Money Matters MilitaryShoppers Page 10

Your Guide to Digital Coupons

07/27/2015 By Julie Provost

We all know that coupons can save us money at the commissary. However, sometimes finding those coupons can be quite the challenge, from having to get the Sunday newspaper to finding the coupons you want to use. You also have to buy the paper and that might not be in the budget.

That is why digital coupons can be a lot easier. You can find sites that work best for you, only clip the coupons you will use, print and take to the store. They are a lot easier to manage.

Are you looking for printable coupons?

Coupons.com is the first place I like to go to get digital coupons. They have an easy to navigate website and you can find the coupons you want to use. You will need to go through their list of coupons and digitally “clip” them and print out the ones that you want. They update with new coupons on the 1st of every month so it’s a good idea to get in the habit of going to the site on the 1st and getting your coupons for the month.

There are a few other sites you will want to go to on a regular basis to find coupons to use at the commissary:

SmartSource Online Coupons

CoolSavings

Coupon Cabin

Coupon Mom

You should be going to your favorite products pages too, a lot of times you can get digital coupons that way. Sometimes they have them on their website and other times they might want you to sign up for their newsletter or like their Facebook page.

Make sure to do your research on the sales going on at the commissary and matching them up to your coupons. You will save more money if you use your coupons on sale items. I like to get into the weekly habit of doing this based on what is on sale and what coupons I have. If you take the time to do this, you can really increase your savings.

I like to go to Southern Savers to get my commissary match-ups done each week. This blogger makes finding the match-ups easy because all you have to do is click on the link to the commissary and find out what is on sale that you can match with your digital coupons. You can also find some printable coupons on her site.

You will want to have a good way of keeping your coupons organized. If you don’t do this you will be more likely to forget your coupons and not find the ones you need for the products you plan to get. Once I started organizing my coupons I was able to always remember to bring them and no longer left them at home when I would head to the store.

One option is to buy a binder, some baseball card holders and make categories for the types of items you buy. You can break the sections down to be specific or keep things more general such as “breakfast, lunch, dinner and snack.” I like to have them more specific than that because I find it is much easier to look through my coupons before my shopping trip. If you don’t want to use a big binder, you can find or make a small coupon wallet that will fit into your purse.

Are you looking for printable coupons? Check out the coupons.com for valuable coupons to help your family save money on your grocery bill.

Shipping Your Vehicle? What You Need to Know for Your Next PCS

03/27/2015 By Michelle Volkmann

I always thought when you move that the military pays to transport 1 vehicle from your former duty station to your new military installation within the United States. Negative. The military is not responsible for the service member’s vehicle during a PCS within the United States. This is a common myth of military life.

When we were PCSing from Maryland to California, I kindly told my husband that we couldn’t drive both cars cross country with our 2 little ones, so just “ask the Navy to ship it for us.” He kindly explained that the Navy doesn’t ship our POVs. We pay for that. So I was stubborn and we drove both cars. Now my daughters HATE road trips. The younger one cries if she’s in the car for more than 90 minutes. Lesson learned.

For our next PCS, we arranged to ship one car and it was well worth the money. But again, it wasn’t without a few hiccups. Again, lessons learned.

Are you considering shipping your POV between CONUS duty stations? Here’s what you need to know for your next PCS.

You select your shipping company. You have the control, which is wonderful. But there are many options for car transport companies. Do you want closed or open carrier? Do you want door-to-door delivery? Or terminal-to-terminal delivery? If you’re like me and this is your first time shipping your POV, the options can be a little overwhelming.

Tip: Ask in a forum or military spouse Facebook group for recommendations. This research will save you a lot of time looking at different companies. Use this information to narrow down the choices to 3 companies that other service members have already used and been happy with the results.

You need to question the quotes. You will need to get shipping estimates from various companies before selecting one. We got one estimate that was WAY lower than the other ones. After asking a few targeted questions, we found out that we assumed this was a door-to-door delivery option, it wasn’t. Also this company had a reputation among military families for asking for an additional $300 at pick-up. Finally, verify their DOT and MC numbers to ensure they are properly licensed.

Tip: Once you agree to a quote with a selected company, do not give the driver any more money. Even if he asks for it, which he may. Even if you’re fearful that he won’t take your car. Have a name and a cellphone number of the company representative who agreed to your quote. Be prepared to call the company representative if there are any disagreements at any point in the process.

