Our Story
It started with one job. And 121 applications.
One Vacancy.
121 Applications.
A Much Bigger Problem.
It started with a simple job advert.
When Joanne Bowmer advertised a remote position within her legal business, she expected a handful of applications.
Instead, 121 military spouses and partners applied in just 24 hours.
Behind those applications were people with qualifications, experience, determination and skills. People who wanted to work but were struggling to find opportunities that fitted around military life.
Some had sacrificed careers for postings. Others had experienced employment gaps, repeated relocations or the challenges of raising families during deployments.
The talent was there. The opportunities weren't.
Joanne couldn't employ 121 people. But she knew she couldn't simply close the applications and forget about them either.
And so, alongside fellow military spouse Amy Lovely, Beyond the CV was born.
Two Military Spouses. One Shared Mission.
Different journeys. Different experiences. But one shared belief: military spouses and partners deserve to be recognised for what they can do, not overlooked because of the lives they lead.
“Sometimes changing someone's future starts with refusing to accept that things have to stay the way they are.”
Joanne Bowmer
Co-Founder | Property Lawyer | Military Girlfriend, Wife and Veteran's Wife
My story with the Armed Forces began long before Beyond the CV existed. I met my husband, Ashley, in 1999. He went on to serve for ten years with the Duke of Lancaster's Regiment, including deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan.
I've been the girlfriend waiting for a a bluey, the wife, and now the wife of a veteran.
I've experienced military life before WhatsApp, video calls and instant messaging became everyday things. Back when communication meant letters, the occasional phone call and, if you were lucky, five minutes on MSN before someone disappeared again.
And through all of that, I was building my own career.
I started working in a law firm at just 16, making teas and coffees. I worked my way through the legal profession, studying, sitting exams and building a career while navigating the realities of loving someone in uniform. Eventually, I took the leap into self-employment and built my own legal business.
When I advertised a remote position within my business, 121 military spouses and partners applied in just 24 hours. I read those applications myself.
There were qualifications, careers interrupted by postings, experience that didn't fit neatly onto a CV and people who simply wanted someone to give them a chance.
I couldn't employ 121 people. But I couldn't forget about them either. I started asking myself a question.
How many brilliant people are employers overlooking simply because their lives don't follow a conventional career path?
Beyond the CV grew from that question. An idea. Anyone who knows me, knows I cannot simply just move on where I see an issue.
I don't believe military spouses deserve special treatment. I don't believe marrying someone in uniform should automatically open doors. But I don't believe it should close them either.
I want employers to look beyond employment gaps, relocations and unconventional career histories and recognise the person standing in front of them.
Because I know from experience that a military life and a successful career can exist together.
And I want more people to have that opportunity.
Amy Lovely
Co-Founder | Military Spouse | Legal Assistant | Future Property Lawyer
Being a military spouse means learning to adapt, often without much warning. I'm a wife, a mum of four, and someone who has always wanted to build a career of my own.
But military life doesn't always make that easy. Postings, deployments, childcare and the uncertainty that comes with being part of a military family can make finding employment difficult, particularly when you're looking for something that offers flexibility and the opportunity to progress.
When I saw Joanne advertising a remote position within her legal business, I decided to apply.
I was one of 121 military spouses and partners who applied for that single vacancy in just 24 hours. And I got the job.
What I didn't realise at the time was that applying for that position would lead to something much bigger than a new career.
I joined Joanne's Armed Forces property team, working in a role where my understanding of military life is valued rather than viewed as an inconvenience.
I've also started professional legal training, giving me the opportunity to develop qualifications and a career that can move with me wherever military life takes my family.
But there were still 120 other applicants. Women and men with experience, qualifications, skills and ambitions of their own. People who wanted to work but needed employers to recognise that their circumstances might look a little different.
That's why Joanne and I started Beyond the CV.
We wanted to do something practical to challenge the assumptions employers sometimes make about military spouses and partners.
We don't want special treatment. We don't expect a foot in the door because of who we married. We just don't want that door closed before we've even had the chance to walk through it.
I'm incredibly proud to be building my own career, but I'm equally proud to be helping create opportunities for others.
Because being a military spouse is part of who I am. It shouldn't define what I'm capable of achieving.
From 121 Applications to Real Change
What began with one job advert has grown into something much bigger. We're turning conversations about employment barriers into practical opportunities.
121
Military spouses and partners applied for one vacancy in just 24 hours.
2
Military spouses employed from those original applications.
Our Charter
Employer Charter helping businesses recognise transferable skills.
Our Promise
Breaking down employment barriers and creating meaningful opportunities.
Turning Understanding Into Action
What began with one job advert has grown into something much bigger. We're turning conversations about employment barriers into practical opportunities.
We're Not Asking for Special Treatment.
We're Asking for a Fair Opportunity.
Military spouses and partners don't deserve a job simply because of who they married or the person they love. But neither should they be overlooked because of postings, career gaps, deployments or circumstances beyond their control.
We believe recruitment should be about skills, potential, experience and the person standing in front of you.
Not assumptions made before they've even had the chance to introduce themselves.
Real People. Real Potential. Real Impact.