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“Let People Know What You Are Passionate About And What You Are Looking For In A Career.”

January 3, 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.

Air Force spouse Nicci Clark is an attorney turned financial advisor. Her favorite part of her job is solving complicated problems for her clients.

Name: Nicci Clark

Years as a military spouse:

16

Tell us your job title/profession:

Attorney turned Financial Advisor

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

Full-time

How long have you been working in this career field?

4.5 years

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

Office, but I’m on the road in clients’ offices a lot, too

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

I work very hard, but part of my job is being out in the community, so I get to do the things I love with people I like. If I want to go to a spouse luncheon on base, I can usually do so. If I want to play golf with a group of girlfriends, I can do so. Except when I’m out of town on business, I rarely miss one of my kids’ or husband’s events.

Other than the autonomy, my favorite thing is that I get to work my brain every single day. My clients often call me with complicated problems, things that I have to research or network to find the answers to. I get to connect people with each other and encourage families and business owners to improve their game. And I grow every single day.

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

It was a lot of luck. I’ve heard many people say that “luck” is where opportunity and preparation meet and I’d say that that was true in my case.

Through the years where our kids were little and where my husband’s Air Force career moved us around a lot, I keep busy volunteering and trying new things: I’ve created a lot of websites for spouse clubs; I’ve volunteered for some of the most exciting boards and events that the military has to offer and I tried to stay enthusiastic while doing so.

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

Keep your professional skills polished and put them out for others to see. Put your best foot forward when you commit to something. Sometimes you have to spend a few months in a community, getting to know the players in town, whether they are at church, school or community/base organization. Get in there and get to know people and be enthusiastic about where you are, no matter for how long!

From the minute you get settled in, let people know what you are passionate about and what you are looking for in a career.

How do you feel about failure?

Not an option.

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

This summer, I moved my practice and my home to Alabama from Georgia. During this time, my partner and I had a tremendous amount of pressure on our business from a competitor and I felt guilty for not being able to work non-stop. The long days at the office, followed by coming home to a mountain of boxes made me feel very out of control.

Fortunately, people in my new office know a lot about the military community so they’ve really opened their arms and made me feel welcome.

Knowing that I’m going to do it again next summer has made me sometimes be more negative than I am normally, but I remind myself every day that I’ve been building and creating and getting paid for it and that I have so much to be grateful for.

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

The best: Commit to something you love. If you love the way you spend your days, you have plenty to give others, both at work and at home.

The worst: “Don’t even try.” I had a lady tell me that I’d never make it because I’m a military spouse and everybody in town would know it. She was wrong.

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

My husband is my #1 supporter. He always reminds me that the downs are part of the cycle and he rejoices in all of my successes, no matter how small.

He knows how I worry about my clients, how I cry when one of them dies or gets sick, he knows how much of my heart I invest in my clients and my career and has never once been threatened that there’s not enough space for him.

Besides my spouse, my business partner, Frank, who has been my mentor and supporter for several years is the best. I owe my entire career to his support and to the support of my friends who not only do business with me, but who send me new business.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks?

For years, I nagged my husband about how I felt alone in the household tasks. One time, I asked his mom, also a military spouse, how she did it – how she kept a home and kids and juggled all of the expectations of being a military spouse whose husband spent over two years in Vietnam and who had a busy Air Force career. You know what she told me? “I had a maid!”

As the years have gone by, we hire people to do the things we absolutely hate doing or that aren’t worth our time to do ourselves and we just budget for it.

I still clean the house, but I don’t do it every day or every week. My husband helps with the dishes and makes the bed every morning and he does his own laundry.

Our daughter does the trash, the dishwasher and her own laundry. I either do or hire someone to do the rest!

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

I will do ANYTHING to get out of going into the grocery store.

When our son was living at home, he did all of my grocery shopping. Did I care that he didn’t use coupons or necessarily get the best deal? No! He only got what was on the list, there weren’t any impulse buys and we all ate healthier because of it, plus I think he liked running errands and spending my money.

Now that he is in college, I’ve had to figure out how to do it myself again. I usually wake up at 5:30 or 6 a.m., even on the weekends, so I go to the store on Saturday or Sunday mornings, when I have the place to myself. When we get to a city that offers grocery delivery, I will never step foot into a grocery store again.

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

Snapchat

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

“Lose Yourself” by Eminem

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

Play piano

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

To have perfect hair every day with zero effort. Can that be a superpower?

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 form. 

Filed Under: Articles, Career, MilSpouses Who Work It, Slider Tagged With: Air Force spouse, building a career, career advice, empowerment, MilSpouses Who Work It, working milspouse

“(The) Worst Piece Of Advice Was That I Could Never Have A Successful Career As An Engineer While Being A Military Spouse.”