You need to follow the carrier’s rules. Every transportation company has their own guidelines for shipping vehicles. Your car may need to be completely empty and cleaned both inside and out before shipping. Other companies will let you fill the trunk with your belongings. Your service member may be need to show a copy of their orders. Military spouses may need to show a Power of Attorney authorizing you to ship the vehicle. You may need additional insurance to cover any damages occurred during the transportation process. Many companies ask that you pay the driver in cash. Be prepared to pay in cash or with a cashier’s check.

Tip: Don’t be afraid to ask questions. Lots and lots of questions. It will save you a lot of headache when the day comes to ship your POV.

In the end, it was worth the money to ship our vehicle for our last PCS.

Have you shipped a vehicle from one duty station to another? What lessons did you learn from this experience?

10 Employment Programs to Help Military Spouses Find Jobs

02/25/2015 By Rachel Tringali Marston

There is a constant struggle with finding employment for military spouses. Honestly, that struggle was my biggest fear as I entered the lifestyle. I had a secure job that I absolutely loved, but when my husband received orders to move to another location, I was practically forced out of it because my employer wanted to keep someone in-house. Sounds familiar, right?

At the same time as planning a PCS, I was job hunting and re-evaluating my career path altogether.

I found that lack of consistency seemed to be the classic issue for military spouses. Jobs are difficult to maintain because of the transient lifestyle. National Military Family Association reports that 85% of military spouses either want or need work. To me, that’s a pretty high percentage.

Lucky for us, there is an arsenal full of programs to help ease the job hunt. Researching and utilizing the different programs have helped me understand the job marketplace that’s available to us. So, why not give them a try for your next job hunt?

10 Employment Programs to Help Military Spouses Find a Job

Which military spouse employment programs have you used?

Here are 10 different programs aimed to help military spouses find the perfect job:

Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP): This career portal matches military spouses to appropriate jobs for them. Employers partner with this program, so they already know that you’re a military spouse. Therefore, the job will most likely be one that you can take with you or is friendly to moving with more than one job site. The partnership also provides career advice and education for those that seek it.
Spouse Education & Career Opportunities (SECO): SECO helps military spouses set the career stage meaning it provides guidance and resources to help with mapping out the right career plan for us. If you feel like you need a change of pace or are in a job rut, this program might be something to consider. A counselor can give you the right tools needed to evaluate a career transition.
Veterans Career Transition Program (VCTP): Don’t let the name fool you. VCTP also serves military spouses. The program, run by the Institute for Veterans and Military Families at Syracuse University, offers free online courses educating and training students by giving them what they need once they enter the workforce.
Military Spouse eMentor Program: I’ve found that networking is a particularly powerful practice for military spouses because it gives us the opportunity to express our passion directly to potential employers. The Military Spouse eMentor Program is apart of the Hiring Our Heroes, a nationwide incentive to help veterans and military spouses find fulfilling employment. It allows us to connect with a registered mentor that’s eager to assist with anything and everything career-related. As you continue your search, your mentor could point you in the right direction to a serious job opportunity.
Career Spark: Also apart of the Hiring Our Heroes incentive, Career Spark is an organization created by military spouses for military spouses. The program helps build and tailor the ideal resume for you and gets you ready for the workforce by offering tips and advice.
Military Spouse Corporate Career Network (MSCCN): This nonprofit organization offers employment readiness programs and job placement solutions for military spouses. They also provide great live training sessions online that are all designed to make you competitive in the workplace.
National Military Spouse Network (NMSN): This organization was my gateway to networking with other military spouses. I attended their career summit a couple years ago and I was immediately hooked with the idea of military spouses helping each other with career advice, professional aspirations and mentorship. They also have lots of resources and content available online.
The Milspo Project: The Milspo Project launched their Embark career conference last year and will be doing the same this year in Fayetteville, North Carolina. Their goal is to raise awareness about the obstacles military spouses face and providing an event environment to empower. Are you near Fayetteville? It’s worth giving their career conference a shot.
In Gear Career: If it’s not obvious, I’m a huge advocate of military spouse networking. Networking is actually how I landed my job(s). In Gear Career takes networking to the local level by connecting career-minded military spouses together to create meaningful relationships. Don’t see a chapter in your area? They also have a virtual chapter.
Local Installation Employment Readiness Programs: When I first moved to the Fort Belvoir area, I was excited that they hosted local job fairs via the Employment Readiness Program (ERP) for both recently separated military members and military spouses. It’s a great resource that’s local to your installation that can assist with locating a job in your area. Keep a very close eye on base or post for events and/or opportunities.

