From Federal Service to Private-Sector Success: Military Spouse Tamara Lynch’s Career Transition Journey
For U.S. Air Force spouse Tamara Lynch, transitioning out of federal employment brought an unexpected challenge: translating years of experience in administration, program coordination, human resources, security, and operations into language that resonated with civilian employers. While she knew her skills were valuable, communicating that value during her job search proved more difficult than anticipated.
The Winning Attitude
Instead of letting the daunting prospect of the corporate world deter her, Tamara took charge of her own narrative.
“As a military spouse preparing for the end of my federal employment, I knew I needed to begin thinking strategically about what came next in my career,” Tamara shared.
The first thing Tamara did was solidify her goal: to transition her federal experience into a career focused on project and program coordination. Despite the highs and lows of her job search experience, she continually focused on being intentional in attaining that goal.
Tamara was relentless and resilient. She applied for numerous positions, tailored her resume repeatedly, attended career fairs and hiring events, connected with recruiters, and interviewed for new opportunities. She also worked to learn about and leverage the resources available to military spouses.
The Winning Connection
One of those military spouse resources was Hiring Our Heroes (HOH). After discovering HOH at a hiring event on her military installation, Tamara took the initiative to dive into everything HOH had to offer. Through Hiring Our Heroes, Tamara gained access to professional development opportunities, networking events, recruiters, and personalized support that helped her better understand how to position her experience for private-sector employers.
“Becoming involved with HOH connected me to resources and opportunities that became an important part of my career transition,” Tamara explained. “These experiences gave me opportunities to interact directly with recruiters and learn more about how my background could translate outside of federal employment.”
By receiving personalized support from the HOH Career Connector and Military Spouse teams, Tamara was able to make direct connections with employers, better navigate opportunities, and get introduced to companies and organizations she might not have otherwise considered.
Related: Learn more about connecting with an HOH Career Connector in the guide What to Expect: Career Connectors Edition.
Beyond direct employment connections, HOH also introduced Tamara to a broader network of partner organizations through the Veteran Employment Collective (VEC), including American Corporate Partners, where she matched with a professional career mentor for a year. Instead of feeling alone in her job search, these organizations shifted her perspective and gave her a trusted sounding board as she navigated her transition.
“Having access to these resources helped me realize that transitioning careers did not have to be something I navigated entirely on my own,” Tamara shared.
The Winning Offer
Throughout this collaborative process, Tamara became better at translating her federal experience into terminology that private-sector employers understood. She learned to identify her key transferable skills, network with true purpose, and follow up with recruiters and professional connections.
And while job hunting comes with setbacks, Tamara actively chose to view closed doors as course corrections rather than failures.
“I also learned that a rejection did not necessarily mean I was moving in the wrong direction,” Tamara explained. “Sometimes it simply meant that particular opportunity was not the right one.”
Eventually, Tamara’s persistence paid off. One of those connections ultimately led to Leidos. Through HOH, Tamara’s resume was shared with a recruiter, opening the door to a Project Coordinator opportunity that aligned closely with her long-term career goals. She accepted the offer, stepping into a role that allows her to build on the project coordination, cross-functional support, process improvement, and operational expertise she developed during her federal career.
When the offer finally came, it was validation of all her hard work.
“Starting my new career with Leidos represents more than accepting a new position.” Tamara shared. “It represents successfully translating years of federal service into the next phase of my professional career.”
The Prize
Today, Tamara is building the project and program management career she envisioned while navigating her transition from federal employment. Her journey serves as a reminder to military spouses that career transitions rarely follow a straight line, but persistence, intentionality, and a willingness to seek support can open doors to unexpected opportunities.
“Some of the opportunities I initially hoped would work out did not,” Tamara reflected. “But they helped prepare me for the one that did.”