December 13, 2017 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.

Military spouse Carrie Tilley loves that she gets paid to build and test new products as a systems test engineer.

Name: Carrie Tilley

Years as a military spouse:

14

Tell us your job title/profession:

Systems Test Engineer

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

Full-time

How long have you been working in this career field?

7 months as a Systems Test Engineer, but 9 years as an engineer

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

Must of the time in the office

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

I get paid to build and test new products.

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

I meet one of the (company’s) Vice Presidents at a Christmas party and passed my resume onto HR. HR gave my resume to different engineering and quality groups. After 2 sets of interviews over a 3-month period of time, she found 2 groups that wanted to hire me.

It pays to be nice to HR and send thank yous to everyone you talk to.

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

Don’t give up and continue to network with everyone you can.

How do you feel about failure?

You can’t succeed without failing a few times along the way. That is how we grow in our personal and professional lives.

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

Trying to re-enter the workforce after being a stay-at-home mom and graduate student was harder than I thought. I started job hunting about 3 months before I finished graduate school. Overall it took many emails, phone calls and interviews, but I happily accepted a position 6 months later.

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

Never stop learning or turn down a challenge. You never know what will come out of it.

Worst piece of advice was probably that I could never have a successful career as an engineer while being a military spouse.

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

My grandfather always told me I could be anything I wanted to be. He encouraged me to go to college and follow my dreams.

My husband has been my rock. He supported me going back to get my master’s. He was by my side during my job hunt. He has taken on more responsibilities at home so I can work late when I need to.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks?

We both do what we have to do to keep our household running. He has really stepped up without complaining too much.

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

Your house doesn’t have to be spotless. Take time to play with your kids. It is OK to break your routine.

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

My Fitbit.

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

Google calendar, so I can keep track of all my family’s activities.

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

“America’s Sweetheart” by Elle King

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

Spend it with my family. I have been working a lot lately and have been missing out on spending quality time with my family. Getting an extra hour with them would mean the world to me.

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

I was asked this exact question at work. I would want the power to heal children. I saw at an very early age how difficult it is for a parent to lose a child. If I could stop that from happening, I would.

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 form. 

 

Filed Under: Articles, Career, MilSpouses Who Work It, Slider Tagged With: building a career, career advice, empowerment, Engineer, MilSpouses Who Work It, STEM careers, working milspouse

“You Are The Only Person Who Truly Knows Your Capacity.”

December 6, 2017 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.

Molly Hayes is an Academic Integrity and Student Conduct Officer at University of California, Irvine.

Name: Molly Hayes

Years as a military spouse:

1

Tell us your job title/profession:

Academic Integrity & Student Conduct Officer at University of California, Irvine

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

Full-time

How long have you been working in this career field?

Just over a year

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

Office

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

The amazing team I get to work with! Our department includes over 50 people, and everyday I feel lucky I get to work with them!

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

Job posting online. I had a job that was similar but further to home, and once I saw this job through a listserv I knew I should apply.

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

You are the only person who truly knows your capacity. When I was applying for jobs there was an endless stream of advice, solicited and otherwise, from friends, family, past co-workers, etc. People told me a job was too far away, while others suggested it was better than nothing.

When I was considering leaving a job I was told that I wouldn’t be able to find another position, and the gap in my resume would make me look unemployable.

When I found the perfect job and was ready to make the change, I was reminded we would be PCSing within a year, so was it really worth it?

At the end of the day, I know myself and what makes me happy and I’m glad I stuck with my search.

How do you feel about failure?

It is part of life, and a learning experience. It will affect each of us differently, and it may take some of us longer to re-cover and bounce back than others but that is OK. Rely on your people, the things that make you happy, and get back up when you are ready.

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

Figuring out how to tell a potential supervisor that this job will not be long-term.

I decided to be honest in my interview because I wanted to make sure I wasn’t taking this job under false pretenses, and in my profession having a good network will mean a ton. It worked in my favor, and now I feel more relaxed at work and I can be honest about my family situation.

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

The best: Life is too short to be miserable everyday. My mom reminded me of this when I repeatedly called her feeling awful about a long commute to a job that wasn’t satisfying.

The worst: If you try and leave a job in under a year no one else will want to hire you. I am searching not only for a job, but a vocation and purpose. If a potential employer doesn’t want to hire someone because I didn’t stick it out when I wasn’t happy, they are probably not someone I want to work with!

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

My spouse is No. 1. He is always supportive and understands how my career will be impacted because of his job, so he is always willing to listen, talk, and show support.