Which military spouse employment programs have you used? Share your experiences.

Take the Savings Pledge And Promote Military Savings

02/20/2015 By Kimber Green

Military Saves Week 2015 is February 23-28 and is a great time to assess your military savings plan. This is a weeklong initiative of the DoD’s Financial Readiness Campaign to promote military savings within the military community with thousands of businesses participating. Events are being held on military installations around the world during this time to help service members set a goal, make a plan and save automatically. Installations, organizations and businesses will be promoting positive military savings and offering opportunities to learn how to save and build wealth, not debt.

The campaign aims to motivate service members to save a portion of each paycheck, develop a personal financial plan, establish good credit and enroll in programs such as: Thrift Savings Plan, Savings Deposit Program and Group Life Insurance to encourage military savings. Banks, credit unions and financial services organizations are all participating by offering special deals and information sessions during this time to help educate the community about the importance of military savings.

Take the Savings Pledge During Military Saves Week

Military Saves slogan is “Start Small, Think Big.”

Many military installations will be offering workshops and seminars. If you’re stationed at Darby Military Community, Italy, you could learn about military savings while shopping. “Take an adventure in learning basic thrift and savings skills while shopping. The outing includes trips to several consignment and second-hand stores in Livorno and Stagno.” Yep, you win.

Whether you go on an awesome outing in Italy, sit in on a financial savings seminar in Jacksonville or simply scroll through militarysaves.org, you’ll be taking a step in the right direction of moving toward better savings.

So how do you actually save money?

It all starts with making a plan and a commitment to stick to it. You don’t have to be tough on yourself and pinch pennies; make a savings plan that is easy to follow and realistic. It’s easier to have short goals, such as saving $10 a week, rather than telling yourself you need $500 by the end of the year for an emergency fund. This is exactly what I thought of when I read their slogan: Start Small, Think Big. Not only is it catchy, but it’s a great way to look at savings. Many people become intimidated by the big picture and don’t know how or where to start.

You could begin by visiting their website. It offers tips and strategies for saving, lists events hosted on each base and has a long list of resources. Then sit down with your spouse and discuss what your savings goals should be and if you would like to attend an event or make an appointment to speak with a financial counselor. Each step you take strengthens your financial future and having healthy finances and an open line of communication are key to reaching that goal.

Related: 3 Easy Ways to Spend Less Money in 2015

Include children in this week’s activities as well. Military Youth Saves is a program designed to motivate children and teenagers to develop good savings habits early. It teaches them to create their own savings plan and to save a little bit of money each month to reach a goal. This is a great time to start a piggy bank or open a savings account for your child.

Don’t pinch pennies; pick up loose change! It really adds up.

Be a good role model. Whether you know it or not, your children are watching and learning from what you do. If you drop your loose change in the piggy bank by the door, sooner or later they’ll start snatching up loose coins too and putting them in their piggy banks. Show them that saving money for the future is important.

If you’re on a tight budget, you might think it’s hard to start a military savings plan, but it is possible. Military Saves Week can give you the tools you need to make it happen. It’s up to you to take advantage of them. Take the Savers Pledge and start saving today.

Military Saves Week activities teach service members and their families to build wealth, not debt.

What events are going on at your installation for Military Savings Week? Have you taken the Savers Pledge? Tell us in the comments section.

How to Spend Your Tax Refund Wisely

02/12/2015 By Kimber Green

It’s that wonderful time of year: tax season.

I’m always such a procrastinator when it comes to taxes. I don’t wait until the last minute, but I put it off as long as I can. The first time my husband and I filed taxes together he insisted on going to a tax preparation business out in town. I’ve always done my own taxes so I was quite mad when we finished up and I saw our bill. I’m still annoyed by it so I continue to procrastinate every year.

