building a career Archives - Page 6 of 6

Military Spouses Who Work It: Suzy Leanos, Communications Coordinator

November 9, 2016 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: Give us your lawyers, your accountants, your massage therapists. Give use your teachers, your engineers, your real estate agents.

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: Suzy Leanos

Years as a military spouse: 14

Tell us your job title/profession:

Communications Coordinator for a community services organization

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

Full-Time

How long have you been working in this career field?

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

Office

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

Good old fashion job hunting. We had a PCS move and for 6 months I submitted my resume online to over 50 companies and had 5 interviews, until one was the right fit. Patience paid off.

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

My biggest challenge is trying to balance military life with civilian life. One example is medical appointments. The hard part is trying to schedule and plan medical appointments that are on the military base. We live 20 miles from the base. I have to take the day off work and make sure I get both kids in to see the doctor. We have to make the trip in to the military base worth it and shop at the military exchange or visit dad at his shop.

Tell us one thing you love about your job:

I love that I work 1 mile from my house. I also love that the community I work for is developing and growing every day. There is always a fun and new project around the corner.

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

One life-hack that makes my morning start on the right foot is that I get the kids ready and out the door first. Once the kids are at school I come back home and get ready for work alone. When I would try to get kids and myself ready it was always an obstacle to try to get out the door and not forget anything.

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

Yes. He takes care of all the outside tasks, trash, heavy stuff, and the most important…the math homework.

Are you looking to connect with career-minded military spouses? Join one of In Gear Career’s 20+ local chapters around the world. In Gear Career is a part of Hiring Our Heroes and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

If you have children, how do you and your spouse or partner split parenting responsibilities?

It is very hard to split the parenting responsibilities with his military schedule. He can’t drop them off at school because he leaves in the early morning and he can’t pick them up because he never gets out of work at the same time. He gets to do all the fun stuff and is responsible for the homework and bedtime routine. I do all the rest.

Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without:

I can’t live without my iPhone. It keeps me organized.

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

Instagram. It gives me mental break from the everyday. I get to connect with people and look at amazing pictures.

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Anything by Kanye West, if I have to get something done on a deadline and on a regular day, I listen to Morrissey.

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

Don’t fall in love with a job posting. If they don’t call you after an interview it’s not the end of the world, just keep looking. Don’t give up, the right job is out there for you.

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.

Military Spouses Who Work It: Liz George, Senior Qualitative Research Specialist

October 26, 2016 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: Give us your lawyers, your accountants, your massage therapists. Give use your teachers, your engineers, your real estate agents.

Name: Liz George

Years as a military spouse: 7.5

Tell us your job title/profession:

Senior Qualitative Research Specialist at Market Strategies International

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

Full time

How long have you been working in this career field?

Total of 5 years

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

Our HQ is based in Livonia, MI. When we are stationed nearby (which we have been twice now), I work in our office. However, my work entails a lot of travel, so when we PCS’d for a year so my husband could attend a school, they offered me the flexibility to work remote!

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

Networking! As we prepared to move from Germany back to the United States, I got in touch with former mentors to see who might have contacts in Michigan. One of my mentors was putting me in touch with different advertising agencies, and then recalled that I had some research experience. His company at the time actually was a client of Market Strategies, so he gave me the contact information of a colleague there. As it turned out, that colleague was on leave when I reached out, but I applied anyway, interviewed 3 days after arriving stateside, and received an offer!

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

It’s hard to achieve the same earning potential of some of my peers. When I finished graduate school, I had the dream job offer – and naturally, we received the dream PCS orders at the same time. It was hard to walk away from the opportunity, and positions where we were stationed were limited. I was fortunate to find work and have volunteer activities I was passionate about, but it was hard feeling like I wasn’t reaching my full professional potential, and worrisome to wonder whether I would ever be able to “catch up” to where I had been.

Tell us one thing you love about your job:

There are so many things I love about my current work, but so much of it boils down to the nature of the work. Most of the research I do is in the health care arena, which is fascinating me, and I primarily do custom qualitative research.

Everything is done a project basis, so I am constantly learning, working with new clients or a new field, and putting together a different puzzle. I’ve always loved problem solving, and I feel like that is what my work allows me to do everyday – take my clients’ problems or questions, and gather the information and insight to help them create informed solutions.

It’s quite dynamic – one month, I might fly around the world doing international research, the next I might be conducting interviews or focus groups from my home office via webcam. The variety and challenge keeps it fresh every day.

Are you looking to connect with career-minded military spouses? Join one of In Gear Career’s 20+ local chapters around the world. In Gear Career is a part of Hiring Our Heroes and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

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

Creating calendar appointments to do specific tasks has been huge – both at home and work.