I call my parents a few times a week, and I rely on friends from home and graduate school to talk things out, just listen to the struggle, and empathize.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks?

We definitely split things up! He comes home earlier than I do, so he often makes us dinner and I try to clean up afterwards. He absolutely hates doing laundry, and I really don’t mind it, so that is one of my consistent responsibilities.

There is always a lot of communication between the two of us, and we tend to share and help each other with most household tasks.

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

This sounds very basic, but I stay on top of my email, and I clear my inbox of anything that doesn’t require an answer or my attention. I have no time to get stressed out over unnecessary messages!

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

My tablet. I use it mainly to watch videos, Netflix, etc., and I love it!

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

My calendar app! Every appointment, task, or meeting has its place.

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

“Can’t Stop the Feeling” by Justin Timberlake

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

Probably use the extra hour for some “me-time.” Paint my nails, take a bath, read a book, and relax!

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

Currently, I wish I could fly! The Southern California traffic is no joke!

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 form. 

 

Filed Under: Articles, Career, MilSpouses Who Work It, Slider Tagged With: building a career, career advice, career decisions, military spouse, MilSpouses Who Work It, working milspouse

“The Best Part Is When I Can Help Military Spouses Continue Their Education.”

November 29, 2017 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.

Military spouse Paig Horton is an admission representative at Martinsburg College.

Name: Paig Horton

Years as a military spouse:

2

Tell us your job title/profession:

Admission Representative at Martinsburg College

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

Full-time

How long have you been working in this career field?

4 years in various higher education positions

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

I telecommute from home but spend a lot of time at local coffee shops (which is awesome!) meeting with local military spouses

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

I love connecting with other spouses at our current duty station through social media and in-person. The best part is when I can help them continue their education. As a first generation college student myself, I know education is important!

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

I was an attendee at a college event close to base where I met an Admissions Representative from another area. We chatted about my prior work experience and I learned there was currently an opening in my area! She put me in contact with the hiring manager who asked for my resume by 3 p.m. the same day. She’s now my best friend. You never know who you’ll meet!

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

Always keep an updated resume and cover letter that takes you less than an hour to tailor to any job opportunity! You never know when you’ll meet someone who knows of or has an opening.

How do you feel about failure?

It’s essential to growth. If we didn’t fail, we would want to stay exactly where we are and who wants that?

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

The best career advice I received was from a past co-worker who wisely said,

“You don’t have to enjoy every aspect of your job.”

Every job will have aspects you don’t enjoy but make sure you take note of what you do like. You might discover a new passion and learn something new. Keep an open mind.

The worst career advice was “to apply for every position you can find while looking for a job.” This not only wasted my time on jobs that I wasn’t a good fit for but also wasted the time of the person who I interviewed with.

I stretched myself too thin which caused me to fail following up with the jobs I really did want. I recommend that military spouse apply for jobs you can see yourself growing in.

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

Number 1 is my husband who happily comes out to my work events and never once complained when we had one car and would have to wait for me to get off work to pick him up when we first got married. He constantly supports the decisions I make regarding my career and I do the same for him.

Outside of our home, our down-the-street neighbor makes sure our dog is taken care of on days when we both work long hours and I have a few close friends who I can call at a moment’s notice for help. They make military life less chaotic which is the best support!

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

Absolutely! We both have full-time, demanding careers so we both choose to pitch in but I’ve also learned to accept that everything might not get done one week. Things like the first one home starts dinner and splitting most chores – he does the dishes and I do the laundry – keep us sane.

Once we have children though, I vote we hire a part-time housekeeper!

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

I am NOT a morning person so instead of running around crazy after waking up, I have a nightly routine. I put together my outfit, grind my coffee beans for my French press, pack my work bag (if needed), jot down a few priority items for the next day, and make sure my computer is charged.

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

Quickmemo! It’s easy for me to forget an idea while running around every day so I just jot an idea down, then brain dump it which makes it easy to add more!

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

River – Bishop Briggs

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

Relax which means drinking a cup of coffee while enjoying the sun on my patio with my dog at my feet. Too often military spouses take care of everything and everyone around them first, leaving little time for their selves. We deserve self-care too!

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

To teleport! Living in Southern California, the traffic can double my time on the road and plane tickets home to the Pacific Northwest can be expensive. If I was able to teleport, I could save so much time wasted in the car or on a plane.

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 form. 

Filed Under: Articles, Career, MilSpouses Who Work It, Slider Tagged With: building a career, career, career advice, MilSpouses Who Work It, resume, tips and tricks, working in higher ed, working milspouse

“Don’t Give Excuses Or Accept Excuses”

November 15, 2017 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.