My husband is adamant that we use a tax preparation company since they offer a guarantee that if something is wrong, they will fix it. Having special military pay and working in tax-free zones for part of the year can all add up to some tax confusion so having the comfort of knowing a professional is doing the paperwork is a bit of a relief.

Recently I discovered that H&R Block has offices on more than 100 military bases offering free tax services. You have options for filing your taxes for free too. The Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Program offers “no-cost tax advice and preparation, return filing and other tax assistance to military members and their families” and through Military OneSource, you can use H&R Block At Home Online Tax Return Preparation. If you want help, you can go in person or call their help line 24/7 until June or if you want to do it yourself at home you can too. You don’t need to spend money to file your taxes.

However you choose to file your taxes, you have to do it before April 15. Hopefully you’ll be receiving a refund. We can all hope.

Once you file your taxes you still have one big decision left to make, what are you going to do with your tax refund?

There are 5 options of how to wisely reinvent your tax return.

Pay off credit card debt: Take this opportunity to pay off, or at least lower, your credit card debt. If you have student loans, vehicle payments or mortgage payments, you could put your return toward that as well.

Invest in your future: Financial planning, while not very exciting, is important. Meet with a financial adviser and see what types of investments are right for you. Perhaps it’s time to start a Roth IRA if you don’t already have one.

Invest in your children’s future: If you have children and hope they will go to college one day, setting up a college fund now can help offset tuition and other expenses down the road.

Buy a new vehicle: Have you been dreaming of a new car? Your tax refund might give you the additional income desired to put down a significant down payment.

Take a vacation: Everyone needs a little down time. Take some much needed time with your family, or just yourself and get away for a while. While you are vacationing, don’t forget to ask for a military discount at hotels, museums, attractions and restaurants. You can also book a vacation at a military resort if you want to stretch your tax refund dollars a little farther.

No matter how you choose to use your tax refund, do something that will make you happy. While your neighbor is showing off his new shiny car, you might be smiling having invested in your children’s 529 college savings program. It might not be flashy, but it will have a great reward one day when your children head off to college.

What are you planning to do with your tax refund?

3 Easy Ways to Spend Less Money in 2015

01/28/2015 By Julie Provost

I don’t know about you but when a new year starts I always think a lot about our money situation: how we are spending our income, which debts we are going to pay off and how much money we are going to save. It only make sense to do this when you are starting a new year.

It is always a good idea to figure out how to spend your money wisely. It shouldn’t matter how much you make. It is a good thing to work to make every dollar go a little further.

Here is a list of 3 ways to help you spend less money in 2015.

They have worked for many people and they can help you get on the road to a better relationship with your income.

Use Cash. This is as simple as making a budget and going to the ATM to get your money out. A lot of people like to use envelopes for different categories such as groceries, entertainment and gas. By using cash you can get a very visual idea of where your money is actually going. It is also harder for a lot of people to spend cash. Using a card is easier and requires less thought. Once you run out of cash for a particular category for the month, you can’t spend any more money.
Use Coupons. Couponing can seem a little overwhelming but once you know what you are doing, clipping coupons becomes a habit. All you need to do is start buying your local newspaper on Sundays, find coupons online and go to the right websites to help you match them with your local stores. It will take you about an hour to get ready for your shopping trip but the savings will be worth it. When you match coupons to sales you are able to save more money than you would think. There are also a lot of great resources out there for those wanting to learn about couponing. Don’t forget to add digital coupons to your commissary rewards card app every week.
Save Your Spare Change. Find an extra plastic tub of some kind. You can also buy a piggy bank. Put all your spare change in it. When it is filled, go and cash it in. You would be surprised to find out how much money you can save this way. You could use the money for a family event or put it in savings. Tell your kids about it and have them contribute to the jar. You will have even more change if you use the cash system to help save money.

Even by making a few changes, you can see a big difference. You can make room in your budget to pay down more debt, save a little bit more or vacation a little bit more with your family. Take baby steps to achieve your financial goals and take the time to sit down with your spouse to discuss what you want in the next few years. It is very helpful to have a goal and be able to work together to get to where you want to be financially.

How are you planning to spend less in 2015?