In my organization, we keep our calendar availability public to one another, so if time is open, anyone can plug a meeting in. If I have a specific project that needs dedicated attention, I put it on my calendar as an appointment. It protects the time, and also gives me a push and accountability to devote that hour to it.

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

Honestly, a lot doesn’t get done some weeks, and learning to accept that has been hard – but with two of us working and traveling, and an infant and three legged dog – “it is what it is!”

We split a lot of our household tasks, like dishes and clean-up, and some things fall out naturally. I tend to handle laundry and he takes on outdoor tasks. And while I’m not proud of it, I am grateful that both of us working allows us to afford help (like a deep house cleaning or seasonal yard work) when we need it.

We decided that there are situations where our time or sanity is worth the investment to get help.

If you have children, how do you and your spouse or partner split parenting responsibilities?

We’ve had some very real conversations about the value each of our jobs brings to our family, and that has been a solid foundation for our ability to negotiate parenting.

We try very hard each week to let each other know what our big work priorities and potential conflicts are, so that we can work out who can get home on time to relieve our child care which days.

It’s hard, because there are times it feels like the decision is about “Whose work is more important?” – and that can be a difficult tie to break. Instead, we try to approach it from “Which of us can flex more this week?” – and take it one conflict at a time, without keeping score.

We both respect and appreciate what each others’ careers contribute – both short and long term – and try hard to keep that as part of our conversations.

For example, I really need to be in Maryland on Thursday for this client, because there is the potential that it will build significant business.

But since my husband has to be in Arizona Wednesday-Thursday for critical meetings, I arrange to fly out early Thursday, he flies in Thursday night, and we arrange our child care to go long that day. We both cut our travel quick and have some long days, but we are both able to be where we need to.

Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without:

My iPhone. It has my work calendar/email and our family calendar/email integrated, which makes it easy to reference for conflicts

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

TinyBeans. This is more of a morale booster, but it’s a great app that lets us and our child care provider share photos of our daughter. Throughout the day or when on the road, it is awesome to be able to open it and see what she is up to. (And our families love it too!)

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Lindsey Sterling channel on Pandora

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

Keeping perspective is huge. I’ve certainly wasted time in jobs or activities because I felt the compulsion to do ANYTHING, rather than waiting to find the RIGHT thing.

For me, I am consistently evaluating where I am and where it will take me. Sometimes that position that I felt under-employed in doing actually did help me to build connections or skills that proved beneficial later.

And some positions may be frustrating at times, but the benefits or flexibility allow me to prioritize my family for that season. Looking at every opportunity from a cost-benefit analysis and actively involving my husband in those evaluations has really helped me make decisions that I felt confident in.

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.

Military Spouses Who Work It: Terry Babcock-Lumish, Founder, Islay Consulting

October 19, 2016 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: Give us your lawyers, your accountants, your massage therapists. Give use your teachers, your engineers, your real estate agents.

Name: Terry Babcock-Lumish

Years as a military spouse: 13

Tell us your job title/profession:

Founder, Islay Consulting LLC

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

Full-Time

How long have you been working in this career field?

20 years in the field, 11 years running the firm

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

A bit of both – akin to military life, work life requires a “semper gumby” attitude.

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

Fortunately for today’s military spouses, we are seeing diverse concepts of the “modern workplace,” with technology enabling increasingly portable careers.

For those whose fields don’t lend themselves to geographic flexibility, however, why not make your own magic? It may not be easy, but bright people can create opportunities to build that career while their favorite service members do likewise.

Are you looking to connect with career-minded military spouses? Join one of In Gear Career’s 20+ local chapters around the world. In Gear Career is a part of Hiring Our Heroes and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

Recognizing the challenges involved in frequent moves – and the sheer fact that there is little demand for a former White House economist most places the Army was likely to launch us – I founded Islay in 2005.

At that time, I never anticipated the opportunities I’d have to pay it forward: to this day, one of my best hires was a fellow military spouse at Fort Huachuca.

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

Living with uncertainty

Tell us one thing you love about your job:

On a daily basis, I am grateful that leaders trust me to help them make tough decisions involving education, health, poverty, climate change, etc. While none of these are issues society’s solving overnight, you know squarely why you get out of bed in the morning when you’re collaborating with great people to move the needle on some of our thorniest challenges.

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

After regularly letting workouts slip while prioritizing time for clients, colleagues, and students, I began scheduling a spin class or yoga as if they were meetings with myself. When we reschedule on ourselves, that’s a statement we make about the importance of our own physical and mental well-being.

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

We split almost everything. We both love cooking and so catch up on our days while prepping dinner.

