MilSpouses Who Work It Archives - Page 2 of 13

“Our Military Moves Have Resulted In Me Taking Three Bar Exams…So Far.”

July 11, 2018 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

NextGen MilSpouse is going beyond traditional career tips and tricks for military spouses! We are sharing the real stories of working military spouses (just like you!) and their professional success stories on Wednesdays.

Name: Thea Pitzen

Years as a military spouse:

Tell us your profession:

Attorney

Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?

Full time

How long have you been working in this career field?

9 years, but not always full-time. I’ve done contract work, adjunct teaching, and various writing and volunteer gigs in addition to traditional private practice.

Do you work in an office, telecommute from home (or Starbucks), or a little bit of both?

In an office

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

As a litigator, I love that every day in my job is different. I learn something new and gain valuable skills from each and every case on which I work, and I’m incredibly thankful to have been able to continue to progress in my profession as we have moved with the military.

I also love that my job is, at its core, problem solving. I love being able to help colleagues and clients find solutions that work for them.

And, yes, I love to win.

How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.

I found my current position when a legal recruiter found me on LinkedIn! I have found my past couple of positions through my military spouse network (specifically, the Military Spouse JD Network) and through sending cold copies of my resume to prospective employers.

As a military spouse, I try to never discount any potential avenue for job seeking.

What is your No. 1 tip for a military spouse on the hunt for a job?

Don’t discount ANY of your networks for job searching, and prepare yourself for the inevitable questions if your resume shows frequent moves and/or employment gaps!

I’m so passionate about these tips I even wrote about them for the American Bar Association’s Law Student Division. I think most of the tips translate well beyond the legal profession. Your alumni networks, former coworkers, local business groups, and even LinkedIn and Facebook can be valuable resources when you are job searching.

And, don’t be afraid to mention that military spouses are adaptable, resilient, team-oriented, and AMAZING!

How do you feel about failure?

I’m not a fan. Having said that, I think it teaches some very valuable lessons. As a litigator, I have a competitive personality, I am driven to win, and I don’t like to fail.

However, failure – on some level and at some point – is inevitable. I think the best and most productive response to failure is to consider why it happened, what it can teach you, and how you can avoid a similar failure in the future.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while trying to maintain a career while living the military lifestyle?

Licensing issues.

As an attorney, I have to be licensed in each state where I practice law. And while groups like the Military Spouse JD Network have made amazing advances toward licensing accommodations, for me, our military moves have still resulted in me taking three bar exams…so far.

Becoming licensed in a new state is expensive, time consuming, and stressful, and by the time you succeed in becoming licensed, well over half your time in that state may have already passed. And there are so many professions in which military spouses face these same issues.

Gaps in employment while seeking licensure can also make it difficult to accumulate the years of experience that many prospective employers want to see on a resume. I consider myself fortunate to have gained over three years of very valuable experience right out of law school, which set me up well to re-enter the profession, even after taking a step back for several years after my daughter was born.

But the licensing issues have been a very real hurdle time after time in my career.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received? Tell us the worst too, while you’re at it.

The best has been:

“you can say no.”

A little back story. Early in my legal career as a very junior associate attorney, I was working in my office late one evening when a senior partner popped his head into my office to ask if I could complete a research task for him. I’m not sure what my exact facial expression was (exhaustion? panic?), but his next words were, “you know you can say no, right?” At that point in my career, I really did need to learn that I could say “no” and sometimes needed to do so in order to give my very best effort to everything on my plate.

I’ve carried that (advice) with me ever since.

The worst career advice has probably been not to attempt to maintain a legal practice while my husband is active duty or not to have children prior to reaching a certain level of seniority in practice.

You can make both scenarios work. I have.

Who is in your support squad?

So many people – from my husband to my parents to my child’s preschool teachers, it really does take a village when it comes to most things, in my experience. But, I would be remiss not to specifically mention the Military Spouse JD Network. Finding a like-minded group of military spouses who can truly appreciate the issues you face (and help you solve them!) has been absolutely invaluable to me.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks?

Yes, 100%. We have taken on different tasks over the years, depending on my employment status and his deployments and travel.

For example, when I have not been working full-time, I’ve shouldered more of the household tasks, like cooking, cleaning and laundry. When I work full-time, my husband actually does most of the cooking, which is awesome! I handle the morning routine with our daughter, and he does most bath times and bedtimes when he is home.

We do what makes sense based on our schedules, and it works for us!

Share your best life-hack for saving time or sanity during the work week.

I’m not sure it qualifies as a life-hack, but Blue Apron has been a big sanity saver. Not having to figure out what to do for dinner a few nights a week is so helpful for our family!

Also, investing in one really nice piece of home exercise equipment so that I can squeeze in a workout after my daughter is in bed has been a big improvement.

What’s your must-have song on your productivity playlist?

It varies (a lot), but lately it’s been “Thunder” by Imagine Dragons.

If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do with it?