Rachel Wettekin, registered nurse, tells military spouses to "keep at it even if you're frustrated."

Name: Rachel Wettekin

Years as a military spouse:

7

Tell us your job title/profession:

Registered nurse

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

Full 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?

I work in a hospital.

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

Helping others!

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

A resume and very diligent interviews

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

Keep at it even if you’re frustrated

How do you feel about failure?

A stepping stone for better things

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

Scheduling especially on watch days

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

The best is don’t give excuses or accept excuses

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

friends and coworkers

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

We enlist our 12 year old and 2 year old to help but every day we do dishes and laundry and sweep the floors

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

My laptop because I’m also going back to school for my master’s

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

My calendar

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Currently it’s anything from “The Trolls” movie soundtrack

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

Sleep, but I probably would end up spending it with my kids

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

Making time slow down

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 form. 

Filed Under: Articles, Career, MilSpouses Who Work It, Slider Tagged With: career advice, career decisions, empowerment, married to the military, milspouse entrepreneur, MilSpouses Who Work It, nurse, working milspouse

“We Just Decide What Needs To Be Done And Divide And Conquer.”

November 8, 2017 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer 1 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: Candace Jensen

Tell us your job title/profession:

Administrative Assistant in the Information Technology Department at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, El Paso.

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

Full-time

How long have you been working in this career field?

11 years

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

Office

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

The hours are predictable and weekends are free so you have plenty of family time. Not to mention paid time off and holidays.

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

I served as an Admin Assistant in the US Army for 10 years.

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

Don’t think that just because you’re a military spouse, that you’re automatically entitled to or qualified for anything.

How do you feel about failure?

Failure isn’t an option. You either find a way or make one yourself.

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

You just have to remember that you’re at the mercy of your spouse’s career. Yours is important, too, but it still comes secondary to the government.

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

My spouse and my sister. They believe in me, whatever I want to do.

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

We do. There isn’t a set task list. We just decide what needs to be done and divide and conquer.

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

Just don’t put everything off until last minute. Even if it’s one tiny thing, it will save you time in the long run if you keep up with it.

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

Probably my Kindle. When I need to just relax, I read.

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

Snapchat. My husband and I are such dorks with our snaps.

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Panic at the Disco – Miss Jackson (feat. LOLO)

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

Probably sleep. Or get an extra hour of Netflix in.

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

Healing all those who are in pain

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 form. 

Filed Under: Articles, Career, MilSpouses Who Work It, Slider Tagged With: building a career, career decisions, milspouse & veteran, milspouse who works it, MilSpouses Who Work It, working milspouse

“Being A Doula Means I Can Take My Career With Me Anywhere.”

November 1, 2017 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 every Wednesday.

Megan Harless tells military spouses "Make sure (you look for) a job you are passionate about and love, because then it's not really work!"

Name: Megan Harless

Years as a military spouse:

12

Tell us your job title/profession:

Lead Doula at Stars & Stripes Doulas of Hampton Roads

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

Full time – independent contractor

How long have you been working in this career field?

1.5 years

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

Anywhere someone gives birth and their homes

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

I love supporting families during one of the most precious times of their lives!

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

Becoming the Lead Doula requires an interview, but I also had sent in my resume and letter of intent. Having experience being a doula and doing office manager tasks also helped.

I love supporting families during one of the most precious times of their lives -Megan Harless,…

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

Make sure it is a job you are passionate about and love, because then it’s not really work!

Megan Harless tells military spouses "Make sure (you look for) a job you are passionate about and love, because then it's not really work!"

How do you feel about failure?

Failure is my first attempt in learning. I can either learn from failing or learn nothing. I choose to learn so I can become a better person.

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

Starting over at a new location. Fortunately with Stars and Stripes Doulas, they currently have 4 chapters open and are looking to expand again. Being a doula with them means I can take my career with me anywhere.

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

Best advice – it’s OK to walk away from a job that you are not happy with no matter how good the pay and benefits are. If you are not happy there, it takes a toll on you – physically, emotionally, everything.

Walk away if you are not happy.

Walk away if you are not happy. – Advice from career-minded #milspouse #Army

Click To Tweet

Worst advice – you need to go into debt to start a business and be successful.

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

My husband is my No. 1 supporter in any crazy idea I come up. I always have him next to me cheering me on.

My friend, January, who started this doula journey with me and has always encouraged me to keep going.

I have some good friends who have stepped in to help with my children when I’ve been on call for a birth. Having them around has really put that stress behind me, knowing my kids will be well taken care of.

My doula team for sure. We are always cheering each other on and pushing each other to be better!

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

We split as much as we can. We love working as a team. But we know the Army can give him long work days and take his weekends. At the same time I could be at a really long birth too.

