Blending Your Career With Military Life

Are you dreaming of your next PCS so you can quit your job?

There are lots of articles about how to get a job and how to maximize your time in your job as a military spouse, but what if you dread going to work everyday? Stop, take 4 deep cleansing breaths, and hold for 2 then breath out for 6. Do you still feel like you want your military member to get orders that will take you away from your current job? This is not unusual when your values stop aligning with the work you are doing or the people you work with. So, what do you do to fix this?

Let’s start with evaluating your current situation. Did Judy in Accounting just rub you the wrong way and you are having a moment? Or is this an every day I hit the snooze button 15 times because I am trying to delay going to work? If the latter is true – it’s time to start making an exit strategy.

CREATE A LIST

Create a list of what drives your passion at work and what is causing you to look for a new position. This step is very important because the last thing you want to do is move on to another job that ends up leaving you unfulfilled like the current position you are in.

LINKEDIN

Start with updating (or creating) your LinkedIn Profile. There are more than 20 million companies listed on LinkedIn and 14 million open jobs. You can flag that you are open to new opportunities on LinkedIn without your current employer being aware. This gives you the opportunity to passively look for other roles.

NETWORK

Join and attend professional networking groups. My recommendation would be to look at industry or profession-specific groups and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Military Spouse Professional Network. These groups and meetings will give you the ability to grow your network and mingle with industry-leaders. Some experts say 70 percent of people end up in their current position thanks to networking. You never know where your next job will come from; a causal encounter can turn into your next big break.

You may hear that to leave your job, as a milspouse, is foolish. That you must take every opportunity offered and stick with it because you do not know what career options you will encounter at your next base. I would caution against this – by “stay and quit” you are doing a disservice to yourself and the company you work for. If you are miserable at work and bring that negativity back home is that limiting your potential to show up? It is important that we, as military spouses, take care of ourselves and that start will make sure our values are emulated in all facets of our life including our careers.