By Marguerite Cleveland

     Employment continues to be a challenge for military spouses as constant moves wreak havoc with many a civilian career. So what is a milspouse to do? Consider Virtual Employment which can mean running your own online business or working online from home for another company. Here are some options.

• Amazon – Offers a variety of virtual jobs from customer service to jobs with or without a degree. Visit their webpage for information specific to the military.
• Hilton – The Company offers a great work from home opportunity as a sales and reservation clerk. This is a job you can take with you once you move. It is relatively easy to learn with online training and in addition to hourly pay, full benefits including a 401(K) retirement plan with company match and what military family doesn’t love travel benefits.
• Humana – Humana has many opportunities for telecommuting. In addition to customer service opportunities did you know you can telecommute as a nurse? The Telephonic Utilization Pre-Service RN conducts a variety of patient management services and coordination over the phone or online.
• Flexjobs – This is a paid service which offers job listings. You can search for remote and virtual jobs and it lists a variety of fields with jobs available. There are quite a few job listings. It may be worth a one month membership to look at what is available or to get some ideas for job hunting.
• Direct Sales – Many spouses turn to direct sales as an option for employment. If you are good at sales this could be a good fit for you. A few keys to success. Only represent a company which is a member of the Direct Selling Association which provides consumer protection for independent sales. Pick a product that you love and feel comfortable representing. Your best opportunity to be successful is to pick a company that does not have many representatives in your area. For example I can list at least 10 people I know who sell Rodan and Fields. You should really evaluate you comfort level selling to your friends and family and then branching out to people you don’t know. The average consultant makes about $200 a month which can be a nice supplement but is nowhere near full time employment.

     These are just a few options. Always make sure you are dealing with a reputable company when pursuing virtual or telecommuting job opportunities. If someone is asking for money upfront that can be a red flag.

     Have you ever held a work from home job? Comment below on your experiences.

Marguerite Cleveland is a freelance writer who specializes in human interest and travel stories. She is a military brat, a veteran and now a military spouse.  Her military experience is vast as the daughter of a Navy man who served as an enlisted sailor and then Naval Officer. She served as an enlisted soldier in the reserves and on active duty, then as an Army Officer. She currently serves as a military spouse. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Visit her website www.PeggyWhereShouldIGo.com

By Marguerite Cleveland

     One of the benefits of military service is eligibility for a VA Guaranteed Loan to purchase a home as a primary residence. This great program allows you to save money and avoid tying up your savings by having no down payment requirement. Here are some of the many benefits:

• No Down Payment. The biggest advantage of a VA loan is you can save your cash by not having to put down a large down payment. According to Realtor.com’s Housing Trend Report in March the average home listing price in the US was $300,000. So with a 10% down payment you are looking at $30,000 and with a 20% down payment $60,000. Add that to closing costs and it can put a house out of reach for many people.
• A VA Appraisal. While this doesn’t take the place of a thorough home inspection. There are minimum property requirements set by the VA which ensure your property is safe, sanitary and sound.
• No mortgage insurance. Basically when you purchase a home on a conventional mortgage with less than 20% down you have to pay PMI (mortgage insurance) until your mortgage is paid down to 78% of the value of your initial purchase price. On a $300,000 loan you are looking at around $100 more a month added on to your mortgage payment.
• Funding Fee. This varies according to your status but for an initial purchase for an active duty military service member it is 2.15% with no down payment. This fee can be rolled into your loan and is much less than the typical down payment. In addition if you are a disabled Veteran rated as low as 10% disabled you are eligible for the funding fee to be waived for a nice savings in costs.
• Closing Costs. The VA limits what lenders can charge for closing costs. It saves on all those added on fees many lenders will charge. This can save you a nice chunk of change.
• Less Restrictions. There are no prepayment penalties and no restrictions on refinancing your VA loan. In fact the VA even has a program called the Interest Rate Reduction Loan program.
• Easier to Qualify. Because of the VA Loan Guaranty, VA loan guidelines are more flexible. You will still have to submit documentation but the process has less requirements.
• Ability to Shop for the Right Loan. VA Loans come in all shapes and sizes. They can be fixed or adjustable rates and used to purchase a variety of housing options such as a house or condo. Each lender sets their rates so you can shop around to get the best fit for your situation. I have found that credit unions like Navy Federal Credit Union consistently have the best rates and terms as well as not selling your loan to another mortgage company.

