Being a mom is hard work! Add the additional stress of being a military spouse and then pile school on top of it all and you’re in for an uphill hike. The good news is that online programs have made education much more flexible, allowing you to fit school in around everything else you already have going on. But even with that flexibility (and sometimes because of it) it can still be downright tricky to balance it all.
If you are a practical person (which I am certainly not, but for this article I will pretend to be) you should consider the following two things in your quest for employment:
Is the position I am attempting to occupy a mobile one?
Is the field I am attempting to occupy considered always-in-demand?
Sometimes the hardest part of starting or growing a business is the idea that we don’t know what we don’t know. Failure to understand things like business structure, taxes, and marketing can cause all kinds of problems for a new or growing business. What is a business owner to do? How can they hope to prevent some of the pitfalls that come from simply not knowing everything there is to know about running a business? One of the easiest and most beneficial things a business owner can do is find a mentor.
The interview is over. You are told to expect the results in two weeks. A letter arrives two weeks later and you open it and read the following.
We regret to inform you that we are unable to offer you a position at this time. Although your background is impressive, your skill set is not compatible with our requirements, and we have identified another candidate who is a better fit for our opening. We will keep your resume on file and contact you in the event a more appropriate position becomes available. We enjoyed meeting you and wish you well.
The dreaded “Dear, John” letter!
You are disappointed and confused.
You thought the interview had gone well and you would like to know what went wrong.
Well, start with the language in the letter: “Your skill set is not compatible with our requirements.” That must be the reason, correct?
Probably not.
I wanted to share with you a little secret and a fear I have as a military spouse.
Here it is.
I’m completely scared out of my mind that I won’t be able to continue my career at my husband’s next post, and more importantly, keep my current position as a public relations coordinator.
This month at AWN, we were encouraged to write about our career and military spouse employment, and to say that this post has been a long time coming is an understatement!
Let me start at the beginning:
Many military spouses chose to start businesses with the goal to create products that help our military community demonstrate pride in service and unit. Everything from purses made from old uniforms to engraved beer steins, to tee shirts and everything in between. But, like everything else in our lives, there are rules that govern the use of military seals, rank, and insignia. Many of the images and slogans we see on a daily basis are protected by trademarks that could land you in hot water if you do not have the proper permission to use them. This includes not only in a manufactured product for sale, but also on websites, blogs, and other printed and electronic communications.
Among the reasons for leaving the service, military personnel most often cite “Quality of Life.” If this applies to you, it would be prudent to use it as one of your evaluation points as you seek out a civilian career and evaluate job offers.
Although you probably hear and use the phrase Quality of Life (QOL) often, have you ever stopped to consider what it actually means? Let’s start by distinguishing it from its sister phrase, Quality of Work (QOW).
QOW deals with the internal elements of the job. Consider these: working conditions and environment, job satisfaction, corporate culture, co-worker relationships, and advancement opportunity. QOL addresses issues beyond the workplace. Where you live, your commute, personal time for family, hobbies, interests or community service, and compensation are among those elements that impact most people’s QOL.
When we think about American life at the beginning, way back in 1776, I think most of us conjure up images of powdered wigs and petticoats, muskets and black powder, while a patriotic marching song plays in the background performed by a fife and drum. But did you know that a some of the earliest, trail-blazing military spouse entrepreneurs also had their start during the American Revolution?
Mission: Milspouse is a
501(c)3 nonprofit organization.
EIN Number: 88-1604492
hello@missionmilspouse.org
P.O. Box 641341
El Paso, TX 79904