Finding a Mentor as a Marine Spouse

You know a mentor is key to advancing in your career, but as a Marine spouse where do you find a mentor to provide career guidance, advice and support?  

Here are 9 places to start your search:

1. Look Around You.  When you notice other Marine spouses that have successfully navigated their careers, reach out. Having another Marine spouse as a mentor is rewarding for both parties. The experience that a spouse can share on career guidance, life balance, and military experiences is invaluable.
2. Your Installation’s Family Member Employment Assistance Program. The Family Member Employment Assistance Program provides employment related referral services, career and skills assessments, one-on-one career coaching, job search guidance, resume writing, portable career opportunities, and education referrals/ guidance to all Marine family members.
3. Your installation’s Marine Corps Family Team Building Program. MCFTB programs are always looking for mentors and those that seek mentoring to support trainings and events. MCFTB can assist with establishing mentors and providing support and advice for growth in professional skills.
4. eMentor’s Veteran and Spouse program. eMentor was created as a way to increase the number of successful military members, veterans and military spouses from the military community by offering members with easy to use, flexible online mentorship support when no one else could. We are able to connect our members for dynamic, life changing mentoring experiences that powerfully move protégés forward in achieving their personal, professional and business related goals.
5. Veterati. Veterati is a Veteran mentorship platform for Service Members, Veterans, and Military Spouses. Through Veterati, you can set up free 1-hr mentorship phone calls with successful professionals. You choose your own mentors and as many as you would like.
6. American Corporate Partners (ACP) Spouse Program. ACP is a nationwide non-profit dedicated to assisting veterans and active duty military spouses on their path towards meaningful employment. ACP hand-selects a Mentor for each spouse Prote´ge´ for year-long, customized, one-on-one mentorship. Mentors and Prote´ge´s connect at least once a month for up to a year
7. Military Spouse Foundation. Mentoring is a huge part of the Military Spouse Foundation experience. When you’re feeling overwhelmed or confused, mentors give you that “big (virtual) hug” you need.
8. Blue Star Networks. Blue Star Families provides an incubator for military spouse professionals to form grassroots networks to take on leadership roles and develop peer-to-peer mentoring within the spouse community. 
   1. Blue Star Educators. This group is open to teachers, counselors, social workers and all educational professionals and academics. 
   2. Blue Star Entrepreneurs. This group is for spouses who own their own businesses, work as independent contractors, and anyone whose occupation may not fit in the Healthcare or Education Networks.
   3. Blue Star Health Care Workers. This group is open to all military spouse health care and mental health care professionals from nursing to counseling to physical therapy and all health care fields in between.
9. Marine for Life Network. Marine for Life Network offers an online networking forum through LinkedIn.  Spouses are welcome to join the group and ask for professional guidance from Marines, Employers, Recruiters, and other Spouses.

Still looking for more in-depth assistance with finding a mentor as a Marine Spouse?  Learn more through your installation’s Family Member Employment Assistance Program and Marine for Life Network.