With an extra hour on any given day, probably just have a little “me” time! Between work, parenting, and attending to the house, bills, chores, etc., almost every hour of most days feels full. I relish any time to just watch a little TV, work out, or scroll through my social media to catch up on the news and what my friends are up to.

If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?

The ability to actually add that extra hour (or two) to my day!

Especially since becoming a parent, it never feels like there’s enough time for everything I want to do. An extra hour of snuggles with my kiddo whenever I want it (or she does) would be super power enough for me.

Are you a working military spouse? Do you want to share your career tips and tricks? Fill out the MilSpouses Who Work It Q&A today. Click here to complete our questionnaire.

“I Have Learned So Much More From My Varied Jobs Than I Ever Would Have If I Had Stayed In One Place.”

July 4, 2018 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Name: Kira Shuman

Years as a military spouse: 9

Tell us your profession:

System administrator at my current base, but usually I work in cybersecurity

Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?

Full time

How long have you been working in this career field?

10 years

Do you work in an office, telecommute from home (or Starbucks), or a little bit of both?

Work from home now, but I have telecommuted in the past

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

At my current job I love the atmosphere and the people. I always love learning about new networks and configurations, and since I am relatively new to this job, there’s still a lot to discover!

How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.

I used USAJOBS to find positions available, applied, interviewed and was hired. I was very lucky to get a job here as there are limited slots in my field and it’s a gamble whether or not one will come open.

What is your No. 1 tip for a military spouse on the hunt for a job?

Get some mentors and grow! Jobs will come as a byproduct.

I have a handful of mentors. It’s nothing formal but I look to them when I have career questions. I recently found a new one through Veterati, a free program for military spouses. I already had all the cybersecurity credentials I could think of, and he gave me a new path and passion.

I have another mentor who helped me rewrite my resume for government jobs. She knew nothing about my job but she knew everything about resume writing! I had a sparkling resume already but she really made it shine!

How do you feel about failure?

It’s depressing.

It’s hard.

I beat myself up over it.

Then I let (failure) become the flame that lights the fire of my passion to do better, be better.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while trying to maintain a career while living the military lifestyle?

The diversity of locations for my spouse’s job…where there are limited or no jobs for me.

I’ve been lucky and was able to largely maintain the same career field, but at times I work in other extensions of my career field. I don’t mind though. I often find these positions to be edifyingly broadening and highly educational.

I have learned so much more from my varied jobs than I ever would have if I had stayed in one place.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received? Tell us the worst too, while you’re at it.

The best was always keep growing and learning. There’s an infographic I saw that said if you read one hour a day about your chosen profession you will be an international expert in seven years. That inspired me. Seven years can seem like a long time, but after 10 years in cybersecurity I can say all that reading (and growth) hasn’t hurt.

The worst was “I now see you as my peer.”

This was from a former boss after I passed a certification test cold that he had struggled to barely pass. I had long known I outqualified him in education, experience, and general knowledge, and he had been on my hiring panel. But…it took a side by side comparison after working with him for two years for him to even see my qualifications as equal to him.

I made a resolution that day to never underestimate and devalue anyone on my team the way he did me.

Who is in your support squad and what role do they play in supporting your career?

My spouse. Always. First and foremost. He is my everything, my rock, my sounding board, my partner in everything. He is the one person I can always count on no matter what. He’s the man behind this woman.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks? How do you do it?

Split. The percentage depends on his position. He has had easier positions that allowed him time to do more, and more demanding positions that allow less flexibility…And deployments or geobach assignments that meant no help. But that’s the military life we love.

Share your best life-hack for saving time or sanity during the work week.

Sync calendars.

Since I work I can usually share and sync my work and phone calendar with my spouse’s calendar. It keeps us connected with our kid’s school’s events, our work, and any errands or extracurriculars we have.

Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without that isn’t your phone.

TV. It’s my one escape from hectic schedules!

If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do?

Catch up on sleep.

If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?

Ability to read and absorb knowledge at unimaginable speeds.

Are you a working military spouse? Do you want to share your career tips and tricks? Fill out the MilSpouses Who Work It Q&A today. Click here to complete our questionnaire.

“Volunteering And Substitute Teaching Were Vital To Getting Into The DoDEA System.”

June 27, 2018 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Name: Sarah Butler

Years as a military spouse:

Tell us your profession:

Third Grade Teacher – DoDEA School System

Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?

Full-time

How long have you been working in this career field?

7 years

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

I love getting to make a difference in the lives of children and parents. There are few things sweeter than seeing the “light bulb” go off for students, and then celebrating their successes with both the students and their parents.

How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.

I began by volunteering, while I was waiting for my substitute teaching paperwork to go through (the entire process took about six months). After I began substitute teaching, I was offered a long-term substitute teaching position, filling in for a teacher that as on maternity leave.

While I was in this position, I was contacted by another DoDEA school to come in for an interview and got the job!

Volunteering and substitute teaching were vital to getting into the system because I had the opportunity to understand the “ins-and-outs” of the DoDEA system, and become familiar with the current “buzz” words that I knew employers would be looking for.

What is your No. 1 tip for a military spouse on the hunt for a job?

