In Gear Career for Military Spouses is putting the power of building our careers directly in the hands of military spouses by encouraging military spouses to do what we do best: grow our network and support our brother and sister military spouses.
Military spouse employment. Yeah, it’s an issue. We get. You get it. But what can we actually do about it?
I’m so glad you asked. Keep reading.
As next generation military spouses we know that more and more of us are choosing to grow our careers right along side our serving spouses and, thanks to the constant ebb and flow of the military moving cycle and the ups and downs in ops tempo in our spouses’ careers, maintaining that career isn’t always easy.
Let’s be honest, our spouses have it quite a bit easier when it comes to navigating their career progression. There are career paths, professional development schools, and advisors. They get the warm hand-off from job to job, squadron to squadron, and base to base. I know, I know, my Air Force is showing.
But how about military spouse professionals? Where’s our warm hand-off?
Meet our friends at In Gear Career for Military Spouses.
Before you go thinking this is another organization hocking a job board full of entry-level or minimum wage jobs or a kumbayah circle that invites military spouses to lament the lack of career opportunities out there, let me tell you something- it’s not. Far from it.
What Justin Timberlake did for sexiness, In Gear Career is doing for career networking.
That’s right, In Gear Career is bringing networking back.
Oh yes, we went there. No, we’re not ashamed. And you’re welcome for sticking a song in your head.
As a lover of all that is web and social media based, In Gear Career’s in-person networking model didn’t initially appeal to me. I mean, seriously, why do I need to go meet people IRL (read: in real life), if I could just connect online, investigate jobs via a multitude of websites, and use all the resources that already exist out there for military spouses?
Because I had to see it to believe it.
In Gear Career operates with local chapters that provide monthly in-person networking events for career-minded military spouses. These events can range from professional development sessions to professional networking mixers with local business and industry leaders (read: people with the power to hire military spouses).
Perhaps one of the coolest things I got out of attending an In Gear Career event was learning that I am not the only military spouse out there pursuing a career. All of the wonderful military spouses I met are hard-charging professionals I could immediately relate to as a woman, careerist, military spouse, and/or parent.
What I love the most about In Gear Career for Military Spouses is that it’s putting the power of building our careers directly in the hands of military spouses by encouraging military spouses to do what we do best: grow our network and support our brother and sister military spouses.
Here’s the part where we start talking about where you come in.
In Gear Career for Military Spouses is participating in a one-day power-fundraiser called Give Day Tampa Bay on Tuesday, May 6, 2014. You do NOT have to live in Tampa to give!
Will you help them continue to grow and provide networking opportunities to military spouses across the globe by donating $25 right now? Wouldn’t that make an excellent Mother’s Day gift (hint, hint)?
DONATE $25 TO IN GEAR CAREER NOW!
If $25 is too steep right now, we get it.
If you leave a comment telling us why military spouse employment is important to you, we’ll donate $1 per comment up to $100.
If you’re feeling super motivated, tweet this and we’ll donate $1 per tweet up to $100:
#Military spouse employment matters! Support @InGearCareer for @GiveDayTampaBay! Donate $25 today! http://ctt.ec/3v258+
Wanna take it to another level? Do all three and tell us that you did in the comments!