     VA Loans have many great benefits but be aware that in a hot real estate market many sellers will state they won’t accept a VA Loan. There is a perception among some real estate agents that the loan takes longer to process than a conventional mortgage and that the VA appraisal process is too stringent. We recently purchased our forever home in a hot market with a VA mortgage. We lost a few because we were using a VA loan but ultimately found our home. We just weren’t willing to forgo this benefit. For more information visit: www.VA.gov

Marguerite Cleveland is a freelance writer who specializes in human interest and travel stories. She is a military brat, a veteran and now a military spouse.  Her military experience is vast as the daughter of a Navy man who served as an enlisted sailor and then Naval Officer. She served as an enlisted soldier in the reserves and on active duty, then as an Army Officer. She currently serves as a military spouse. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Visit her website www.PeggyWhereShouldIGo.com

Over the last decade, I feel like I’ve been constantly searching and seeking. Not really for a place to fit in or friends – that’s actually been fairly easy. No, I’ve been job hunting for essentially 10 years. Or, if I’m not on the hunt, I’m hustling hard for my small business as an education consultant.

Frankly, I’m tired of the hunt and hustle routine. It’s flat out exhausting. And I’m ready to step back for a minute.

Why I’m Dropping Out of the Hustle

See, I started this military life as a new college graduate. I’d spent the previous 22 years of life planning my future: go to college, get a degree, find a job, get married, have kids and eventually retire. Somewhere along the way, that plan got hijacked. There wasn’t a clear shot from college to job.

Now, I don’t want you to think I’m complaining. I love this life, but it’s not what I planned. And adjusting has taken me, well, a decade.

At that first duty station, I jumped into a job that was semi-related, tangentially, kind of, maybe – okay, not at all. It was a nanny job, not a teaching job. But I snagged it up because I needed to do something, anything to fill my need to contribute to the family financially. Yes, even if it didn’t make me happy or added extra stress.

Constantly On The Hunt For Opportunity

Even while I was in the job, I was looking for the next thing, a job or an opportunity. This pattern just kept on repeating with every PCS: jump into a job, feel dissatisfied, keep looking for the next best thing out there – all while prepping to PCS in the back of my mind.

I hopped into jobs without ever giving myself a chance to really settle in or adjust. Instead of taking the time to actually finish the PCS, I was job hunting the second we got orders.

Being constantly on the hunt got really old. So I thought I’d switch things up and go into business for myself.

Different Title, Same Old Hustle

Starting my own business seemed like a great idea. I enrolled in courses, joined Facebook groups and tracked the big names. Everything in an attempt to learn how to do things “right” in the social media age. This was a different kind of business climate than when I had operated my tutoring business years earlier.

I tried, I really tried, to do all the things. Social media channels were up and running. I ran a blog with relevant, click-baity topics relevant to my target audience. Later, I added services and products.

But I was running myself ragged trying to do it all, to fit the mold, to hit the mark. It just wasn’t authentic and it was too much. I was constantly on the run, trying to find the next best way to do things.

At one point, I was on vacation in Bangkok with my kids and husband. Yes, we saw incredible and amazing things. But early mornings and late nights were spent creating social media content or another blog post, answering emails or networking. I was on vacation – except I was still working.

Which was exactly the opposite of my goal when starting by own business. I did this to escape the 24/7 work cycle of teaching.

Changing My Story of Hunt & Hustle

We just got orders again and I caught myself slipping back into my old habits of job hunting and hustling for my business. The stress was building and I started to wonder if running my life, this one shining opportunity for happiness, on someone else’s plans or even ceaselessly was worth it.

Was it valuable to spend my last moments in this location hustling? Did I need the stress of trying to coordinate a job with a house with good schools and a decent commute?

Short answer: No. Running myself ragged, either to fulfill my own business venture or someone else’s organization, is not worth it.

And so I’m done.