We split when we can, have our kids help when they can and cover for each other when needed.

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

Prep on Sunday.

I get all the kids’ school lunches put together – sandwiches for 3 kids for 4 days made and in the fridge. I put together the snacks, lunch for the husband and me too, plus I have the kids pick out their clothes for the next day and lay them out.

I will usually take Sunday afternoon as dinner prep time for the week too.

Having those things prepped and together usually makes our mornings and dinnertime so much easier and smoother.

Megan Harless tells military spouses "Make sure (you look for) a job you are passionate about and love, because then it's not really work!"

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

My iPad. Easy to take in my purse and I can get so much work done on it!

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

The calendar app. I can put all appointments in there and sync it with my husband’s so we always know what is going on with everyone.

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Tough to pick just one. I’d say “Sexy Back” by JT.

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

Nap. Or work on painting something or refinishing a piece of furniture

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

My superpower would be to bring joy to everyone. There’s so much hate and negativity these days that I think everyone could use a little extra joy in their lives.

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 form. 

Filed Under: Articles, Career, MilSpouses Who Work It, Slider Tagged With: Army spouse, career advice, independent contractor, MilSpouses Who Work It, portable careers

“Be Open About Moving Forward And Don’t Spend A Ton Of Time Looking Back.”

October 18, 2017 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.

Delanie Schulze is the director of revenue management for Wyndham Vacation Rentals. She works from home and at a co-working office.

Name: Delanie Schulze

Years as a military spouse:

8 years

Tell us your job title/profession:

I am a Director of Revenue Management for Wyndham Vacation Rentals. I help manage rates and inventory for vacation homes and condos across Florida, Alabama, South Carolina, Tennessee and California.

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

Full-time

How long have you been working in this career field?

6 years

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

I telecommute from the home or a co-working office with other military spouses

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

I love using data and Excel programs to identify trends that are occurring in our business. Once those trends are identified, my team and I will make recommendations such as rate changes or marketing promotions to try and change the trend. It’s exciting to see how those changes can positively affect the revenue for the company.

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

Prior to meeting my husband, I was an assistant buyer for a larger retailer in Texas. I loved my job and honestly had no plans of changing careers anytime soon. Then one fall afternoon, at a wedding, I met my husband and let’s just say, my plans changed.

We dated and then were engaged for about 2 years. A few months before the wedding I knew the inevitable was coming, I would be moving from Texas to Florida and would be leaving my job, so I started applying for positions in Florida. My family and I had been vacationing in this particular part of Florida where my fiance was stationed, for years, so I was very familiar with the area and local businesses.

The problem, there were no corporate retail chains in the area so I was worried that my retail-buying skills would not be relatable in that market.

Luckily, I applied for a marketing position with Wyndham Vacation Rentals. The HR lady recognized some of my skills that she thought would be a good fit for a revenue management position at Wyndham. She called me up and asked if it would be something I would be interested in.

At the time I had never heard of revenue management but it turns out that the skills I had acquired in the buying offices were a perfect fit.

I am so grateful that she was able to review my resume and see that I had skills related to a position she had open. I went through 3 rounds of interviews and ended up getting the position.

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

My advice would be to be open about moving forward and don’t spend a ton of time looking back.

I was devastated about leaving my job in Texas and really thought I was not going to find anything I enjoyed as much.

It turns out though, I found something I enjoy more and a company that works with me and my lifestyle better than my previous career would have.

In the military, change is inevitable, but if you can focus on the future and not what was, I think you will find that life can be great and this goes for your career as well.

How do you feel about failure?

Failure is hard.

I have had a lot of success in terms of my career, but I do feel at times I have failed at fully immersing myself in friendships and communities that we have been stationed at.

I try to overcome some of that by getting involved with community service and spouse groups but always feel like I could be doing better.

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

It’s extremely hard finding friends in the military community that are living the same lifestyle as me in terms of career goals. There are quite a bit of activities that happen during the working hours that I am just unable to attend which makes me feel a little disconnected with the community and spouses group.

Luckily, I have been able to find other spouses who are in the same boat as me and we have been able to build some strong bonds.

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

The best piece of career advice I ever received was from a fellow full-time working mom. As a working mom, there is a ton of mom guilt that comes along with dropping your child off at daycare and this is something I have personally struggled with over the years.

One of my colleagues told me once, “You have to make time for yourself, to be the best parent for your child” and I believe this to be so true.

That time for myself is working. For others it may be working out, social clubs, spa days, etc. but for me, I truly have a passion for using my skills and working in a professional environment.

