Caressa Long

Public Affairs Specialist

Service Member's Branch - Army

Service Member's Status - Currently Serving - 13 years

What has been your military spouse career/entrepreneur journey so far?

In 2015, my spouse and I got married. I was in my second year of college and we moved to Italy two months later. I finished two degrees in five years, getting my associates 2016 and bachelor's in 2021. I went through the struggle of trying to find gainful and fulfilling employment. It really didn't work out that well for me, initially but it did lead me to acquiring skills that have landed me my current career in content creation and community involvement.

Tell us about yourself.

I'm Caressa Long, from Seattle, WA. I've been a military spouse for 10 years and I have the best partner in the world. Instead of the typical military move, where I'd follow my husband to his next duty station, we're currently working to get him to move to my duty station. I'm a federal civilian servant who recently took an opportunity back home in Seattle.

Tell us about a "typical" day in your professional life.

A typical day in my life as a Public Affairs Specialist for the United States Environmental Protection Agency is never the same. One day I can be out in the field conducting public outreach and the next, I am creating relatable social media content for my region to promote the environmental work our agency is conducting.

If you've been stationed overseas, how did this affect your career and or business?

Being stationed in Italy twice did negatively impact me career wise. I lost out on career opportunities and advancement because they were just not there. At the same time, being stationed in Italy twice gave me opportunities I would have never gotten had we stayed in America. I learned how to be self-sufficient, craft, edit, and shoot my own social media content. I built a community brand, grew the community's engagement, and marketed myself.

What has been your biggest military spouse career struggle and how did you overcome it?

My biggest career struggle as a military spouse was finding opportunities. I overcame it by creating them. I was stationed in Italy twice. On the surface that sounds like a dream come true, but Italy has major setbacks when it comes to career placement and opportunities. I leveraged my skills in social media to volunteer with MWR as a spouse for their marketing department. However, when that did not turn into paid employment, I pivoted towards helping grow and nurture a nonprofit organization on the installation that helped families of color navigate their first time living overseas.

In 2021, spouses were finally allowed to work remotely, so I started my own digital marketing business and helped small businesses with branding and advertising. All these skills I learned over time helped me land my role at the US EPA.

What role did mentors and sponsors play in your journey?

Mentors have played a key role in my development. Women in and out of the uniform have given me life advice that I take to heart to this day. I recently had an opportunity to reconnect with a mentor I had not seen in almost a decade. She was on a cruise here in Seattle. She's a Retired E-8, and she gave me so many life lessons when I first got married. Every day she would text me, ask me questions about finishing college and encourage me to stay focused, not to lose sight of my end goals. I want to thank her for that. We happened to meet on an airplane and thinking back, it was fate that brought her into my life.

How does your career path differ from what you imagined for yourself?

It's been an interesting journey. I studied Japanese for five years thinking I was going to move to Japan and never look back, only to move to Italy. Meeting my husband and moving abroad in my early twenties changed how I fundamentally navigated life.

How did military life (PCSing, deployments, trainings, etc) factor into your career decisions?

They've played a huge role in my decisions. This latest move back to the states sent us somewhere I knew that I had to leave to go after my dream for once, and that's a shame but I'm glad that I did it.

Have you ever had to geo-bach due to your career/entrepreneurship?

We're currently geo-baching! Paying close attention to finances, and focusing on the reason why I'm here instead of where I wish I could be helps a ton. Also, if you're in a situation like mine, where the spouse leaves the service member for an employment opportunity, make a plan that will allow for you to reunite often and what path to take to bring your family back under one roof.

What resources have you found to be useful in your career/entrepreneur journey?

Network and make genuine connections with people. Your network will be the way you navigate and explore career opportunities. Being authentic and genuine will build your personal brand, which can land you that dream opportunity.

Final word: what are your top tips for other military spouses about navigating a career within the military lifestyle?

You will have a million versions of yourself between all the duty stations you find yourself at. Even if you hate a location, make the most of it by networking, volunteering and finding your community. The career paths will open up in front of you and then choose a path that speaks the most to you and your family's needs.

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