Volunteer and be persistent. Volunteering gives you the opportunity to see what employers in your area are really looking for.

If your name and face are fresh in people’s minds, they are going to remember you when it comes time to hire.

How do you feel about failure?

Failure is vital.

I once had a boss tell me, after I had a major failure, “If you’re not making mistakes, you’re not doing anything worthwhile.” That has really stuck with me, even after all of these years. As long as you’re being both retro and introspective about your failures, they will ultimately become incredible learning opportunities.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while trying to maintain a career while living the military lifestyle?

As an educator, it can be extremely difficult and disheartening to have to spend time and money taking recertification tests in various states. Reciprocity for military spouses who have special certifications etc. is something that is GREATLY lacking within the United States.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received? Tell us the worst too, while you’re at it.

The best advice I ever received was that “If I have seen further, it is by standing on the shoulders of giants.” I think Sir Isaac Newton originally said this, but it is the ultimate reminder that to be better we have to constantly seek advice from a variety of people with different perspectives.

I’m sure I’ve gotten terrible advice along the way, but I gave it so little thought, that I can’t remember it now.

As an Air Force spouse of 17 years, Kim helped to launch the Military Spouse Network for Teaching Professionals which supports military spouse educators. She is currently working to help streamline difficult out of state licensure processes for military spouse teachers across the country. Listen to Happy Hour Episode 73: Cause of Death Lack of Wifi to learn more about the Military Spouse Network for Teaching Professionals.

Who is in your support squad?

I couldn’t do ANY of what I do without my awesome support system.

My military friends have carried me through this lifestyle and stepped in COUNTLESS times when I had to work late and my husband was deployed or TDY. I have had girlfriends pick up my kids from school when they were sick and even attend back-to-school nights on my behalf, while I was playing my teacher role and needed someone to step in as my own child’s surrogate parent.

I would not be where I am today if it weren’t for the constant support and love of my military family.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks?

Anytime my husband I move to a new duty station we sit down and discuss the pros and cons of me going back to work. There have been times in our marriage that we’ve made the decision that me being at home is better for us.

However, when I am working we sit down and have a lengthy discussion about what the expectations are for both of us. Obviously he can’t be around to split household tasks all of the time, so if he is getting ready to deploy or go on a TDY, I text him a list of things I want him to accomplish before he leaves; i.e. buy dog food, or sign us up for a monthly dog food delivery service if he’s going to be gone for an extended period of time (I don’t know why I hate buying dog food so much!?).

I leave him in charge of a HOME-COOKED dinner at least one week night. He gets to choose what night of the week works best for his schedule.

I also except all laundry baskets in our house to be cleared out and clothes to not only be washed and folded, but put away before he leaves for TDYs. It makes me feel like I’m starting with a clean slate.

Share your best life-hack for saving time or sanity during the work week.

Schedule one or two nights a week that you are doing something for yourself. Maybe that means a workout class or going out to eat instead of cooking. I schedule a massage once every two weeks.

Whatever your vice is; indulge on a semi-regular basis. Self-care is vital.

What’s your favorite app for making the most of your day?

The Bible app

Related: 8 Tips from Dual-Career Couples Who Are Making It Work

If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do with it?

Read, read, read! (But that would also mean that I couldn’t be tired during that hour so I wouldn’t nod off)

If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?

Super coffee-consumer. That’s a super power right!??

Are you a working military spouse? Do you want to share your career tips and tricks? Fill out the MilSpouses Who Work It Q&A today. Click here to complete our questionnaire.

“If You Make Yourself Indispensable With The Quality Of Your Work You Can Parlay A Consulting Contract Into A Job.”

June 13, 2018 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Name: Grant Belgard

Years as a military spouse:

Tell us your profession:

Computational Biologist & Neuroscientist

Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?

Full-time

How long have you been working in this career field?

10 years

Do you work in an office, telecommute from home (or Starbucks), or a little bit of both?

Mostly telecommute from a home office

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

I am always learning!

How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.

I started consulting for a startup founded by former colleagues, and was then recruited by them. If you make yourself indispensable with the quality of your work you can parlay a consulting contract into a job.

What is your No. 1 tip for a military spouse on the hunt for a job?

Do not take yourself out of the running before you even apply. Let the prospective employer make that call.

How do you feel about failure?

Do not fear it! If you never fail you are not taking enough risks.

I am not talking about risks with a negative expectation value (e.g. the lottery) or where the potential downside can be devastating (e.g. pouring your life savings into the latest fad investment), but calculated risks with a limited potential downside and an unbounded potential upside can be worthwhile.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

I was concerned that I would be unable to keep up a career in science remotely, as this is very unusual, but my mentors were very encouraging that I could find a way to make it work in spite of this. (There were some naysayers too.) Obviously this does not look exactly like a traditional career path, but thus far it has worked out well.

Constraints create a crucible for creativity, and one need not be restricted to the most common ways of working.

Who is in your support squad?

My wife has been very encouraging and supportive of wherever I want to take my career.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks? How do you do it?

