SpouseWorks Career Coaching Explained

SpouseWorks is the military spouse career and education program. It was called SECO — Spouse Education and Career Opportunities — until 2025, so most of the guidance you will find online still uses the old name.

Career coaching is the part of it that gets least used and is arguably worth most. It is genuinely one-to-one, and it is free. Every coach holds a master's degree in education, adult education, vocational counseling or human services.

What they cover:

  • Career exploration — working out what to aim at, particularly after a break or a move to a new state.
  • Education and training — including how the SpouseWorks Scholarship fits your plan.
  • Résumé writing — with the specific problem of relocations and employment gaps, which coaches see all day.
  • Job search and networking — including openings across the 1,000-plus employer partners in MSEP.
  • Interview preparation.
  • Professional licensing — which state recognizes what, and whether your license travels.

The résumé and job-search help is the most concrete. A coach who reads military-spouse résumés constantly knows how to frame a career with three moves in it, which is a specific skill rather than general advice.

Booking is by calling Military OneSource on 800-342-9647.

Who is eligible?

Military spouses — of active-duty, National Guard and reserve component members.

There is no cap on sessions and no cost, which makes the barrier purely awareness. The coaches are not a triage layer; they are qualified career practitioners.

Worth using as the entry point rather than the last resort. A coach can tell you whether the SpouseWorks Scholarship will fund the credential you have in mind, whether MSEP partners hire for the role you are targeting, and whether your license will be recognized in the state you are moving to — three questions that otherwise take a lot of separate research.

If your service member is within 365 days of separating, Military OneSource services including this remain available, which is a window worth using before it closes.

How do I apply?

  • Call 800-342-9647: That is the booking route. There is no application or eligibility screening beyond being a military spouse.
  • Use it before you decide, not after: A coach can rule options in or out faster than researching each yourself.
  • Ask specifically for a résumé review: Coaches deal with relocation-heavy résumés constantly.
  • Ask about the employer partners: MSEP's 1,000-plus partners have committed to hiring military spouses.
  • Bring the scholarship question: Whether SpouseWorks will fund your intended credential is something a coach can answer directly.
  • Search for the new name: MySECO is now SpouseWorks, so old bookmarks redirect and old guidance uses the old name.

Common questions

Does SpouseWorks career coaching cost anything?

No. It is free one-to-one coaching for military spouses, with no cap on sessions.

Is SpouseWorks the same as SECO?

Yes. SECO was renamed SpouseWorks in 2025, and the MySECO portal address now redirects to SpouseWorks.

What does a SpouseWorks career coach help with?

Career exploration, education and training planning, résumé writing, job search and networking, interview preparation and professional licensing.

How do you book a SpouseWorks career coach?

Call Military OneSource on 800-342-9647. There is no application process.

Are the coaches qualified?

Yes — every coach holds a master's degree in education, adult education, vocational counseling or human services.

Learn More