap thanks to Debbie and The ROCKET VA™ Academy - it’s turned out to be one the best decisions I made.  Come explore how it might just be a great fit for you too. 

The Benefits of Being a Virtual Assistant for Military Spouses

Military spouse or not, one of the biggest appeals about becoming a virtual assistant is the flexibility it offers. Having a portable career, with flexible hours and a reliable income isn’t just a dream anymore, it can be a reality. 

In particular, remote work eliminates the need to find a new job with every relocation. This takes the huge stress away of trying to find local employment at your next posting, or figuring out if your company can relocate you to a new office. 

No longer being tied to a specific geographic location for your career means you can maintain job stability wherever you might be. You can work with clients across multiple industries, locations and time zones enabling you to create a global network in ways traditional career paths might not be able to.

Flexibility Around Military Life

Military life is unpredictable with deployments, exercises, and unexpected schedule changes. A traditional 9-to-5 job often doesn’t align well with these demands (especially if you have children), but virtual assisting offers the flexibility needed to adapt. 

• Customizable Schedule: As a VA, you can set your own hours to work around family commitments, school drop-offs, and other commitments.
• Time for What’s Important: You can prioritise family time, holidays or adjust your workload during deployments to maintain balance. Highlight what factors are more important to you and add them into your schedule.
• Adaptable Workload: Many VAs work part-time or full-time, giving you control over how much you work depending on you and your family’s needs throughout the year. 

For me personally, it was about making sure at least one parent is really present for my children. And also, not having to request time off for when my kids inevitably got chickenpox…back to back.

Skills Military Spouses Bring to the Table

I made a big career shift when I decided to train as a VA. I hadn’t worked a “real” job in the UK yet (I’m from California), and at the time I was working on my PhD in Education. I didn’t understand how I could possibly take on clients and build a business with zero previous experience.

The truth is, I was more equipped than I realised. I did train with The ROCKET VA™ Academy, and I cannot recommend it enough. The course fully prepared me with the business skills, tools, and knowledge for how to launch my own VA business - I’ll be forever grateful to Debs. So if you’re feeling unsure how to begin, this is a great starting point. 

Looking back, however, I realised I had a lot of other valuable qualities and skills that would make a great VA, all thanks to military life. 

The more of them I meet, the more I realise we have a unique set of skills and experiences that make us particularly well-suited to thriving as virtual assistants. Here are some key attributes you, as a military spouse, already bring to the table:

• Adaptability
• Organisation and Time Management
• Problem-Solving and Resourceful
• Emotional Intelligence and Empathy
• Resilience and Perseverance
• Multitasking Mastery
• Global Perspective

These are honestly just a few, and you can probably remember a few ways you’ve proved each of these true. So whether you’re thinking about changing careers, or starting one for the first time, you already have some in-built qualities that will make you a great VA. 

Getting Started as a Virtual Assistant

If you’re feeling ready to explore the world of virtual assisting, there are really simple steps you can take to get your business off the ground and running.

Starting a VA career doesn’t require a massive investment. All you need is a reliable computer, internet access, and a few basic tools. Many military spouses find this aspect particularly appealing because:

• It’s easy to start small, taking on a few clients, and scale up as you gain confidence and experience.
• Over time, you can specialize in areas like social media management, customer management, or copywriting.
• Build community with others who are creating a freedom career. 
• You can get started straight away, or take a course such as the ROCKET VA™ Academy to give you the tools you need to launch your business confidently. 

It shouldn’t feel like a constant stress to worry about your next move or job search.

Becoming a VA can provide consistent income, financial stability/independence, and a real sense of purpose for military spouses, or anyone looking for a fulfilling career.

In an effort to support military spouses and partners, the ROCKET VA™ Academy is proud to be a Forces Families Jobs Featured Training Provider

As a member of the Armed Forces community, access to great jobs should be possible, regardless of location and lifestyle. At The ROCKET VA™ Academy, we are committed to offering people from all backgrounds equal access to flexible training and job opportunities.

If you’re ready to start your freedom career that fits around military life, take your first step here and book a Discovery Call to find out more.