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

My spouse is definitely my No. 1 supporter when it comes to my career. He has always understood how important a career is for me and always encourages me to continue chasing that dream. We have a 3-year-old son and juggling traveling while my spouse is trying to excel in his Air Force career can be hard at times. But I am so grateful that together, we make it work.

I would also say my mom and dad support my career as well and help out a ton when my spouse is deployed. Although my company is very understanding of my situation, especially when my spouse is out of the country, I am still required to travel once or twice a quarter, which is where my parents step up and help out with my son.

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

We definitely split household tasks. I wouldn’t say that we have specific tasks that we each do, although my husband definitely likes doing the dishes and I gladly allow that. We kind of both just work together to get the house cleaned, the kiddo ready for school and the dog fed.

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

My sanity during the week comes from taking 30 minutes to do a home-based work out program each day. It keeps me feeling good about myself without taking up too much of my time.

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

My wireless mouse

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

Apple Music

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Maren Morris – 80’s Mercedes

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

If I had an extra hour in my day, I would go antique shopping. I love finding that next great piece that will make our house a home, wherever we are stationed.

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

My super power would be to have the ability to be in 2 places at once. Conference call at the same time as mommy and me play date, no worries…I got this!

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 form. 

Filed Under: Articles, Career, Career Advice, MilSpouses Who Work It, Slider Tagged With: career advice, co-working, empowerment, MilSpouses Who Work It, networking, portable careers, working military spouses

“I Love Being Able To Shed Light On The K-12 Education Process For Military Families.”

October 11, 2017 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer 1 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.

Meg Flanagan created a blog dedicated to helping military families and teachers of military kids navigate the K-12 education journey.

Name: Meg Flanagan

Years as a military spouse:

8

Tell us your job title/profession:

Teacher, Freelance Writer, Blogger

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

It depends on the duty station and the opportunities

How long have you been working in this career field?

8 years

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

A little bit of everything!

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

I love being able to shed light on the K-12 education process for military families.

Too often members of our community don’t know about free or low cost resources that can help them, like federal laws or tutoring programs.

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

I created it out of a need I saw in the community.

I started as a tutor/homeschool teacher in California in 2010. I noticed that many of my military clients simply didn’t understand the special education system in particular and the K-12 education system in general.

When I moved to Virginia in 2012, I started a job as a full-time classroom teacher in a district with a mobile population. I saw the same issues there.

In 2015, after a move to California, I decided to act on what I had been seeing and start MilKids Ed, a blog dedicated to helping military families (and teachers of MilKids) navigate the K-12 education journey.

From there, I have picked up freelance writing work across several media outlets and contribute to a military child-focused charity as a writer.

It’s not super profitable unless I’m teaching full-time too. But it is a passion project!

Are you looking to connect with career-minded military spouses? Join one of In Gear Career’s 40 local chapters around the world. In Gear Career is a part of Hiring Our Heroes and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

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

For me, it was all about making that first connection. Once my foot was in the door at one freelancing job, it ended up leading to another and another.

Once you are in, stay connected and reach out to others. You never know when someone might be on the hunt for a person exactly like you!

How do you feel about failure?

I fail every single day. MilKids definitely doesn’t have the reach or clout I would like it to have at this point, but that’s OK. I’m still learning and growing as a person and as a writer.

My teaching career is on the backburner to help accommodate the military’s schedule and provide stability for our kids. It’s OK too! I’m still in the field, even if it’s in a different role.

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

The flexibility and fluidity of jobs and careers have been the biggest adjustment.

I came into this having grown up with the mindset of “30 years teaching in a district, then retire.” So far, I think the longest I have ever taught in one school was 2 contract years. And half of one year was spent on maternity leave!

Not every duty station is going to work out for me career-wise the way I want it to. When we got to our current duty station, I had big dreams of getting back into the classroom full-time.

Instead, we’re having a second child and I’m focusing more on freelancing for a few years. In a way, being a military spouse has given me the opportunity to explore more and different ways of being employed and an asset to the community beyond the classroom.

If we didn’t live this life, I could be tied to that classroom job, and might not have started blogging and writing.

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

Best: “Just see what happens.”

My mom has been drilling this into me lately as she sees me taking on too much (2 kids, full-time job, blogger, freelancer, etc.). She’s all about taking a step back and evaluating what is important right now in life.

Worst: “I made it work, so why can’t you?”

This or versions of this has been commented to me in several social media groups after I tried to advocate for easier/smoother license transitions for military spouses.

What works for one of us doesn’t work for all of us.

Just because one person’s particular journey in a career field has been smooth, doesn’t mean that everyone’s journey will be. It’s so important to stop judging each other and start helping.

