Dallas A.’s Post

As an Air Force Veteran and former Federal employee with a Master's in Public Administration, returning to the workforce after dedicating years to parenting and military life presents unique challenges. The decision to prioritize family has inadvertently led to gaps in my resume that often overshadow my qualifications on paper. Navigating how to convey the invaluable skills gained during my time as the primary caregiver for my children amidst deployments is a hurdle many face. The ability to nurture, organize, and manage a household solo, while preparing young minds for the world, is a testament to adaptability and resilience. I am not alone in this journey of reentry, and I believe in fostering a dialogue around overcoming perceived barriers to rejoining the workforce. How have you tackled the unspoken challenges of proving commitment and value after a career hiatus? What strategies or unique skills have helped you reintegrate and showcase your potential to prospective employers? Let's share our experiences and insights to empower each other in reclaiming our professional paths and demonstrating the invaluable assets we bring to the table. #militaryspouses #veterans #frommomtoemployee

As an active duty military spouse I know all too personally how building and advancing in a career can pose unique challenges. As a professional social worker, I've had to navigate through multiple state licensing boards and costly fees and have faced the worry of hiring hesitancy/discrimination, all while moving every 2-3 years... Let's just say these challenges make for less than a smooth ride. But, there is hope! Please check out my article in CMSA Today highlighting these challenges, but also offering strategies to THRIVE while pursuing your professional goals.

📣What are you waiting for? Build a program NOW!👇 Why should you hire Military Spouses? The ASCEND Collective had a post this morning on this very topic and it got my brain running. There are thousands 💥 of reasons Corporate America and any hiring organization should have a Military Spouse hiring program. We could really make one giant list on this topic alone....you know what 🤜"lets do just that."🤛 Here are a few to get you 🚀 started!- JUMP INTO THE COMMENTS ... ...Why do you think Military Spouses should be a part of every hiring plan? 👊Over 80% of Military Spouses are college educated or have professional degrees. 💥They have been part of the global community - they adapt to vastly different jobs and help solve ongoing issues. 🔥They are connected to a very responsive community of resources. ✨Correct a VERY BAD statistic of unemployment rates for our Military Spouses, in some cases as high as 34%. 💨Military Spouses may not have linear careers, but look at the whole experience this talent pool has, they often fill gaps with massive impact in the non-profit and volunteer community. 🚨Employ a Military Spouse and RETAIN them as they move and create a poster for what loyalty and service looks like. 😏You want diversity in thought, character and background...WOW...you'll get all that in the Military Spouse Community. 🤝Want somebody with high levels of cultural sensitivity and awareness...hire MIlitary Spouses! ⚡Want someone who can make decisions under pressure and against tight timelines...they do this everyday! 💲Need someone financially savvy...look no further then Military Spouses? 💪Need grit and staying power...hire a Military Spouse. 👇Friends what would you add to this endless list?👇 Andrea McNamara Singsaas, MBA, PMP I Sonia Vasquez I Kasie (KC) V. Amil Masic I Bruce Thompson, MBA I Michael Quinn I Ryan Patrick Hunt I Chad Pearce I Jordie Kern I Nila (Leonila) Thompson I Karen Santiano Francis, MS, CMCS I Dave Kelley I Jaime Chapman I Monica Fullerton I Alfredo 🤘 Torres #milspouse #militaryspouses #milspouseowned #militaryspouse #military #socialnetworking #hiringmanagers

Changing Our Perspectives It is interesting how our perspective of a past unpleasant experience can change when we receive a different point of view. Most of you know that I serve my clients in mind health and wellness by providing information and processes to change their perspectives, attitudes, mindsets, and health. My goal is to allow them to become more aware of the things they can modify in their lives to escape chaos, confusion and consternation and achieve calmness, clarity, and confidence. Back to that perspective change. I was in the Air Force during the Vietnam era, and when I got out of the service, I did not share that time. I essentially put that behind me for the next 50 years. I was even receiving disability pay over those years, the perspectives and rhetoric that came towards those who served at that time lingered. In the last couple of years, I have discovered a different perspective! I have partaken in the services of the VA clinic and medical system and found them competent and caring. But it is the incredible people who serve those who have been in the military through the Eagle Group of MN that has truly changed my perspective. This cadre of volunteers are dedicated to helping veterans achieve their goals at any stage of their life or career and they are amazing! Some of services that veterans find from these dedicated volunteers in the Tuesday night meetings and the monthly meetings to help veterans are: ·      Networking and referrals ·      Resume assistance ·      Networking rehearsals ·      Salary negotiation strategies ·      Interview prep ·      Job search resources ·      Veterans benefits  ·      Career coaching ·      Monthly speaker ·      Understanding civilian career progression October 30-November 3rd is National Veterans Small Business Week. Nearly one in ten small businesses across the United States are veteran owned. Veteran and Military Spouse small business owners are disciplined, resilient, and committed to serving our communities. They employ more than 5 million Americans and generate $1.3 trillion in total sales. Seek out those companies whose management served our country in the military! I think you will find that that service will extend to their customers from their business which is a win for us all! Thank you: Alan Hill Renée R. Roth, Ed.D. Rebecca Kaas, MPA, MSL, CPRW Stephen Kolcinski D.D. Mike Orren, MBA Louis A. #perspectives #change #veteranowned #veterans #veteranshelpingveterans #veteransupport #Transition

