Trailing Spouse Career Services

Recruit global talent, optimize retention
of expats and spouses

“We’re moving, again?” Whether it’s your first big move, or your tenth, dual career couples and families face many challenges from logistics of moving to find meaningful work. Often it’s the “trailing spouse” who has more difficulty with the move.

Dual-careers couples and trailing spouses may be asking:

Where do I find a job? What are the employment opportunities? How do I fit in? Should I continue what I was doing before, or start something new? If something new, what? How can I build a career, not just find another job? What learning and development can I invest in for the future? How to balance family needs against career aspirations?

Employers and organizations dealing with talent mobility understand the importance of ensuring couples and families have access to the supports they need. And that includes expatriate spouse career services for the trailing spouse career, some of whom are expatriates who need additional settlement assistance.

When employers recruit global talent, a key part of successful settlement and retention is how your new hire’s spouse is feeling. You want to avoid your new hire departing prematurely because their spouse is unsettled and wishes to return home.

CareerCycles has experience providing expert and effective career counselling and coaching to trailing spouses and expats, and partnering with employers to coordinate programs.

Selected trailing spouse career programs, and spouse employment program successes include:

Canadian Forces Morale and Welfare Services, Military Family Services

Canadian ForcesFor Canadian Forces the problem was frequent moves of military families and the challenge of the trailing spouse to reconnect to meaningful employment. CareerCycles partnered with Military Family Services (MFS) to lead Your Career Path program, that successfully served 150+ military spouses cross Canada, the US and Europe. As a result, military spouses made informed choices in employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship, work-from-home, programs of study.

Ubisoft

Ubisoft TorontoUbisoft Entertainment is a French video game company, publisher of Assassin’s Creed, Far Cry, Just Dance, Prince of Persia, Rayman, Raving Rabbids, and Tom Clancy’s. Ubisoft Toronto is a fast-growing studio and recruits global talent. Their challenge was to support trailing spouses newly arrived in Toronto from diverse locations including Brazil, China, Romania, Turkey, the US, and more. CareerCycles partnered with Ubisoft Toronto to provide individual career counseling and coaching to trailing spouses. As a result, spouses made informed career and life choices.

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Spouse programs customized to your needs & budget:

  • Tailored programs – We’re expert at adapting programs to your employees and their spouses
  • Flexibility – from single meetings to 2-hour services to professional 5-, or 8-hour programs
  • Group and remote programs available
  • Save money compared to traditional career companies

What participants and trailing spouses get

  • One-on-one individual career counselling & coaching with an expert career professional
  • Narrative assessment tools and Online Storyteller web application access
  • Depending on needs, job search strategy, resume, LinkedIn profile preparation, interview practice and preparation

For information about expatriate spouse career programs, please contact:

Heidi Heung, Client Service Lead
Toll free 1-844-465-9222 or 416-465-9222
Email service@careercycles.com or use our contact page.

Dual-Career Couples Programs FAQs

What is a trailing spouse career program?

When an individual moves or relocates for work, that person’s spouse or partner or wife or husband often needs help finding work or dealing with the career transition. This program provides that assistance to the spouse through individual or group meetings, in-person and remote. Employers may support a trailing spouse program by offering it to relocating employees. Or, a dual-career couple can access this service independently.

What are the benefits of a Spousal/Partner Employment Program?

Spouses receive expert career and employment support in their new location. As a result, spouses may focus on re-employment in an existing field, new employment, self-employment and entrepreneurship, work-from-home, or programs of study toward a new career. At CareerCycles spouses gain access to our evidence-based narrative framework, and Online Storyteller web application. Employers and sponsoring organizations benefit by increasing retention, reducing turnover, and improving attraction of global talent.

What is the employer’s role in a trailing spouse program?

Employers or sponsoring organizations may create a trailing spouse program and offer it to their relocating employees and their families. CareerCycles is ready to partner with employers and sponsoring organizations, and address program management needs including applications, administration, surveys and program reporting.

How much does it cost?

When an employer or sponsoring organization partners with CareerCycles, typically the individual and/or group services are offered at no cost to the employee and spouse. For individuals seeking service independently, CareerCycles offers a range of programs tailored to your needs.

Are remote and group programs available?

Yes. CareerCycles supports remote spouses via individual sessions using web-conference technology such as Zoom. Phone can also be utilized. Group sessions can be offered focusing on topics of weekly support, resume and LinkedIn development, interview preparation and job search strategy.

For information about trailing spouse career services, please contact:

Heidi Heung, Client Service Lead
Toll free 1-844-465-9222 or 416-465-9222
Email service@careercycles.com or use our contact page.