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

My husband, Eric, supports me constantly. He has never pressured me to “get a job” and knows that making our family work is the most important thing right now.

My mom and dad, Chris and Tom, have always been there for me with sage advice and a reality check on my personal limits.

My large group of friends gives me advice, feedback and tips to help further my journey. It also helps that several of my friends are also in the writing and teaching fields!

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks?

It depends on the duty station, honestly!

If I am home more, then I shoulder more of the burden.

If I am working more or have more on my plate, we have hired someone to help. In the cost-benefit analysis, paying for help has both saved our sanity and given our family more flexibility to enjoy where we live!

Generally, I am the cook. Mostly because I love cooking and have severe food allergies. Plus, our family cannot live on PB&J sandwiches or pasta alone!

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

Whiteboards.

I have whiteboards, the peel and stick kind, all around my house. We have a meal planner and a grocery/to-buy list side-by-side on the fridge. There is a calendar one on the wall over the desk.

As I transition from full-time work to SAHM/freelance hustling, there will be another whiteboard with all of my writing to-do items. If it’s not on the whiteboard, it doesn’t get bought or it doesn’t happen.

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

MacBook Air. So much functionality and creation capabilities!

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

CNN so I know what is happening in the world right now.

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

“Heart of Gold” by Neil Young

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

RUN! I’m a dedicated runner, and any extra time is spent on the road.

Running literally saved my sanity in 2014 during a bout with postpartum depression and I can’t imagine my life without it.

Just ask my husband what happens when I can’t get a solid run in for a few days. It is really not pretty!

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

I would be able to clone myself and designate chores or tasks to said clones. That way I would never have to fold and put away laundry ever again!

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 form. 

Filed Under: Articles, Career, MilSpouses Who Work It, Slider Tagged With: building a career, career advice, career decisions, Freelance Writers, Marine Corps spouse, milspouse entrepreneur, MilSpouses Who Work It, parenting, portable careers, teacher

“As I Grow As A Business Owner I’m On A Mission To Fail Because That Means I Tried Hard And Stepped Out Of My Comfort Zone.”

October 4, 2017 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: Melissa Schreur

Years as a military spouse:

4

Tell us your job title/profession:

An independent life insurance agent and Certified Insurance Counselor

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

Full time, entrepreneurial, commission only, business owner

How long have you been working in this career field?

13-14 years

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

Mostly telecommute but I have just opened a local agency with an office location

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

Helping people protect their families from financial catastrophe and sorting through their life insurance plan options

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

Tons of trial and error through agency positions. My career started out of high school as a receptionist. Quickly I promoted to data entry, customer service and then sales as a licensed agent.

A career in insurance is very tough! Most people think you’re loaded or can’t be trusted like a used car salesman. I’ve continually fought for a position that provided true advancement and opportunity. I never stayed in a stagnant role where I wasn’t learning and able to grow my income. In many ways this cost me but in the long run it has made me the entrepreneur I am today.

There is no way I would have the insight and skills I do today if it wasn’t for me pushing through all the politics and boring, underpaid positions.

When I became a military spouse I feared losing my hard-earned career skills. Thankfully, I found a work-at-home position with Gerber Life Insurance Company after my first PCS.

One year later I was on PCS #2. Thankfully I found an immediate position at a local insurance office. However, I was overqualified for the positions and there were no sales positions available.

As a natural born sales person and opportunist I took a plunge to go commission only as a national, independent life insurance agent working online and over the phone. I only sell term life insurance as I believe it’s the best value.

I have been on an uphill battle learning all the skills necessary to launch a website and national brand. I got sidetracked working under a different agency on a 1099 position. I put my business goals on the back burner.

There was a bit of drama as I left the agency to pursue my own business. It has taught me how vulnerable we are as military spouses looking for employment. Sometimes we get so caught up in a frenzy to get to work and make an income that we lose sight of what is actually the BEST employment option to suit our skill level and dreams.

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

My recommendation to all military spouses is to stay grounded and be true to what is best for you and your family. An opportunity that demands too much time away from family without serving a specific purpose like paying what you’re worth, developing your career skills or paying for a certain need or want is counterproductive.

I’ve learned that we need to be there for our service members as much as possible and create margin for the things that matter.

My personal opinion is that self employment is the best means to do this; however, it’s not for everyone and takes a LOT of effort in the start-up phase.

There are many side hustles as well as telecommute, flexible jobs out there for the people willing to find them.

Ultimately – guard your time and family with extreme attention and don’t get sucked into anyone else’s agenda. We can’t afford that as military families.

How do you feel about failure?

I LOVE failure! Answering this question makes me excited. It’s something I think about often.