We did discover early in our relationship, however, that a West Point grad has comparative advantage in tasks such as ironing and shining shoes, whereas I find ticking things off a Target to-do list remarkably satisfying.

Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without:

My Fitbit

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

Podcasts: NPR, Freakonomics, Radiolab, Serial, The Mash-Up Americans, Surprisingly Awesome, and then some

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Depends on how we define productivity. For starting the day on the right foot, you can’t miss with U2’s “Beautiful Day.” For work, Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons.” If you saw my running playlist, you’d think it belonged to a 14-year-old girl – and I’m okay with that.

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

Particularly for junior professionals just starting out, invite people to coffee to learn about their paths, experiences, and insights. Flex with others’ busy schedules, be professional, and be prompt!

Do your homework, send across a resume in advance, and come prepared with thoughtful questions.

Following your visit, never underestimate a thoughtful, handwritten thank-you note.

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.

Military Spouses Who Work It: Jennifer Roett, Human Resources Business Partner

October 12, 2016 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: Give us your lawyers, your accountants, your massage therapists. Give use your teachers, your engineers, your real estate agents.

Name: Jennifer Roett

Years as a military spouse: 3

Tell us your job title/profession:

Human resources business partner for General Electric Aviation

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

Full time

How long have you been working in this career field?

5.5 years

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

All of the above!

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

When my then boyfriend, now husband, commissioned, I decided to stay in college for another year and get a masters. I was hired directly off campus on to the HR leadership program for GE. I moved 3 times in 2 years while my husband went to IOBC, Ranger school and his first 12-month deployment.

After the deployment, GE let me partially work remote from Savannah and continue my job supporting a software start-up. When we received our next set of order to Fort Campbell, I was reassigned to a facility outside of post where I’ve worked for about 2 years.

Now we are looking toward our next move and GE has agreed to accommodate the location with a flexible role.

I’ve been very lucky with supportive managers, a flexible company and timing; but hard work and sacrifice played a large role as well.

I certainly didn’t want to spend the first 2 years in a long-distance relationship, but it has paid dividends for my long term career!

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

Besides the obvious of finding roles every 2 years…The “feast or famine” cycle during redeployment and pre-deployment. We’ve all been there, your husband had been gone for 12 months and when he returns you want to spend every second together…But you can’t, because work still has demands!

It is an extra challenge to the redeployment process. I’m blessed with a very understanding husband who understands my passion around my career!

But setting expectations at home and work has been key to getting through the process.

Tell us one thing you love about your job.

I LOVE MY JOB! But I’m going to give 2 reasons because I can’t pick 1!

GE aviation has a purpose statement: “we invent the future of flight, lift people up, and bring them home safely” at the facility where I work we make parts for military aircraft, so when I go into work every day I know what I’m doing is playing a part in getting my husband and our troops home safely.

2. GE is about constantly improving and pushing yourself at a very fast pace. So there is always something keeping me busy or someone pushing me to be better!

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

Coffee! Meal prepping and a shared Gmail calendar with my husband! If it isn’t on the calendar it probably won’t happen!

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

We split the tasks down the middle! We are very much Team Roett. We each have things we prefer (I do laundry, he runs the vacuum), but when one of us is having a busy or stressful week, we flex to help each other.

Are you looking to connect with career-minded military spouses? Join one of In Gear Career’s 20+ local chapters around the world. In Gear Career is a part of Hiring Our Heroes and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

If you have children, how do you and your spouse or partner split parenting responsibilities?

Not traditional children, we are doting parents of a 130-lb dog named Tug.

No children yet – I have a lot of respect for working moms and military moms. Military working moms takes it to an entirely different level.

Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without:

iPhone and everything on it!

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

Fitbit – track all my wellness (calories, steps and activity) with a little competition!

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Shake it off!!

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

Don’t let the hunt overwhelm you! Keep LinkedIn up-to-date and attend military veterans/spouse career fairs. Most corporations have commitments to hire military veterans or spouses. Bring energy and a can-do attitude and most hiring managers will take a swing!

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.

Military Spouses Who Work It: Heather Kline, Talent Acquisition Manager

September 21, 2016 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: Give us your lawyers, your accountants, your massage therapists. Give use your teachers, your engineers, your real estate agents.

Name: Heather Kline

Years as a military spouse: 17

Tell us your job title/profession:

Talent Acquisition Manager for AEON and Vets4Heroes

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

Independent contractors for both business ventures

How long have you been working in this career field?

2 years

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

Remotely from Belgium, perfect for military spouses

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

As a proud Army spouse and Navy retiree, my proactive nature and a sincere desire to serve led me to research several opportunities where I could continue my passion to assist fellow military spouses and veterans.