January’s Commissary Specials Caused Me to Do a Double Take

01/02/2015 By Michelle Volkmann

I experienced sticker shock in my hometown grocery store last week. Like many military families, I spent the holiday season with my parents in the Midwest. Now places like South Dakota and Nebraska tend to be known for low-cost living. But when my mom asked me to pick up a few essential items (milk, eggs, bread, sugar, graham crackers) on my way to her house, I was stunned by the prices.

My brain worked through a series of thoughts. First there was confusion. This price can’t be right, can it? It must be an error. Followed closely by flabbergasted. Is this some kind of holiday price increase? My mom said “Nope.” And finally I felt grateful. I found myself in the cracker aisle of a locally owned grocery store in my hometown thanking Uncle Sam for our military commissaries.

This month’s commissary specials offer a mix of party food for the big game along with pantry staples that fit with my New Year’s resolution to spend less and save more money in 2015.

Muir Glen organic fire roasted diced tomatoes, the main ingredient in my football playoff chili, are on sale this month. A 14.5-ounce can is only $1.00. One buck. That price made me do a double-take. That’s dirt cheap. That’s cheaper than if I grew my OWN organic tomatoes and canned them at the end of the season. You can guarantee I’ll be stocking up on the Muir Glen diced tomatoes. My family will be eating Spicy Cajun Gumbo on Mardi Gras and Tortilla Taco Meatball Soup for easy, breezy Sunday night dinners.

Winter is the best time of year for soup. Whether you like the Campbell’s Homestyle Healthy Soup (Italian-style wedding or chicken with whole grain pasta) or Campbell’s Chunky Soup (sausage gumbo is my favorite), you can have your pick. Both are on sale this month at the commissary. Serving soup for lunch or dinner is an affordable way to warm up during January.

What to know what other commissary specials made me do a double-take?

Old El Paso refried beans, $.75. Save an additional $.30 with this coupon.
Green Giant Nibblers 6 mini ears of corn on the cob, $1.50
Totino Party Pepperoni Pizza, $.89
Pace Chunky Salsa, 2 for $3
V8 Vegetable Juice, Healthy Greens, $2.98 Pair that sale price with this $1.00 coupon and they are practically giving the V8 Carrot Mango to you.

In case you were wondering, Pace Chunky Salsa is another ingredient in my football chili.

Are you a fan of Frito-Lay chips? Lay’s Classic Potato Chips ($2.00), Ruffles, original or Cheddar and Sour Cream ($2.09) and Tostitos Scoops ($2.50) along with Doritos ($2.50) are all on sale this month. Don’t forget to stock up on chips for the big game. It’s the ultimatum game day snack. But please, don’t crunch during the commercials.

Pair it with Tostitos Queso Dip, on sale for $2.50, and you’ll be doing a happy dance when you walk out of the commissary. Save more, spend less and do more double-takes with this month’s sale specials at your military commissary.

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5 Tips for Saving Money During a Deployment

11/21/2014 By Rachel Tringali Marston

Deployments are never fun. Whether it’s your first or fifth, it doesn’t get any easier. One thing is for sure, deployments can offer families some relief by giving us the opportunity to save money.

Is your service member is deployed? Here are the top 5 tips to save money while your loved one is away.

