If you know us here at NextGen MilSpouse, you know that we are fans of all things Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Professional Network.
Amanda Crowe, program manager for Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse Professional Network, is a regular contributor and joins us on the Happy Hour podcast to keep us current on all things career-related. So when Hiring Our Heroes launched AMPLIFY last year we knew we had to be there.
The entire NextGen Happy Hour crew went to the Seattle AMPLIFY at Starbucks Headquarters and we got an inside look of how this event is a game changer for career-minded military spouses.
There are six opportunities to go to AMPLIFY in 2018, and we’re telling you – you should go.
You won’t regret it. But since you probably want more information we’ll give you the top 5 reasons why you’ll love AMPLIFY.
5 Reasons Why I Loved AMPLIFY
Networking with other career-minded military spouses. Yes, we love talking about networking, but before you even show up for day one of AMPLIFY you’re networking in a closed Facebook group. The interactions start with logistics (anyone want to carpool? share a hotel room?) and getting to know each other.
When I showed up in Seattle and needed a dinner date I turned to the group. I met 2 spouses that night that were awesome.
During the 2-day intensive workshop, you got to know people at your table, in your small breakout group and the whole group. And no, there were no cheesy icebreakers to do. OK, maybe one.
But we connected over our common struggle – maintaining and growing a career when your spouse is in the military. Now we are in a LinkedIn group together and are keeping those connections rolling.
Straight talk with military spouses who get it. We started out AMPLIFY talking about the struggle of careers. What is preventing you from having your dream job?
The constant moving.
The lack of dependable, affordable child care.
That gap in your resume.
The stagnation of your role.
The hardship tour overseas.
Everyone in the room gets it. You don’t have to explain why it’s hard. You can talk about how much it sucks. And while that seems counterproductive, it’s not. It’s cathartic.
And once it’s out there you can focus on how to take those struggles and turn them into successes.
Practical tips in solution-focused small group sessions. When you apply to AMPLIFY you explain your career goals and based on that information the Hiring Our Heroes team grouped folks by their career paths. These small breakouts focused on starting your own business, how to deal with a resume gap, and mock interviews.
I was in the entrepreneur group and we bounced ideas off of each other. We talked through problems that we’ve had so far. We brainstormed ways to solve them.
Apply to AMPLIFY today. Applications for 2018 are open. What are you waiting for?
I walked into another group at the end of a session and they were having a great discussion about the “expectations” of military spouses and careers. I wish I could have been in that group too! But these tailored sessions will help you get to that next step. In fact, the connections made in those groups put people a step ahead – a lawyer offered help to a fashion designer during a session. They exchanged business cards and I am sure they’ll be working together soon.
Time allocated to work on you. I went to a conference last year and got a resume review. It was great but I didn’t actually go home and update it right away. I did it 2 months later when my friend emailed me an opportunity and I had to update my resume FAST. All those notes that I took months ago? Not as helpful as they would have been if I’d done it ASAP.
Enter AMPLIFY. We had a quick session on resumes and another on LinkedIn and after that?
Time. Time devoted to working on both.
Did I finish my updates that day? Nope. But did I have a start and know what to do next? Yes. When I got home I kept working. When’s the last time you did that after a conference?
Professional mentors to answer your questions and push you forward. Can I profess my awe of the Hiring Our Heroes Military Spouse team? They found a mentor for every single attendee. Every. Single. Attendee. SAY WHAT? The hourlong session happened both in person and virtually depending on where people were in the country.
My mentor helped me think about my next steps – like finding my niche, business accounts and ways to find new clients. Now take that times 30 people. Yep, we’re all going places thanks to these connections.
I know how daunting it is to take a good long look at your career, heck for the last year or so I’ve had a lot of ideas but not so much action.
It’s hard when you’re looking to reenter the workforce, switch careers, apply to a job in a new location or start your own business.
But Hiring Our Heroes is making it easier for military spouses around the world.
Do you still have to do the work?
Yes.
Do they show you how you can make that happen and market yourself?
Yes and yes.
Apply to AMPLIFY today. Applications are open for 2018. What are you waiting for?