I was fortunate enough to graduate from the “Entrepreneurship Bootcamp with Veterans with Disabilities,” aka EBV, whereby I was selected to serve as the Program Manager and Recruiter for AEON-Anything and Everything on the Network which is a large telecommunications company that is eager to help military spouses and veterans start their own businesses via AEON. They are committed to offering 1,000 new careers to military spouses and veterans; just a marvelous way to “give back” to our nation’s military families.

Are you looking to connect with career-minded military spouses? Join one of In Gear Career’s 20+ local chapters around the world. In Gear Career is a part of Hiring Our Heroes and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

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

Remaining relevant and having a profession that I love that’s also mobile, during numerous transitions, can be challenging. My current contracting positions afford me this amazing flexibility where I don’t have to compromise. Serving remotely offers me the security to transfer with ease.

Tell us one thing you love about your job:

It’s incredibly rewarding to witness military spouses and veterans gain meaningful employment and feel productive. I love how it can change their quality of life.

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

I save my sanity consistently with working out and meeting up with friends.

My 22 years in the Navy taught me how vital a strong fitness regimen is in keeping your energy level high.

My valuable network of family, friends and mentors keep me in check; I don’t know what I would do without their constant support and love.

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

My husband and I believe in a one-team, one-fight mantra! It’s a healthy, fun, competitive Army-Navy rivalry in our household, but we won’t ever “give up the ship” on each other. I secretly love that Navy beats Army every year in the prestigious academy football game for the past 13.

Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without:

My computer for sure.

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Roar by Katy Perry

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

Take time to do your research and rely on your networks for support.

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.

10 Signs Your Outdated Resume Needs a Professional Makeover

August 2, 2016 By Guest Contributor Leave a Comment

by Amy Schofield, Guest Contributor

Have you been out of the job search world for at least a few years? If so, things have changed. Big time!

With the expansion of companies using computerized applicant tracking systems and the capability of these systems screening job candidates, resumes have changed.

Here are 10 signs that your resume is outdated and needs a professional makeover:

1. You have the word “Objective” at the top of your resume.

The word “objective” on a resume has been long gone for about 5 years now. Having this word and a general statement of what type of job you are looking for is a HUGE sign that your resume is outdated.

Instead, focus on a career-branding statement and show a company why they would want to hire you.

2. Your resume is a one-size-fits-all document.

Several years ago it was acceptable for you to have one resume and use the same resume to apply to many different positions. Not anymore.

In today’s job search environment you really want to have a few different versions of your resume that are geared toward each type of position that you are applying to.

Yes, this means even a person who is applying to administrative positions should have different resumes for each position he or she applies to; an administrative assistant position within a military nonprofit organization may have different qualifications than an administrative assistant position for a large corporation. Tailor your resume accordingly.

3. Your resume lacks industry keywords.

This is one of the biggest reasons why many people do not hear back from potential employers regarding job interviews. If your resume does not include keywords the company is looking for, no matter how qualified you are, your resume may not pass the computerized applicant tracking system and onto a human set of eyes.

Read the position announcement thoroughly to pick up on industry keywords and incorporate them into your resume.

4. You do not include quantifiable information in your resume.

In the past, resumes were more about including a list of job responsibilities that you have had. Not anymore!

Since the average position receives at least 100 applicants, you want to make sure you stand out. One of the best ways of doing this is to highlight what you have accomplished by providing quantifiable information, such as numbers and statistics.

5. You are using a Word template for your resume.

Using a resume template from Word may seem like a great idea since it is easy to download, looks pretty and you can just add in all of your information right away.

However, most resume templates in Word are not suitable for computerized applicant tracking systems.

Save yourself some time and research what makes a good resume layout and then create your own. If you would rather use a resume template to save you time, make sure you use one that is compatible with the new resume technology, like this resume template.

6. You are using a functional format for your resume.

By far, this is the BIGGEST mistake military spouses make when it comes to their resumes. Since military spouses tend to have numerous employment gaps from PCSing or taking time out of the workforce to be stay-at-home-parents, they are drawn to using a functional resume format to try and cover up resume gaps. NO!

Computerized applicant tracking systems can actually calculate the number of years of experience you have by correlating the dates with each organization listed on your resume, your job title and the content you have listed within your accomplishments for each organization. The systems then use those calculations to determine if you have the required experience.

If you have a functional resume, all of your accomplishments are listed in a separate section so the system has a harder time calculating your years of experience.

7. You list EVERY single position you have ever had – even going back to 1999.

Yes, you should be proud of everything that you have accomplished. But when it comes to writing a resume, only include relevant information. Do not include a laundry list of every job that you have had. Only include relevant information from the past 10 to 15 years for a civilian-sector resume.