Yes, and we both work long hours and have a toddler so it is exhausting. We hire help where possible, and prioritize the most important tasks while accepting that we need to let nice-to-have-yet-nonessential tasks slip. (Besides Christmas, seasonal decorations are minimal. Household and yard maintenance wins over home improvement or landscaping projects.)

If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do?

Family time outside

If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?

Not needing sleep

Are you a working military spouse? Do you want to share your career tips and tricks? Fill out the MilSpouses Who Work It Q&A today. Click here to complete our questionnaire.

“Due To Our Relocation To San Diego, I Have To Commute Across The Country To Go To Work.”

June 6, 2018 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Name: Jacqueline LaFevers

Years as a military spouse: 1

Tell us your profession:

I am an offshore facilities engineer for Shell Exploration & Production. I provide daily technical support to operations on a production platform in the Gulf of Mexico.

Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?

Full-time

How long have you been working in this career field?

5 years

Do you work in an office, telecommute from home (or Starbucks), or a little bit of both?

I work on an oil platform in the Gulf of Mexico for two weeks at a time and then I fly back home to San Diego for the next two weeks. It’s a 14-day rotation schedule.

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

I love the ocean views every day and getting to be hands-on.

How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.

Job fair at my school (Penn State University)

How do you feel about failure?

Everyone falls down sometimes but that doesn’t mean it has to be defined as failure. Every stumble teaches you a lesson and will make you stronger.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while trying to maintain a career while living the military lifestyle?

The extra sacrifice to “make it work.” Due to our relocation to San Diego, I have to commute across the country to go to work for my two-week hitch.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received? Tell us the worst too, while you’re at it.

Best: Work hard and follow your passion

Worst: Do what pays a lot of money

Who is in your support squad?

My husband has been supportive and encouraging since the time when we were in college. He’s been with me every step of the way in my career and always stands behind me with whatever I want to do. He’s been very understanding of my current job situation.

I also have to give it to my parents who always pushed me to do well at school and follow my dreams.

Also can’t leave out my study buddies and mentors along the way.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks? How do you do it?

Yes, considering I am not home half of the time!

When I am home, I try to pick up most of the chores since he has to do it the other two weeks when I am not home. We have a dog as well so he can be pretty demanding.

Share your best life-hack for saving time or sanity during the work week.

A planner and to-do lists

What’s your favorite app for making the most of your day?

Instagram

What’s your must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Thunder, Imagine Dragons

If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do?

Spend it with my husband and dog

If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?

I love Harry Potter so if I could just do magic, that would be amazing.

Are you a working military spouse? Do you want to share your career tips and tricks? Fill out the MilSpouses Who Work It Q&A today. Click here to complete our questionnaire.

“Never Sit Stagnant; Always Keep Up Momentum In Your Career.”

May 30, 2018 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Name: Jaime Bishopp

Years as a military spouse: 7

Tell us your profession:

Secondary ELA teacher, full-time doctoral student

Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?

Full time

How long have you been working in this career field?

Six years as an official teacher. It should be eight years but I was forced to take a two-year break when we went overseas and DoDEA didn’t have any positions open. I worked as a substitute and paraprofessional during those two years.

Do you work in an office, telecommute from home (or Starbucks), or a little bit of both?

Classroom

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

Schools are everywhere, so you are guaranteed to have the possibility of a job wherever you go.

How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.

Being in education makes a job search easy. It’s easy to find the school district at your new location, look up employment opportunities and salary scales. As soon as we had orders I began my research, updating my resume and portfolio, getting letters of recommendations from the current administration.

The minute we receive official orders, I begin applying for jobs.

What is your No. 1 tip for a military spouse on the hunt for a job?

Never sit stagnant; always keep up momentum in your career. This means that if the ideal position for you isn’t available, find the next best thing. This may mean being underemployed or going back to school, but these things will help you to network in your location, gain more experience/certifications, and will eliminate large gaps in your employment history, all things which will help you to gain that ideal position when it does become available and will make you a more valuable candidate for jobs.

How do you feel about failure?

Failure is inevitable, either because as humans, we make mistakes, or because sometimes the deck gets stacked against you in this unpredictable military spouse life. The key is to learn what you can from the failure, let go of what was out of your control, and keep moving forward.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while trying to maintain a career while living the military lifestyle?

The need to maintain certification in old states and re-certify in each new location is a very big challenge. Having to work through e-mail to contact state departments of education and coordinating all the paperwork needed to prove you meet the requirements is a lot of work and oftentimes very frustrating.

Related: Teaching…The Not So Portable Career For Military Spouses

In addition, having to order official transcripts from colleges, paying the fees associated with becoming certified in a new state, to paying to have to re-take tests, or take additional coursework, it’s time consuming and expensive to re-certify in a new state.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received? Tell us the worst too, while you’re at it.

I was once told to keep moving forward in my education.

When we went overseas and there weren’t any teaching positions for me, I went back to school. I debated between going back to get a second bachelor’s degree, this time in elementary education to open a wider range of doors for me, or continuing to move forward and get a master’s degree. I decided to go with that advice and get my master’s.