Came across this in my email today, while sitting at Walter Reed waiting to find out when I will likely need surgery. Military Spouses want to work. We have an amazing amount of soft skills, a propensity to learn new things and a diverse view on the world. Many times we end up with an employer who sees us as temporary hires (even though we generally stay longer than a new hire would anyway) and pass on us. Our resumes are scrutinized because we have too many cities, gaps, or the wrong address and our education is overlooked because we may not have been able to find employment in our field during our last move. Remote work is clutch and having some flexibility in scheduling is so important. This absolutely transcends the military spouse world and as we see more companies require RTO, we will see more caretakers drop out of the workforce again. Consider making a commitment if you can, it changes lives. Or learn more about some amazing organizations who want to help you find that talent and cover some of the costs! https://lnkd.in/eWT5pAVD

Civilians may not be aware of the unique challenges that separating from military service and returning to civilian life can present. Veterans may find difficulty: Relating to people who do not know or understand what military personnel have experienced (and many civilians don’t know that they don’t know!) Reconnecting with family and re-establishing a role in the family. Families may have created new routines during absences and both the family and the Veteran will have to adjust to changes. Joining or creating a community When moving to a new base or post, the military helps military personnel and families adjust. This structure is not automatically in place when someone separates from the military. The veteran and their family may have to find new ways to join or create a social community. Preparing to enter the work force A Veteran may have never looked for, applied for, or interviewed for a civilian job, especially if he or she had a career in the military. These are new skills he or she will have to learn and master. In applying for a job, a veteran will have to determine how to translate his or her military skills and duties into civilian terms and create a resume. A veteran may have never created a resume. Instead of a resume the military uses a Field Service Record to detail qualifications, training, and experiences. For some recently returning Service Members, they may find themselves behind a desk in as little as 3 days after leaving a combat zone. Returning to held job may include a period of catching up, learning new skills, or adjusting to a new position. It will also include adjusting to social changes that may have occurred in the workplace. Adjusting to providing basic necessities (e.g., food, clothing, housing). In the military, these things are not only provided, but there is often little choice (e.g., you eat at determined times in a certain place, duty station determines your dress). Given the lack of choices while in the military, the vast array of choices in the civilian world can sometimes be overwhelming. The battle does not end once our service members return, sometimes that is just the beginning. And that's where we step in! 🇺🇸

100% on this. During my career pivot, developing criteria by which to evaluate various employers was an exercise that my coach, Court Whitman, Professional Cert. Coach guided me through. We weighted certain criteria to assess companies and positions to help me with my decisions on DoD-SkillBridge and post-transition employment based on my values, objectives, desired lifestyle, and family situation. When it came to a new opportunity six months later, I turned to mentor Chris Maxmin...who asked me a lot of questions before he encouraged me to take the leap. What this taught me was that asking questions (and then listening) is the most important thing a coach can do for a person. That's where programs like FourBlock, The COMMIT Foundation, and American Corporate Partners (ACP) are so essential to making the best decisions at the right time. Having learned from this, I ask my employees (among other questions): How would you like to use your strengths in the future? What knowledge and skills do you need to get to the next stage of your career? Not only does it help them understand their potential and begin sketching out that roadmap, it helps me to understand how I can better support them in achieving those goals. 99% of the time those goals directly/indirectly benefit the organization so its a win-win! #veterans #militarytransition #skillbridge #hiringourheroes #hiremilitary

For a very long time, I’ve been anti-“job placement” because I strongly believe only YOU (the employment seeker) can determine what the right fit is for you. I want you, the transitioning veteran and military spouse, to find success - however YOU define it. What is most important to you, personally and professionally? What type of role do YOU want to be in? What type of culture do you want to be a part of? What working environment is ideal in the next phase of your life? What do you value? Work-life balance? Growth potential? A great team that values you? A purposeful mission? Or is it simply a paycheck that allows you to care for your family and/or the location? That’s valid too. Maybe I’m looking at this too idealistically. #Transitioningveterans and #militaryspouses… I’m curious… what is most important to you? #transitionsuccess #purpose #veterans #milspouse FourBlock

We THE Military Spouse I have been part of a military personnel’s close circle unit for last 13 years; never did I feel the need to pronounce loudly that I am a military wife. Early this year I had voiced my thoughts on creating job opportunities for military wives and I was cross questioned - why? What is so special about being a military wife? What are your achievements? So let’s take a moment to dissect this nomenclature. When we marry a man in uniform, beyond sharing his posting stories and adventures of finding unusual reptiles inside the accommodations, we also have a fair share of sacrifices made. Often we give up on our careers and dream #roles to fit into what is available- as they commonly say beggars can’t be choosers. No wonder most of the military wives will have at least one school name in their biodata work experience section. Our profiles lack consistency and are marked by several #career breaks, not by choice. When we enter the mainstream #workforce (if luck favours, and we get posted to an #urban city), we - the military spouse, are the marginalised section to work with which no one talks about. Most of us are forced to take up roles that might not match our pay expectations because “..your last drawn pay is much lesser” is what most of the recruiter would say. This hints at the insensitivity and indifference that we as a larger ecosystem have often showcased, knowingly or unknowingly, towards this not so negligible portion of our population. It is the #military #spouse that offers the silent support and strength to her man in uniform, but we as a community fail to acknowledge. Let’s take a moment to cherish and #celebrate #journey of a military spouse. If you know of anyone, send out a #gratitude note. If you don’t know them in person, find ways to notice and appreciate their silent gestures in not so silent ways. Look for HR #policies in your #organisation which could be tweaked to accommodate a military spouse. Think about ways in which we as a #society could create more #awareness and sensitivity towards these silent protagonists of our country. - Dr. Shambhavi Samir Alve (She/Her) A #proud Military Wife #therapistlife