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: Amy Shick
Years as a military spouse:
22
Tell us your job title/profession:
Director of Community for MILLIE
Is this full-time, part-time, hourly, contract or freelance work?
Part-time (+/- 30 hours per week)
How long have you been working in this career field?
3 years
Do you work in an office, telecommute from home (or Starbucks), or a little bit of both?
Telecommute from home.
Tell us one thing you love about your job.
The flexibility to be there for my family.
How did you get this position? Was it a resume, referral, job fair? Spill your magic.
I started a company with another Army spouse in 2014. It was acquired by another new veteran-founded company and now we are all building MILLIE together.
What is your No. 1 tip for a military spouse on the hunt for a job?
Do not let the job requirements turn you away if you are under qualified. Apply anyway! Any lacking job skills can be taught but resourcefulness, ingenuity, flexibility, resiliency and honesty are character traits all employers are looking for that can’t be taught. If they are willing to interview you, you have a chance. Impress them with your confidence and independence.
How do you feel about failure?
Failure equals learning opportunity. We all fail, even daily, but if we choose to learn from our failure we have an opportunity to improve and better ourselves.
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?
Our move from Alaska to Florida! Checking out of housing, moving into an RV with 3 kids and a dog for a week, flying to California and driving across the entire United States coast to coast proved to be very difficult. I traveled twice for work during those 5 weeks. Once to Portland and another to Florida. I attended as many meetings and continued to work whenever I had internet access.
It was tough balancing it all but I did what I could. I would remind myself this is a tough time and I am not perfect and I don’t live in a perfect world.
What is the best piece of career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I have received is that there will always be opportunities if you are putting yourself out there.
Who is in your support squad (i.e. spouse, neighbor, bff) and what role do they play in supporting your career?
My closest supporters my husband and my business partner, Lauren. My husband is completely calm and nonemotional. He gives great logical and strategic advice. Lauren and I have worked together for so long that even when the continent divides us she knows what I need to hear.
Whether it’s a sounding board for a new idea or a second set of eyes on a new process I’m creating or something I’ve written. We balance each other out and have different skills which lends well when working together.
Do you and your spouse or partner split household tasks? How do you do it?
Yes! He currently has a position that allows him to help take kids to and from sports practices which is amazingly helpful. He also helps whenever I ask. Since he travels a lot he usually needs a little prompting but is always happy to help. We divide and conquer on chores and tasks.
Share your best life-hack for saving time or sanity during the work week:
My best life hack is the Walmart Online grocery shopping. I order it online and my husband picks it up after hockey practice on Wednesdays. It has been a sanity-saver and time-saver.
Tell us one piece of tech you couldn’t live without that isn’t your phone:
Slack
Favorite app for making the most of your day?
Wunderlist
Must-have song on your productivity playlist?
I’m boring. No songs. I love to listen to podcasts. My favorite is NPR’s “How I Built This.”
If you had an extra hour in your day, what would you do with it?
Yoga or workout
If you were a superhero, what would be your super power?
Flexibility
