Looking for a federal job? Visit these websites first

Are you a spouse looking for a job with great pay and benefits? Do you hope to keep that military connection long after your spouse retires?

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs may be worth a look.

The VA is the nation’s largest healthcare system and they hire in nearly every career field. Currently on www.vacareers.va.gov there are 2,584 job listings at VA sites around the nation.

If you are a well-qualified candidate who is willing to relocate, you may have a wide range of options.


Spouse job fairs in November

The fall is a great time to job search! Many companies are hiring extra help to assist with the holiday rush and it is a great opportunity for you to show an employer what you are capable of. A part-time holiday gig could easily turn into a fulltime opportunity.

Check out these upcoming job fairs below, sponsored by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation. Be sure to click on the link and register as spaces fill quickly.

Nov. 2

Uncasville, CT

Mohegan Sun Vets Rock 2018 Veterans Day Event and Hiring Fair


Successful job searches are carefully planned

Sometimes, good things really do come to those who wait.

And to those who have a good strategy.

Some of you might remember my previous posts about The Great Job Hunt. The quest has finally come to an end.

I will be officially employed as of Nov. 5 as a communications specialist for a local city government where I live, running their social media pages and writing and editing documents and information for residents, among other things.

How did I finally get a job, after submitting nearly 30 job applications in the past 15 months or so?


Need a good job reference? Be a good job candidate

Last week I received an email from a prestigious university to ask my opinion regarding a recent applicant.

I knew the applicant. I was good friends with the applicant, five years ago. We worked together extensively for three years at a fast-paced, demanding volunteer agency. After our PCS we kept in touch, sort of. We attended her wedding, two years ago. Since then, we’ve exchanged holiday pleasantries and clicked the like button on each other’s Facebook pages.


Network, network, network

The job hunt continues, one year on.

I’ve been told I’m underqualified. I’ve been told I’m overqualified. I’ve been told I was a top candidate but was missing one key piece of experience.

At one point I was even told, off the record, that at 50 years of age I am too old for a job in marketing or social media.

My main effort, though, has been put toward writing and journalism jobs, my stock and trade for the past 25 years.


Google makes job searches easier for military veterans and spouses

Put your resume in civilian terms.

That is one of the first pieces of advice resume writers will tell military members. The description of what you did in the military rarely fits the terminology used by civilians for the exact same duties. Not speaking the lingo is the fastest way to be passed over for a job.

Google has now begun providing a translation service of sorts for military members searching for civilian jobs.


Need experience for your resume? Work or volunteer with a political campaign

Midterm elections are coming. That means political campaigns need workers, lots of them. And a fast-paced, never-ending push to Election Day could easily fill your resume with praise.

Job-finding sites like Indeed.com and Monster.com have a plethora of campaign job listings. The best of those positions are paid well. Most, however, are volunteer work or if they are paid, are lower level jobs that require a lot of hours hoofing it around neighborhoods or cold calling voters.


Looking for work? Connect, network and learn from the pros

Summer is the season of goodbyes and new beginnings as many military families PCS. It is also the season of retirement and a glimpse into the unknown.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation hosts dozens of hiring fairs for military members and their spouses around the country each month. But, the group also holds events for military families preparing to step into the civilian job force and leave the uniform behind.


There are more job openings than workers

If you were consumed by news of NFL kneeling and election results this week you probably missed a pretty astounding milestone: the U.S. Labor Department reported that there are now more job openings in the U.S. then there are people to fill them.

This is the first time this has happened in 20 years.

CNN reported that at the end of April there were 6.7 million job openings.

Does that mean the odds are in your favor to find a job?

Maybe.


Now hiring military spouses: Amazon

Need a job you can carry with you during and after PCS? Amazon may have the answer.

The online shopping giant hires virtual customer service representatives who work at home, and they have a job site dedicated specifically to military spouses.

The work from home positions include two to four weeks of paid training, seasonal and referral bonus opportunities and start at $10 – 11 per hour with bonus opportunities.

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