I’ve made a lot of personal and professional failures but I have grown so much because of them. My failures give me depth that I cherish very much. In my faith failure isn’t the end. We ALL fail every day. Nobody is perfect!

It’s the people who refuse to acknowledge their failures internally and publicly that I pity. Being able to share your failures with your spouse, children, co-workers, employees, etc…is what inspires true change and motivation.

I’ve had several bosses that wouldn’t stop hammering down their expectations on staff and never shared their shortcomings in company projects. It takes the entire team to make progress. People are more willing to follow leaders who are honest about their failures.

Failure has become something I now look forward to. I used to deeply fear it and wonder if I’d ever amount to anything because I’d failed so many times.

As I grow as a business owner I’m on a mission to fail because that means I tried hard and stepped out of my comfort zone.

If there was a sure fire method to succeed without failing everyone would be doing it. So I look at it like because I am willing to fail I am onto something great!

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

Oh boy! The biggest would be that I was at the peak of transitioning into life insurance commission only just as my husband was coming back from TDY. This was a very tough season for us.

Transitioning into this stage of my career was crucial. I didn’t have much room for error. I guess it was a make-or-break season for me to figure out if there was really an opportunity.

My husband and I had never lived together every day and night since knowing each other. When we met and got married he was deployed frequently. Then he went to school in a different state. You know how that goes!

We had several fights and I thought I was going to lose it! I was mad because the pressure was on for me to be more available as a wife and I just wasn’t. I was in career mode doing the best I could. I resented my husband for being at the time what I thought was “demanding” because we as military spouses often end up sacrificing our careers for theirs. It was just terrible timing for mine to start shifting the way it was.

Ultimately, we came through the experience closer together. I appreciate my husband fighting for our time together. It’s always a fine line when you are trying to balance work and home life.

I’ve learned that opportunities come and go but family is forever.

To make this season uber challenging we got our first puppy! It was like 3 really hard things at once.

Are you looking to connect with career-minded military spouses? Join one of In Gear Career’s 40 local chapters around the world. In Gear Career is a part of Hiring Our Heroes and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

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

The best would be from my father-in-law. In recent conversations he recommended paying close attention to the gut feelings you have about people as you do business with them and their character flaws.

I’ve always been able to pick up on these things but never allowed them to rule my decisions. I guess I was giving people a chance. It has backfired on me several times. I am now using these tiny signs as big red flags that will influence my decisions on how much or how long I will work with someone.

The worst I will say is to get a job! I feel this is a dead model for up and coming generations. While there are many fields we need to have traditional roles for the economy to survive I feel that there are SO many opportunities for entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurship has a lot of benefits for you as a person and your family over traditional jobs.

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

My support squad is definitely my family, friends and local chapel members. While they may never grasp the intricacies of the insurance industry they are my biggest cheerleaders and know I have what it takes to succeed.

Furthermore, I am a part of a few online communities for insurance agents, entrepreneurship both as military spouses and civilians. These people are who I consider high level, thought leaders. I don’t think I could function very well without them in my life.

Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks?

Uh yes! Let’s go back to that biggest challenge question above shall we? My husband, bless his heart, has struggled with this. He was raised in an environment where household tasks or inside chores like cleaning and cooking were not split. There is nothing wrong with either arrangement! It just doesn’t work for every family.

My husband didn’t set out with the intention for me to be responsible for all the household tasks but struggled. I didn’t have a stable family life growing up. For the most part I have been on my own since I was 18 balancing a full time job and my own household tasks. We just had different habits!

As much as I wanted to be able to do more things for him like prep meals for his duty shifts I simply can’t juggle it all effectively. Every time attempt I make, there’s one area that gets left behind. We’ve worked out our routines and are in agreement that it’s more valuable for me to keep focused on my business at this stage.

My industry is one that requires an immense amount of focus and effort to stay afloat. I don’t get to clock in and out and focus on something else.

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

Going to church! Getting involved in things that I enjoy where possible. I don’t have many friends but the ones that I do have here locally are very important to me. The relationships we have are refreshing and rejuvenating! We support each other through the good and bad times of military life.

I feel like when you take a little time disconnecting you are more focused and productive during your work week, weekend or whatever!

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

Audio books!

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Google Calendar

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

Workout!

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

Graphic design! This has been a real hurdle for me as I put together my website and branding. Most people just say outsource or hire someone. For me I just never felt comfortable handing it over to another person. I’ve found a way to bootstrap it all together but sure wish I did it sooner. The process took forever!

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 form. 

 

Filed Under: Articles, Career, MilSpouses Who Work It, Slider Tagged With: career advice, milspouse entrepreneur, milspouse who works it, small business owner, working military spouse

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