Military spouses were excited last year when, in partnership with the Defense Department, LinkedIn rolled out free premium account access to military spouses in conjunction with a permanent change-of-station move or for those who were within six months of a military transition.
But many were not excited when they realized that the new freebie did not include all military spouses. It left out the Coast Guard.
That's because the arrangement for the free benefit was made available through Military OneSource and the DoD, not the Coast Guard's lead agency, the Department of Homeland Security.
That was a disappointing realization for Coast Guard spouses, especially since they PCS just like everyone else. At the time, DoD officials told us they were working on a way to expand the offering to all military spouses.
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That expansion took almost a year. But as of May, Coast Guard spouses will have the same access as other milspouses to LinkedIn Premium before or after a PCS and in conjunction with transition.
To access the benefit, spouses in services under the Pentagon -- the Army, Navy, Air Force and Marine Corps -- must call Military OneSource and be verified. After May 1, Coast Guard spouses will access it through the service's spouse employment program, run by the service's Office of Work-Life Programs.
Typically, LinkedIn's Premium accounts cost $29.99 per month, or $299.88 annually. All users can access the premium system for a one-month free trial. The premium service gives users extra access to tools that can help them find employment, including enhanced messaging with contacts, listing in a service used by the recruiters to find employees and the ability to see who, specifically, has looked at your profile.
The premium service is currently offered on a one-time free year basis to veterans. It was also recently extended to Fry Scholars and spouses registered in the Department of Veterans Affairs' caregiver program.
-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com.
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