Know the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. This is an important one and it should be on your radar before a deployment arises. There are some critical benefits that help military families during a deployment (and in general), thanks to this special piece of legislation. By utilizing the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act, families can break leases that could potentially help with moving to areas that have lower cost of living as well as saving renters for their traditional Permanent Change of Station (PCS). Military members are able to cap their interest rates on loans (mortgage rates and credit cards). Most importantly, military members can cancel or freeze accounts due to a deployment. For instance, my husband’s cell phone bill is about $100 a month stateside. Because he had orders taking him overseas, he cancelled his service that subsequently saved us $1,200 for the year. The same applies for auto insurance or any other account that may have a subscription. They are not going to need those accounts while downrange.
Put Deployment Pay in a Savings Account. Depending on the type of deployment, TDY, unaccompanied tour, etc., your military member is given additional pay. Only 14 days into our marriage, my husband left for an unaccompanied tour to a location that gave him Hardship Duty Pay (HDP). Because I stayed behind, we were given Family Separation Allowance (FSA) as well. I encourage military spouses to understand as much as they can the different military financial terms to help prepare for any situation. We got married while my husband was still living in the barracks and I with roommates, which meant we didn’t have any practical household items like a sofa or kitchen goods. It was really important for us to save, save, save! We put ALL the additional money into a savings account to gain interest for the year he was away along with building a reasonable amount of money to help us get started in what I call the “real start to our marriage.”
Unplug Unused Items in Your Home. My husband has a whole side of the room that is plugged with his electronics. Not to mention, he has an Xbox, Playstation that he keeps in the living room. Unplug everything, especially if you don’t use it because it still uses a bit electricity. Every voltage counts in your bill and that could save you dollars that add up in the long run.
Establish a Tight Budget. Honestly, this is a difficult task, even for me, but it’s a tip that can seriously help with long term planning. I immediately went into a budget funk when my husband left for the very first time and began coping with retail therapy. Let’s be honest, a separation messes with your mindset a bit and it goes for both parties involved. After a month of spending anarchy, I snapped back and realized that I had some craziness coming (aka our PCS). Spend some time to crunch numbers and establish a strict budget. Aside from the deployment pay that’s going into a savings account, what else could you put into savings? What is the figure you have left after bills? There are lots of great resources out there to help military families budget. MilitaryOneSource offers a wealth of information and financial counselors to help you get on the right track. I entered everything into a Google Document and shared the file privately with my husband, so he was able to see how things were going when he got the opportunity to go online. Since then, my husband and I powwow before a departure to make sure we are on the same page. Keep the line of communication open when it comes to budget.
Meal Plan. A relatively mundane tip from the rest, but still important. In my opinion, meal planning doesn’t get enough attention about how it can really save you money. Confession: I was guilty of eating out or ordering in a lot when I was alone. Why meal plan when it’s only yourself feed? Answer: it adds up. On average, a meal out would be around $10 (give or take) with 5 days of purchasing, that would be $50 a week! If you have children, the figure just goes up. I’m not saying to completely nix eating out, just to moderate spending (we all need a little time out). Instead of spending $50 for one meal a day for a week, I use that figure to feed myself all three meals for a week. Use your strict budget to set-up a special allowance that goes to your food. Take some time to map out your meals for the week. That helps with keeping yourself in check with your planning.

How much money have you saved during a deployment? How did you do it? Share your tips.

5 Tips for Job Hunting When You’re Still in Uniform

11/19/2014 By Michelle Volkmann

As military spouses, the job hunt is just another box to check on our PCS checklist. We are constantly updating our resumes, networking with potential job leads and shaking hands at career fairs.

But what about our service members? The military teaches today’s veterans to fight terrorism on foreign soil but writing a stellar cover letter isn’t a component of boot camp.

According to 2 recent studies focused on veterans and unemployment, eight in 10 veterans did not have a job when they left the military and nearly half of veterans stayed in their first post-separation position for 12 months or less (and two-thirds for 2 years or less). These startling statistics shine a spotlight on veteran unemployment and the challenges surrounding this issue. Add the fact that our military is currently facing significant troop reductions, we can all agree that solving the unemployment problem for veterans starts when they are still in uniform.

5 Tips for Job Hunting and Networking When You’re Still in Uniform

Create a LinkedIn Profile. If you are in the military, you need a LinkedIn profile, even if you think you will serve for 20 years. This professional social media platform allows you to connect with former colleagues and potential employers. If you want a job, you need a LinkedIn account.
Befriend Civilians. The longer you are in the military, the more insular the community becomes. Within 5 years, you know loads of Marines, soldiers and sailors, but you don’t know any police officers, facility managers or educators. Solve this problem by joining a professional organization, like Toastmasters International. Toastmasters is an easy way to practice your public speaking skills and connect with professionals in your community. Volunteer to coach your kid’s soccer team or help with a local Boy Scouts troop. These extra-curricular activities will lead to potential jobs outside of the military.
Send Christmas Cards. When you say “see you later” to every captain or sergeant who crossed your path, don’t forget about each other. Dedicate time to keep in touch with service members that you served with at all ranks. Know who you can count on for references when the time comes to write your civilian resume. Build your network within your military community now.
Maintain Your Security Clearances and Certifications. In the military, there are certain boxes that you check for a particular job. It was a requirement for that job, but it won’t always be a requirement. If you speak a second language, take the test to be classified as bilingual. Raise your hand for collateral duties instead of being directed to take these roles within your command. Make sure your certifications and security clearances are up to date and current. Position yourself to be competitive both in and out of the military.
Make a Plan B. The fact is that the Department of Defense is downsizing and every soldier, Marine, airman and sailor needs to have a Plan B. You need to plan to take your military job and convert it to a civilian job in the future. Obviously the majority of military jobs do not have a civilian equivalent, so invent one. The military offered opportunities for leadership, so management is a natural fit for you. The military taught you how to motivate others, so sales may be calling your name. Research specialized programs like Troops to Teachers and Veterans to Farmers while you’re still active duty so that you know your options when you separate from the service.