I’m still debating whether is was good advice or not. It definitely helps me to get hired when there is a secondary ELA position open and hiring. However, it does me no good if there are no secondary ELA positions, as I’m not qualified to teach anything else.

Who is in your support squad?

Unfortunately, I really don’t have much of a support system.

Teaching is unique in that it can really consume your life, and this is especially true in the first year or two that you teach. Being a military spouse, I’m either new or the bottom of the totem pole so I get shifted, and have never had the opportunity to settle into a grade level, which means I’ve spent my entire career as a first-year teacher.

Because of this, I have very little free time, and the little free time I do get, I need to recharge on my own. Since I don’t have the time or the energy to reciprocate, I stick to myself and take care of things on my own.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks? How do you do it?

When my spouse is home, he does take care of a lot of household tasks. He is gone a lot, however, with TDYs or deployments, and then it of course falls all on me.

This does cause some contention as I often feel after being the 100% sole caretaker for months on end, that he should have to pull more than 50%.

Because of this, I have someone who comes in every other week to clean. It’s a huge sanity and marriage-saver to not have to deal with the tedious, gross, hugely time consuming tasks of cleaning the bathroom, mopping, dusting, etc. either on my own when he’s gone and the fighting over who will take care of these tasks when he’s home.

Share your best life-hack for saving time or sanity during the work week.

I doing weekly meal prep on Sundays. Having all the meals made for the week not only saves us from having to spend the time cooking during the week, but also saves a TON of time in the kitchen clean-up (cleaning the kitchen just once a week as opposed to every single day). It also saves us money and is better for our health, as we are far less likely to eat out during the week.

What’s your must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Besides when I work out, I don’t often listen to music. Instead, on my commute to work or school I listen to audio books or podcasts. “Freakonomics” is my favorite podcast.

If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do?

I’d split it between getting more sleep and getting more exercise.

If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?

I would like for my super power to be to control time.

I wish I could hit pause at night so I could get more sleep, or during my prep so I could get more work done and not have to come in on the weekends, or make the weekends go slower to enjoy time with my family.

Are you a working military spouse? Do you want to share your career tips and tricks? Fill out the MilSpouses Who Work It Q&A today. Click here to complete our questionnaire.

“Meeting People And Connecting With Them Through Various Forms Of Social Media Is Truly The Most Rewarding Thing About Blogging”

May 9, 2018 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Name: Amanda Huffman

Years as a military spouse:

Tell us your profession:

Blogger | Freelance Writer

Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?

Part-time

How long have you been working in this career field?

4 years

Do you work in an office, telecommute from home (or Starbucks), or a little bit of both?

Home

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

Connecting with others. Either through sharing life experiences through writing or collaborating with others on business ventures.

Meeting people and connecting with them through various forms of social media is truly the most rewarding thing about blogging.

How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.

I started my blog to keep my sanity as a new mom who had just left the military. I started the blog for me, but now I have recently shifted it to focus on the main points for military spouses and veterans. I think opening up to share my experience is a unique voice not often found.

What is your No. 1 tip for a military spouse on the hunt for a job?

Find something you love to do. A small business might be a good option because you can move it with you and you will find a supportive military community already established. Or maybe you love an organization, so see if there are ways to volunteer with that organization. It may lead to an open door.

How do you feel about failure?

Becoming a mom taught me so much because essentially it was the first time I failed, regularly. Now, I realize failure is just a way to learn and grow. I have been struggling with growing my audience and often don’t meet the goals I set for myself, but I am moving forward.

Failure isn’t bad if you learn something from it and keep moving forward.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while trying to maintain a career while living the military lifestyle?

Having young kids has made it hard to find the time and the energy to pursue a passion. Especially because in the beginning it has been hard to grow and find my voice.

I have learned the importance of not doing it alone. When you find a community to support you even if they are not physically with you it can help you push through the hard times and grow.

Related: People Often Ask Me ‘Do You Miss the Military?

The other hard part is preparing for changes. Unexpected deployments, TDYs or job changes can have an impact on how much time you have to work on different projects and that makes it hard to run your own business.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

Find your focus or your niche. When I first started sharing my experience I was all over the map. Any inspiration was used to fuel my blog. That was ineffective and instead of reaching someone I was reaching no one. Now I know that I need to constantly work on what my readers want/need to hear.

Who is in your support squad?

I am in a mastermind group with a handful of other military spouse bloggers. They encourage and inspire me to keep pushing. Through the group I have learned tools to help me in this entrepreneurship journey.

I also have the support of my husband who allows me the time to work on my blog in the evening and will watch the kids when I need him to. His support on my crazy dream means a lot.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks? How do you do it?

Since I stay at home with my kids I do most of the household chores, but I do have a rule that since I cook he does the dishes. He does a pretty good job of helping me out with the dishes. It is the one thing that I really don’t like doing. It works well for us.

On Black Friday we invested in a Roomba and it is my new favorite thing. My sister recently came to visit and commented about how clean our house was. Did you get a maid? Nope just a Roomba!