8. Your resume is only one page and you have size 8.5 Times New Roman font to make everything fit.

Several years ago, a one-page resume was standard. Unless you are an entry-level candidate, a one-page resume is no longer standard.

Most resumes today are 2 pages long and start off with a personal branding statement, followed by a list of key skills, and then go into your experience, education, job-related training, awards, etc.

Also make sure your resume is streamlined and easy to read. So don’t go cramming all of your information into size 8.5 font.

9. You list your hobbies and interests on your resume.

Sure, you want to provide a hiring manager with additional information about yourself, but listing hobbies and interests on your resume is something that you may not want to do anymore. Of course, there are always exceptions to this.

For example, if you are an avid skier and you are applying to a position at a ski resort, then yes, list related hobbies. But it does not make sense to add this type of hobby to a resume that you are using to apply for most other positions.

10. You have the phrase “References Available Upon Request” at the bottom of your resume.

Just like the “Objective” statement has not been around as a resume trend for 5 years, so has the phrase “References Available Upon Request.” Everyone should have references available upon request. It does not make sense to take up precious space on your resume to list that phrase.

Now that you know what you need to do to bring your resume up to today’s resume trends, you are ready to begin your job search. Good luck!

Is your resume updated or outdated? Can your resume make it past the computerized applicant tracking systems?

Amy Schofield is an Academy Certified Resume Writer and has been in the recruiting, career coaching, and resume writing fields for 10+ years. She is the founder of Schofield Strategies, LLC TM, an organization that provides resume development and job search strategies to job seekers of various backgrounds and experience levels from around the world. As an active-duty military spouse, she helps transitioning veterans and military spouses reach their career goals. Schofield Strategies was the recipient of the 2013 Military Family Member Community Heartbeat Award. Amy has been featured in a variety of media sources, including GI Jobs, Reserve and National Guard Magazine, and ClearanceJobs.com. She serves as the Resume Expert for the National Military Spouse Network and is the founder of the Military Spouse Resume Writers’ Coalition.

Military Spouses Who Work It: Amber Schafer, District Sales Manager

July 20, 2016 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: Give us your lawyers, your accountants, your massage therapists. Give use your teachers, your engineers, your real estate agents.

Name: Amber Schafer

Years as a military spouse: 5

Tell us your job title/profession:

District sales manager for Prysmian Group, the world’s largest cable manufacturer. I manage $65musd annually in sales for a 10 states.

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?

Both

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

Resume. When my husband got stationed at Fort Jackson I applied for anything and everything I was remotely qualified for.

Are you looking to connect with career-minded military spouses? Join one of In Gear Career’s 20+ local chapters around the world. In Gear Career is a part of Hiring Our Heroes and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation.

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

Starting over every move. I’ve now found an employer willing to keep me no matter where in the world we move.

Tell us one thing you love about your job:

I love that it allows me the flexibility to be home on days my husband is home and I no longer fear the PCS.

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

Keeping balance, no one aspect of your life can get all the attention or one of the other portions will suffer.

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

Yes we divide and conquer. We each do whatever we can to help.

If you have children, how do you and your spouse or partner split parenting responsibilities?

Again, we both do whatever we can. When one parent is gone, the other parent does it all. When we are both home, we split things up. It’s not rigid. It’s very fluid.

Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without:

iPhone. It allows me to work while doing other things. I’m not stuck in front of a computer all day.

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

My calendar

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Rich – Kirko bangz

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

Be open-minded. Don’t pigeonhole yourself. Know your strengths as a person and translate those into job strengths. I’m great with people and I love helping people through situations, so that’s lead me to property management, paralegal and now electrical manufacturing. On paper it doesn’t look like it would work but it does!

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.

Military Spouses Who Work It: Kim Robertson, Senior Marketing Manager

April 27, 2016 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer Leave a Comment

Editor’s Note: Give us your lawyers, your accountants, your massage therapists. Give use your teachers, your engineers, your real estate agents.

Name: Kim Robertson

Years as a military spouse: 13

Tell us your job title/profession:

Senior Marketing Manager for MKK Consulting Engineers (global engineering firm)

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 in this industry

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

Office + telecommute when I travel

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

I entered this industry (architecture/engineering/construction marketing) through a 4-line newspaper classifieds ad looking for graphics assistance. Low and behold, it was for an architecture firm. With my background in design and a little bit in marketing, it was a perfect fit.

After a few months, my supervisor left the company and left the entire department to me (with little to no experience). I was given the opportunity to prove myself and learn by throwing myself in the deep end.

Since then, I have transferred duty stations (at the bottom of the recession), worked as a telecommuter for 6 months and transferred to 2 separate firms since through networking.

