(Updated June 12 to clarify that DoD is not covering part of the cost of the premium access.)
Military spouses will have free access to LinkedIn Premium for one year after making a permanent change-of-station move, under a new partnership between LinkedIn and the Defense Department.
The program goes live next month on a date to be determined; spouses can visit this link for details, including how to register to receive updates on registration. (Troops and veterans can visit this link to sign up for their free premium access).
The cost of the service is normally $29.99 a month or $299 if purchased a full year up front, said Marquise McCoy, a LinkedIn spokesman. The cost of that premium access will be covered by LinkedIn.
Free premium access also will be available to spouses for a year after their spouse leaves the military. Those military spouses must sign up within six months of that transition to receive a year of the service for free.
LinkedIn is also working through its partnership with the Veterans Affairs Department to offer future premium access to spouses of those killed on active duty, and to caregivers of wounded veterans.
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The effort is a partnership with DoD’s Spouse Education and Career Opportunities program, as officials explore more ways to help spouses in their career transitions as they move from installation to installation every few years. Military spouses can also join the military spouse LinkedIn group, which signals the status to recruiters who want to hire military spouses.
The premium subscription “would show spouses how their skills, experience, and education could match up with jobs posted on the LinkedIn platform,” McCoy said.
The subscription gives spouses access to the same features that all Career Premium members have, McCoy said, such as free access to the online library of more than 12,000 LinkedIn Learning courses.
Officials just added a learning path which can help military spouses succeed in flexible, freelance or remote work. It features 17 courses focused on areas such as managing a career, professional networking, job hunting online, finding a remote job, preparing for a career or transition to freelancing, working remotely, asking for a raise, and others.
This partnership will also help spouses get detailed information about how they compare with other applicants, including analysis, education, experience and skills. It will help expand spouses’ professional networks to help them achieve professional goals.
LinkedIn launched a program seven years ago for service members and veterans to help in the transition to civilian life. More than 2.4 million service members and veterans make up one of the most active communities on LinkedIn, according to McCoy.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