Share your best life-hack for saving time or sanity during the work week.

Work batching. I try to work on each part of blogging in pieces instead of going all over the place. Writing, images, social media, ect. Each one done and then I move on to the next.

I also turn off social media and close my email inbox while working so I don’t have distractions.

Related: Why I Left the Air Force to Be a SAHM

What’s your favorite app for making the most of your day?

Instagram. I love seeing photos and being inspired

What’s your must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Anything Taylor Swift. Probably “Shake It Off,” is my favorite.

If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do?

Listen to a podcast episode or two or watch YouTube

If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?

To be able to fly. I love traveling and being able to fly where ever I want to go would be amazing.

Are you a working military spouse? Do you want to share your career tips and tricks? Fill out the MilSpouses Who Work It Q&A today. Click here to complete our questionnaire.

“The Biggest Challenge Is Learning When To Say ‘No.’ It Is My Goal To Never Over Promise And Under Deliver.”

May 2, 2018 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Name: Brian Alvarado

Years as a military spouse:

Tell us your profession:

Vice President, Marketing & Realtor – Dwell Well Realty

Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?

Full Time

How long have you been working in this career field?

10 years

Do you work in an office, telecommute from home (or Starbucks), or a little bit of both?

A little bit of both. The nature of my job allows me to work in my office or from home or a lot of times, my car.

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

The flexibility.

How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.

This particular position was a promotion. I started out as a contractor for this company about a decade ago and then grew into my executive role and eventually became a shareholder and a member of the board of directors.

What is your No. 1 tip for a military spouse on the hunt for a job?

Make sure your first impressions are top notch. Have a clean and focused resume, professional headshots and be completely educated about the position, company and interviewer before heading into an interview.

How do you feel about failure?

It is something that everyone experiences. It’s a part of life. We have the power to choose how to deal with it, and I deal with it as an education.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while trying to maintain a career while living the military lifestyle?

The biggest challenge is learning when to say no. Our time is valuable and we can quickly become pushed to our limits with regards to volunteering in our community. It is my goal to try to never over promise and under deliver.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?

The best career advice that I have ever been given is something that took me a very long time to get down, leave your emotions at the door. Everyone is going to have good days and bad days. Ups and downs. Wins and losses. If you let the negative side of those days affect you, it can have a really negative effect on your career.

Who is in your support squad?

Definitely my spouse. He is always so supportive of not only the work I do in my career, but in all of my volunteer efforts as well. He shows up to events and shakes hands and does the networking. He is the guy that goes and gets lunch and delivers it for my team or pops in and surprises everyone with cake pops from Starbucks. Aside from him, I have aligned myself with a boss that truly has my success as a part of her own goals, and an assistant who, when responding to any sort of fire, always says “it’s handled.”

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks? How do you do it?

We definitely have a clearly defined list of who is good at what and we sort of just fell into the chore list like that. I am a self-proclaimed kitchen genius so I tend to do most of the cooking. And my spouse has that military consistency drilled into him so laundry day is every Sunday on the dot for him!

Share your best life-hack for saving time or sanity during the work week.

Trashy television and an occasional whiskey. No joke.

Nearly daily, during the week, I take the hour of 10 to 11 p.m. to myself, usually catching up on something like “Shadow Hunters” or “American Housewife” and that just lets me take my mind off the day I just had and the day to come. It keeps me sane

Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without that isn’t your phone:

My GoPro. We have so many adventures and I love capturing it all on video and editing and making little videos of our lives to share with our families.

What’s your favorite app for making the most of your day?

Does Candy Crush Count? Just kidding. Definitely my mail app. Being able to receive and send email from anywhere really makes a huge difference in my work day!

What’s your must-have song on your productivity playlist?

“Tubthumping” by Chumbawamba

If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do?

I’d love to say something amazing like volunteer more to help our community but in all reality, I’d probably double up on that trashy TV and whiskey hour.

If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?

If I were a superhero, my super power would be the power of influence over others. I’d love the ability to influence people who drive like idiots to get it together. Also, I’d love to be able to influence people into doing more in our world to protect it and each other.

Are you a working military spouse? Do you want to share your career tips and tricks? Fill out the MilSpouses Who Work It Q&A today. Click here to complete our questionnaire.

“I Have To Acknowledge That I Cannot Do It All And That #MomGuilt Is Real, Especially When Your Home Feels Like A Revolving Door With Military Life.”

April 25, 2018 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Name: Melissa Bird

Years as a military spouse:

Tell us your profession:

I am a Program Director in Corporate Citizenship at First Data.

Each day, I work to support our company’s efforts around corporate social responsibility, including diversity and inclusion, philanthropy, supplier diversity, sustainability, and social and civic responsibility. Our company is global so our efforts include extending programs and initiatives to our international colleagues, as well as at the dozens of work locations across the United States.

Corporate Citizenship is a relatively new initiative for our company, and I am part of an amazing team who just so happen to be comprised of veterans, military spouses and military brats. Many of us came to First Data as part of the Military and Veteran Affairs team and have shifted into the start-up Corporate Citizenship program.

Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?

Full-time

How long have you been working in this career field?

Three years

Do you work in an office, telecommute from home (or Starbucks), or a little bit of both?

Mainly in an office but a little bit of both.

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

Just one thing?!

The team I work with every day is small but mighty. We have our own specific roles and responsibilities, but each person is eager to jump in and help out as needed, never saying “that’s not my job.” We support each other as family and they truly have become part of my extended family, even though we all reside in different areas of the country.

How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.

I met my supervisor, the dynamic Dr. Vivian Greentree, through mutual friends I worked with in a previous job position.

The military community is very close-knit and full of people looking for the next opportunity to lift up another veteran or military spouse.

What is your No. 1 tip for a military spouse on the hunt for a job?

Network! You never know where your next job or meaningful work opportunity will come from whether it is at an office, in front of a computer, or in your community. If you do not put yourself out there, you may never discover your full potential. You also may miss out on meeting some truly incredible people who will help to shape your future.

How do you feel about failure?

It is part of life. What matters is how you move on from failure. Personally, I have a tendency to wallow in my sorrows for a short time and I recognize that is not the most efficient way of handling failure. I give myself that grace, but then completely move on and charge ahead, leaving failure in the past. It is something that is going to happen throughout life, no matter who you are or how hard you try, so accept it and let it drive you forward.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while trying to maintain a career while living the military lifestyle?

My biggest challenge is accepting that I am doing my best and giving myself grace, even when I cannot fulfill all “expectations.” And I put “expectations” in quotes because those are self-assessed expectations.

My kids are fed, clothed, safe and loved. (That statement also could be applied for my husband – ha!) I get to work on time, strive to be a high-performer on the job, and fulfill my tasks and responsibilities.

However, my house is messy right now, I need to do our taxes, and the dog could use a walk. But that is all extra at the moment. I have to acknowledge that I cannot do it all and that #momguilt is real, especially when your home feels like a revolving door with military life.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received? Tell us the worst too, while you’re at it.

Work for the job level you want, not the one you have.

If you want to be a corporate executive, then each day you should be working hard to move up the corporate ladder. If you want to own your own business, then spend time working on educating yourself about entrepreneurship and developing your business plan.

The worst advice I have received is to just do your job and nothing more. There is always something more that can be done to set you apart from the next person. Your ambition and drive speak volumes about who you are as a person and the potential you have in a career.

Who is in your support squad and what role do they play in supporting your career?

My support squad is comprised of my current coworkers and former colleagues who also are military spouses. They keep me going on the days where you feel burned out and provide that necessary level of sarcasm and dry humor needed to survive in the corporate world, as well as military life.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks? How do you do it?

Now that we have two children, there is more of a need to split household tasks. We definitely fall into some of the gender-stereotype roles where my husband takes out the trash, mows the lawn and kills unwanted creatures in the house, but we have found more of a balance in sharing cooking and cleaning responsibilities since adding a second kiddo to the nest.

Share your best life-hack for saving time or sanity during the work week.

I believe in saving sanity more than time so let it go. (Now you’re singing that song, aren’t you?)

If you are mentally exhausted, take a break.

Let household chores wait until the weekend (unless you are out of clean underwear for the kids, then put in a load of laundry).

ALSO, let your kids help with the chores. Sure, you may have to go back and redo their “hard work” eventually, but they are learning life skills and soon enough you will be able to take some of those chores of your own plate. And a little cleaner is better than not.

Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without that isn’t your phone:

Stereo speaker to play music.

What’s your favorite app for making the most of your day?

Spotify. Music drives my world.

If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do with it?

Please just let me sleep. I have a four year old and a five month old – give me all the sleep.

If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?

I want to be eternally caffeinated. The effects of coffee without the coffee.

Are you a working military spouse? Do you want to share your career tips and tricks? Fill out the MilSpouses Who Work It Q&A today. Click here to complete our questionnaire.

“So Much Of Getting Employed Is Knowing Someone Or The Right People”

April 18, 2018 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer 1 Comment

Name: Pam Chavez

Years as a military spouse:

Married for 11 years and dated for 3 prior to marriage

Tell us your profession:

I am a Certified Holistic Nutritionist (and totally foodie) who is passionate about helping exhausted and overextended military spouses become vibrant and thrive again.

I went from being in the Army to being married to the Army. I know firsthand how it feels to be the forgotten one in this lifestyle, the true unsung hero.

I get the most happiness and fulfillment from Nutrition to Heal Yourself. I founded this business to improve the lives of military spouses by helping them honor their value.

I am the AFI 2018 Military Spouse of the Year Base Spouse Fort Riley. My publications can be found on FoodMatters and The Brick Magazine and my podcast “Hey Military Spouse, Your Time is Now,” which can be found on iTunes, is full of quick, bite-sized nuggets of goodness.

Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?

I am an entrepreneur, so I set my own hours but I seem to work a lot because I love it.