I now oversee corporate marketing activities for a global engineering firm and affect the strategic vision for the company.

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

Moving at the most inopportune times in my career – whether it was during the recession or right after a promotion. Having to make those big decisions to follow my husband’s career or stay on my path.

It turned into a rocky roller coaster, but I’m pleased with my decisions to sometimes put on the gas, while others put on the brakes.

Tell us one thing you love about your job:

Diversity in the position. Each day is something new, and I really get to be creative. My company entrusts me with a lot of decisions and lets me run with crazy ideas. The best part, though, is working with a team to set the strategic vision of our growing company.

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

Go into work early (whether it’s 5 minutes or 30 minutes) before everyone else, just so you can wrap your arms around the day’s tasks and focus yourself on your to-do list. That will help you achieve more on your list than just spinning your wheels.

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

We used to, but we are now geo-baching so all the household tasks rest on my shoulders.

When we were together, we shared everything, down to laundry folding, vacuuming and cleaning. We have our strengths and weaknesses so one of us leans toward certain tasks that they are better at: for me, it’s cooking. For my husband, it’s fixing things.

Now, everything is on my shoulders, but I am set up with good neighbors (for fixing things) and our daughter pitches in a lot more now that she’s older.

If you have children, how do you and your spouse split parenting responsibilities?

It was never a doubt that we would co-parent. My husband has probably attended more doctor’s appointments than I have, but I have attended a few more choir concerts than him.

Parenting is a give and take and it is based on working together to achieve a common goal: create good citizens for the future.

My husband loves being an active father in our daughter’s life, and it’s important for him to attend events, except maybe suffering through choir concerts (he’ll attend one a year just as a courtesy).

We also know that sometimes, our careers have seasons where one of us is busier than the other, so we take on more responsibility than the other (like we are going through now), but when that season is over, the other steps in and evens it out.

When my husband visits home for a week, he tends to take over all parenting tasks, down to carpooling, just to give me a break.

Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without:

My Outlook Calendar. I live by a calendar that is attached to all my tech devices.

Favorite app for making the most of your day?

Gmail. My husband and I email everything from finances, to events, to notes from school.

Must-have song on your productivity playlist?

Best Day of My Life – American Authors

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

Read the job description and see how your skills adapt to those in the job description. You don’t have to have direct work experience to the position, but if you can show passion and commitment, combined with skills that go along with those requested, you can get to the interview.

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.

4 Reasons MilSpouses Make Great Entrepreneurs

May 6, 2015 By NextGen MilSpouse Staff Writer 2 Comments

by Hannah Becker, Guest Contributor

8 a.m.: I breeze through my inbox and put the final touches on half a dozen outgoing articles.

10 a.m.: I hop on Skype to record an interview with fellow female entrepreneur on the other side of the country. We chat about career, family, education and societal issues.

11 a.m.: I stretch with 30 minutes of yoga and meet the hubby for a lunch date.
Rest of the afternoon is spent developing marketing strategies for start-up clients, intermittent with coffee breaks and dog walks. I wrap things up at 4 p.m. and hit the gym for some cardio.

Yes, this is a typical day in the life of this entrepreneur. Yes, I am a military spouse defying the depressing statistical report of 90% of military wives jobless or unemployed.

Like far too many military spouses, I encountered great challenges when pursuing more traditional professional goals. About the time I would find a new job, we’d move, yet again.

My professional contacts were scattered all across the country and my career development had been erratic to say the least. More often than not, I found myself attempting to pull that “perfect position” out of a hat every time we relocated.

In less than 2 years, I’d had 7 different jobs, none of which mirrored my advanced education or skill set. It wasn’t working.

Enter entrepreneurship.

Having failed at yet another attempt to integrate into a new location and find a job, I decided to take the plunge—employ myself. Starting a new business wasn’t easy, but it was very, very worth it. As an entrepreneur, I no longer had to spend hours as a discouraged, underemployed professional, longing for a life not filled with cardboard boxes and change of address forms.

Instead, I was able to enjoy and experience the places we traveled and the people we met, without buckling under the ever-looming fear of professional suicide.

Entrepreneurship saved my career and it might be able to do the same for you.

Given the unique lifestyle military spouses lead and the challenges encountered, military spouses are extremely suited for the demands of entrepreneurship. Check out these 4 reasons military spouses make awesome entrepreneurs and see if this unique career path is right for you:

Common Community

The military community is more than an organization or affiliation; it’s a family. While every duty station may have its distinctions, its people all represent the same community–a community of patriotic families that provide a terrific segment of the consumer market to service.