Spend time twice a year brainstorming ways you can take the knowledge and experience you gained in the military and apply it toward your second career: Your civilian career. The one where you won’t have daily PT, mandatory fun and stand-downs.

What tips do you have for service members preparing to start their civilian job search?

Disclose or Hide? Should You Say You’re a MilSpouse During a Job Interview

11/17/2014 By Kimber Green

Do you tell potential employers that you’re a military spouse?

Should you tell an interviewer you are a military spouse? The answer depends on you. There are many professionals that will tell you both yes and no.

I have always been worried about this situation. I have a fantastic education, I’ve traveled the world and I am a hard worker. Unfortunately, my resume looks like Swiss cheese. Being part of a military family can create gaps in your resume. Moving is just part of the experience and I’ve always had a hard time finding the right job.

There are those questions that military spouses fear in a job interview. Why did you choose to move here? Where do you see yourself in 5 years? Why do you have gaps in your resume and why are all of your jobs in different states? The recruiters I spoke with all had different answers.

These are average interview questions, but are they really fishing to see if you are a military spouse? It is illegal to ask an interviewee if they are a military spouse so there are some people that use these types of questions to get around it. My biggest fear in saying I was a milspouse was that they would skip past my other qualifications and see me as someone who is going to leave in a short time. Why hire me when they know they’ll be back searching for another person soon?

I would avoid any mention of the military during job interviews for this reason.

My answers would be that I moved to the area because I loved what it had to offer and I was looking for a place to put down roots. Why did I move so much and change jobs often or have gaps in my resume? I loved to travel and learn new things that would prepare me for the right career instead of just a job. At the time, I thought they were great answers and that I had side-stepped the questions. When I got the job I would always feel guilty that I didn’t tell them that I was a military spouse. They would find out all too soon that I was and surprisingly they have never been upset.

That’s when I realized that being part of the military family was not something I should hold back, but a great asset that I should utilize in an interview. Next time you are faced with these questions consider saying that being a milspouse has made you a flexible team player, a quick learner, a problem-solver and the person that they are going to hire.

Don’t worry too much about the interviewer focusing on the likelihood that you will be leaving in a few short years. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics the average number of years workers typically stay with a job, as reported in September 2014, was 4.6 years. Turnover is high these days as the younger generation chooses to explore different jobs and opportunities.

If you do want to get a leg up on the competition there is a program, Military Spouse Preference (MSP), which is designed to help spouses stay in the workforce and find jobs easier when PCSing. It only applies to positions with the Department of Defense (DoD) and for military spouses who meet specific criteria. There are two types of federal employment within the DoD. These include civil service or Appropriated Fund and Non-Appropriated Fund. Those that make the short list of candidates for a job are given preference. If a federal position with the DoD is something you are interested in, utilize this program.

What questions have you been asked in an interview?

What questions have you been asked in a job interview?

For tools beyond Monster.com and Craigslist, use military spouse specific search engines when looking for a job. Military Spouse Employment Partnership (MSEP) is there to help you hone your skills and find the right job.

MSEP, a targeted recruitment and employment solution, creates employment connections that provide companies with direct access to military spouses seeking career opportunities and spouses with direct access to employers who are actively recruiting. MSEP currently has more than 220 partners, who have hired over 60,000 military spouses.

Don’t be part of the 25 percent of military spouses that are looking for employment but haven’t found a job just because you are afraid of saying, or not saying, in an interview that you are a milspouse.

Have you experienced this disclosure dilemma in a job interview? How did you handle it?

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