How long have you been working in this career field?

I launched my business just over two years ago, while we were stationed in Korea. If I wanted to work I had to create my own because getting a job as a holistic nutritionist in Korea would have been next to impossible.

Do you work in an office, telecommute from home (or Starbucks), or a little bit of both?

The majority of my work is from home. Although I hold wellness workshops in the community too. While stationed in Korea I would give tours of the local outdoor markets to help military spouses break down the intimidation with local ingredients and language barriers.

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

I love showing military spouses how simple healthy food can be and that it makes you feel amazing. Preparing healthy meals for yourself and your family doesn’t require exotic ingredients, isn’t expensive and is full of flavor.

There are so many incredibly hard parts to this lifestyle and it is super easy to always put your health on the back burner. Once you have the tools and more importantly, when you begin to reap the benefits life is much more enjoyable. When I help someone lose weight, skyrocket their energy, and begin feeling true happiness again, it is incredibly rewarding for me.

How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.

Out of necessity and a drive to work, I launched my own business while we were stationed in Korea. Being an entrepreneur is so much harder than I thought it would be but it is also extremely gratifying. There are so many layers to building a business but I love the independence and creative direction I have by working for myself.

What is your No. 1 tip for a military spouse on the hunt for a job?

Be open to opportunity and start conversations in environments where you would like to work.

So much of getting employed is knowing someone or the right people.

Don’t just apply for jobs, but also make connections with people and let your personality shine.

How do you feel about failure?

Failure isn’t easy, but there is so much to learn in every situation. If there is a way to put the pieces together and figure out what failed, do it, adjust and get back in the game.

Failure doesn’t equal the end, unless you let it be that way.

What’s the biggest challenge you’ve faced while trying to maintain a career while living the military lifestyle?

Gosh there are so many challenges while living the military lifestyle. Honestly one of my biggest challenges is my spouse being under constant stress and always working. The military has taken my spouse from me, physically and emotionally so consistently and it is tough to feel I don’t have my partner very often.

While promotions and career progression has its benefits, it also takes a toll on the soldier and increases work stress exponentially.

What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received? Tell us the worst too, while you’re at it.

The worst piece of career advice I received was when I was told to not work exclusively with military spouses because I would be limiting myself. I had hired a group of prominent business coaches and I felt they knew better than what my gut was telling me. Once I fired them and listened to my intuition, things began to take off.

The best piece of career advice I have received is to follow my instincts.

Who is in your support squad and what role do they play in supporting your career?

I would love to say it is my spouse and he is one of my support systems. Honestly though the best support systems I have are my girlfriends and other milspouses. My husband doesn’t really get my unique challenges because he doesn’t live this military spouse lifestyle.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks? How do you do it?

I would love to say that we do, but honestly that is not the case. My hope is that one day we will get there, right now with his work demanding so much of his time and energy we do not split household tasks.

Hiring a house cleaner has been a lifesaver for myself and my marriage. I used to get very resentful with the lack of help around the house. I don’t get weekends off so I didn’t see it as fair that my spouse wasn’t pitching in on his time off.

I decided to remove the possibility of resentments building and hired a house cleaner to come in and it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

With three young boys my home is constantly needing something cleaned, so I still have plenty to take care of but it relieved a lot of time which I could use to build my business.

Share your best life-hack for saving time or sanity during the work week.

Green smoothies.

It may not be your typical life-hack but starting my day by flooding my body with vitamins and nutrients with dark leafy greens and fruits sets my entire day up for success. The simple act of keeping frozen fruit, fresh spinach or kale, maybe some nuts or seeds and a bunch of water makes an incredibly delicious smoothie. Not only does it begin to clear the fogginess from my mind, it gives me loads of energy. This one habit sets the tone for my day by knowing I gave myself some love and influences positive decisions throughout my entire day.

Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without that isn’t your phone:

My Macbook. It is the lifeblood for my business and I step into work mode when I am on it.

What’s your favorite app for making the most of your day?

Trello is my current favorite. It helps me stay on task while also mapping out what needs to get accomplished.

What’s your must-have song on your productivity playlist?

“Glorious” by Macklemore

If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do with it?

Yoga.

Along with the power of food, yoga has been instrumental in my mind/body happiness. I had wanted to begin a yoga practice for many years. Once we moved to South Korea, which proved to be the most difficult transition thus far, I knew I had to give it a go. I was struggling with loneliness and the effects of my husband’s work stress spilling over into our home.

“Yoga with Adriene” was an amazing platform I stumbled upon on YouTube and she offers hundreds of free videos. I loved her style, quirkiness and sense of humor. She is perfect for a beginner too. I have done her videos consistently for over two years now and still love them just as much.

If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?

My super hero power would be to fly.

I have always flown in my dreams and it always makes me so happy. Plus I could fly my children around to visit family that they miss dearly. Traveling with a family of five is expensive, exhausting and is such a chore.

Are you a working military spouse? Do you want to share your career tips and tricks? Fill out the MilSpouses Who Work It Q&A today. Click here to complete our questionnaire.