One’s target market for children’s photography services at Naval Base San Diego, will be very similar to the target market identified at Naval Base Pensacola. Just because you change addresses, doesn’t mean your customers’ change face. Such continuity make transitioning from one physical location to the next occur without great disruption, if one’s consumer base includes part of the military community.

And let’s be honest, military families are fantastically loyal–we take care of our own! Veteran- and military spouse-owned businesses are rarely lacking in loyal patrons from the tight-knit military community. Don’t be afraid to let your affiliation known.

Fabulously Flexible

As military spouses, we all know the difficulty of maintaining a mailing address for more than 3 years, yet alone a consistent career. With the erratic training schedules, overwhelming deployments and all too frequent PCSing, military spouses’ careers often require immense flexibility, if a career is to even be a possibility.

Sound impossible? Think again…

Enter entrepreneurship: our society’s most flexible career option. It’s a profession that you can carry with you anywhere you go—whether you’re stationed in Alaska, Japan or anywhere in between! Like those wedding dishes you so carefully pack up for every PCS, your entrepreneurial career can be packed up and carried to your new destination.

High Transition

Locations with high transition rates are often fertile ground for business opportunities. Base areas are transient. Service members, military families and civilian contractors are always coming and going. Every few months, base regions encounter a predictable influx of new consumers. These new consumers are all looking for new service providers, new retailers, new experiences.

Related: 10 Free Resources for Military Spouse Entrepreneurs

Develop a business strategy that targets these highly transient consumers or addresses some of the unique need present in highly transient areas.

Here are a few examples to get the juices flowing:

property management company to assist with rental houses
residential cleaning agency offering services to the temp resident
rental car or taxi service to aide in transporting new and passing arrivals

What these highly transient locations lack in customer loyalty potential, they make up for in a steady stream of new customers.

Terrifyingly Tenacious

Theodore Roosevelt stated, “When you’re at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hold on.” Halfway through my husband’s first deployment, I framed this quote over my bedside table; like many spouses’ “marching onward” while their loved one is stationed overseas, I felt I had very well reached the end of my rope.

Military spouses know how to “hold on,” even when life get tough. We weather the storm with a smile on our face, pour oodles of love into cardboard care packages and carry on—tackling all too many life crises–alone. We are strong. We are resilient. We are tenacious.

Milspouses know how to hold on even when things get tough. #milso #truth

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Starting a successful business doesn’t happen overnight. Instead, it (like deployments) often involves many long days, limited resources, negligible support and a fair share of uncertainty.

But hey—who better to tackle those temporary hurdles than a tried-and-true, terrifyingly tenacious military spouse?! When we reach the end of our rope—personal or professional—we hold on.

The military spouse lifestyle presents a unique blend of skills and experiences wonderfully engineered to spell success for the ambitious entrepreneur. The tight-knit military community and highly transient geographical locations make for a consistent target market regardless of the ZIP code. The high degree of adaptability, perseverance and downright tenacious fervor that so often characterizes today’s military spouse makes for a fantastic entrepreneur.

If the career path of self-employment interests you, be sure to check out the Military Spouse Entrepreneur Spotlights on NextGen MilSpouse for inspiration and insight into the wonderful world of entrepreneurship.

Are you ready to take the leap into entrepreneurship? What questions do you have about entrepreneurship? Ask us in the comments. We’ll find the answers.

Hannah Becker is a serial entrepreneur, MBA grad and proud military spouse. Author of The Motivated Millennial: An Entrepreneurial Guidebook for Generation Y and Founder/Consultant at HCB Consulting, Hannah is committed to encouraging others to pursue their entrepreneurial dreams. Learn more about Hannah’s career and publications at www.themotivatedmillennial.com. Follow Hannah on Twitter: @MotivatedGenY or on Facebook.

Why You, Me and Every Military Spouse Needs a Side Hustle

January 2, 2015 By Guest Contributor 4 Comments

by Amy Robles, Guest Contributor

You are a military spouse. But dependent is never the right word to describe you. And while you love your sweetheart serving our country, you know that your home, life and world would never be the same without your continued effort.

But let’s be real for a moment. You need a side hustle.

What is a side hustle? Nick Loper defines it as the work you do after-hours, on your own time to help you escape the 9-to-5 rat race. His site, SideHustleNation.com explores various methods to make money during your free time. Not sure where to start? Nick shares 79 Side Hustle Business Ideas You Can Start Today.

So instead of following #CatVideoGames (yes, it’s really a thing) or… ahem… studying intently how Chris Hemsworth worked hard to become People’s Sexiest Man Alive, consider your side hustle. Like peanut butter needs jelly, you need a side hustle.

Need more convincing? Here are 5 reasons you, me and every milspouse needs a side hustle.

1. Make Money. There’s not a military spouse around you who is “Rolling in the dough like a baker’s knuckles.” The military provides a lot of perks to make our lives run more smoothly through transitions, but every move costs a little more than you expected. Kids need shoes faster than you budgeted for… and maybe you do too. A little extra cash can go a long way.

When you start your side hustle, your photography business/dog walking service/house cleaning biz/virtual assistant gig can make money. Real money. Sure, it’s going to take time. And you’ll have to learn some new skills. But with consistent effort, you’ll be earning cash.

What you do with this extra cash is your decision. Is it time to get serious about paying off the credit cards? Will you have one student loan completely paid off by the end of the year?

What if you started your side hustle and put all your earnings in your holiday gift fund or “Let’s go on vacation when we get through this deployment” fund, monthly massages for me fund or “that purse” fund. But making money is only the beginning.

2. Be Location Independent. You know how hard it is to find a company to work for in your new PCS station. What worked in the last market does not mean a home run here. Try being location independent. Ugh. That’s a horrible buzzword used by snooty entrepreneurs. Let’s break it down.

Those coffee houses packed with people sipping java and clicking away madly at their keyboards? Yup. They are location independent. Many have their own biz, without the cubicle. They call themselves “Location Independent.” But really, they choose where and when they work.

Having your own side hustle puts you in charge. You don’t have to wait for someone to offer you a position. You have it established. As soon as you move into your new place, you can jump right back to work. Your business is location independent. Pinkies up? You decide.

3. Have a Career. Not Just a Job. Your reputation is your brand. With your own side hustle, you can build a consistent business brand over time. You are a NextGenMilSpouse. You are wicked smart. You know you will not be like our mother’s generation who worked at a retail shop at the last PCS location, then office politicking at the next and cleaning houses at the following one.

You are creating your own career. The skills you develop in your side hustle will build on one another. Instead of learning this database in Delaware or that company’s software while you live in Seoul, you are creating an entire body of your work. You can use the knowledge you acquired in one location to make your efforts even more powerful in the next.

Related: Resource Spotlight: The Rosie Network

With an online business as your side hustle, you can work from your home assisting clients from around the globe. You’ll be able to keep up with them as you move regularly and build a massive testimonial base for your career. A great testimonial on your work allows others to trust you quicker.

How amazing would it be to have your photography portfolio with pristine images of families by the beach in Hawaii, on Swiss ski slopes, in fields of wheat in Arkansas at sunset or couples kissing in front of the Eiffel Tower? (Insert swoon here.) The diverse locations of your military life can enhance your side hustle and build credibility.

4. Make New Friends Quickly. As a side hustler, you must connect with people quickly. This is great when you are moving to a new place. Sure, the military member connects with people at work, but those first few days (and weeks often) can be lonely for the spouse. And no one wants to talk about it.

Your side hustle gets you out of your comfort zone. It prompts you to reach out and connect with others. The motivation to earn some money actually allows you even more reason to make friends quickly.

Anyone can create an entire social network online. How much more influential can you be when you are meeting people in person at your new location? Offer to meet for coffee and chat. Find out about the new person: are they dying for 50 Shades of Grey to hit the silver screen? Does this new friend like quiet nights at home? Really, get to know this person. When they start asking about you (and they will when you are genuinely interested), you can tell them about your booming business. No sales push. It’s just part of you. How’s that for a win?

5. Frame Your Creative Outlet. We all have that “one thing” that we could talk about for hours.

Gushing over your eyeliner? There’s a way to make that your side hustle.
Going ga-ga over this incredible recipe that has amazing flavor and is gluten-free? You could make that a side hustle.
Love making door wreaths to welcome friends? Side hustle. Boom.
Do you know how to change the oil and check all the filters in your car? You could make a legendary home-based lube, oil and filter side hustle. This could be at your home on your schedule.

If you enjoy something so much that you are passionate about it, think of how you could make that your side hustle.

Your side hustle is your place to create. Your place to step away from the crazy, busy schedule that life can be and enjoy your side hustle time.

A creative outlet all while you’re making money? Sounds like it’s right up your alley.

A side hustle gives you the freedom to make money, be location independent, have a career (not just a job), make new friends and frame your creative outlet. You are developing yourself as you support your military family, moving around the globe and taking it all in stride.

Oh, and you’ll still have time to watch Scandal.

What’s your side hustle? Share it in the comments section below.

Amy Robles is a Navy wife, mom, podcaster and blogger. In 8+ years she’s made several homes around the Pacific Ocean. Like most people, she believes life is better with the Muppets and nachos. Tweet her @itsamyrobles. Read how she and her husband paid off $25K of debt this year at womanenriched.com. Listen to her talk Money, Milspouse, and Mom on The Family Knot podcast.