I’m done chasing someone else’s dreams, or even my own ventures, at the expense of my sanity and precious time with my family. From here on out, I’m doing what makes me happy, fulfilled and passionate.

So I’m going to write more, for organizations I love and with editors who support me. I’ll be running my business on my schedule, committing only to projects, products and engagement opportunities that I enjoy. And I’ll be continuing to feed my editorial side with content management work that makes me incredibly happy.

All of it will be on my schedule, as a busy mom of two who makes family the number one priority. I love the work I am lucky enough to do: helping writers build their craft, working with families to find success at school and working on my own writing.

And I’m not stopping, but I am going to make balancing work and life more important. It’s pure luck that military life, the same life that disrupted my career plans, grants me this chance to be so incredibly flexible for my family.

No more endless job hunts. There’s finally an end to the non-stop hustle of entrepreneurship. Whatever I do now or next, it’s all going to be on my terms.

How has military life changed your plans? We’d love to hear your story! Tell us how you’re balancing your military life with family and work.

By Marguerite Cleveland

     A new Army directive, 2019-18 was recently published and sets the groundwork to reimburse Soldiers for the costs their spouses incur due to certification and licensing fees requirements when moving to a new state.  Army Spouses face many barriers for long-term careers in professionally licensed fields. This directive hopes to relieve one of those barriers by reducing the cost of transferring licenses to a new state.

     “Our spouses are lawyers, nurses, teachers, cosmetologists and real estate agents,” said Dee Geise, who works in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Army for Manpower and Reserve Affairs. “It eases part of the stress of the cost associated with relicensing after a PCS move.”

    For many Spouses these costs are incurred with each new move and over time add up to a significant expense.  The new program authorizes reimbursements of qualified fees up to $500. For fees to be considered qualified, it must be required by the state to secure a certification or license. The Spouse must be currently employed and hold a certification or licensing requirement before the PCS move. It will not cover the costs to initially be certified in a field of employment. Spouses of Regular Army, Army National Guard and U.S. Army Reserve are eligible. Family members must be authorized on the PCS orders at the expense of the United States to be considered for this new entitlement. The directive is grandfathered in to December 12, 2017, the date of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2018. At this time it will cover expenses paid up to December 31, 2022. It is hoped that Congress will renew this entitlement in future Defense Budgets or make it permanent.

     Right now there are no procedures in place to apply for the reimbursement. It is expected that the request for reimbursement will take place when filing PCS paperwork upon completion of the move. The Army Deputy Chief of Staff, G-a will be responsible for providing instructions for filing and will send a message to all Army activities once this is in place. For more information Soldiers can follow up with their unit S-1 for updates. Also check www.militaryonesoure.mil for updates. It also has tons of information on Spouse employment and careers. In the meantime save any receipts showing the payment of Licensure and Certification costs back to December 12, 2017 so you will be prepared to file for this entitlement.

Marguerite Cleveland is a freelance writer who specializes in human interest and travel stories. She is a military brat, a veteran and now a military spouse.  Her military experience is vast as the daughter of a Navy man who served as an enlisted sailor and then Naval Officer. She served as an enlisted soldier in the reserves and on active duty, then as an Army Officer. She currently serves as a military spouse. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Visit her website www.PeggyWhereShouldIGo.com

By Marguerite Cleveland

     The USO Pathfinder Program is a great resource for military spouses who are trying to have a career while moving every few years across the country and around the world. The program is located at 20 different installations around the country including Alaska and Hawaii.

1. What is the first step a military spouse should take if she is interested in employment or learning new skills? 

The first step is evaluating the “Why” and what is the overall “Vision”. Then I recommend getting connected with a USO to determine the “How” to get connected within our network that has been established for over 75 years. Spouses are eligible to connect with a USO Pathfinder Scout at any time no just when your spouse transitions service. Those who are interested in getting connected with a Scout should download the USO phone application to get connected with a scout or just connect with us at https://www.uso.org/campaign/signup-pathfinder. 

The USO Pathfinder program is committed to ensuring military spouses are taken care of just as much as their service member counterparts, both in service and through transition back to civilian life.  USO Pathfinder extends the USO experience to service members and military spouses transitioning from the military as they settle into their new communities, as well as for military spouses at any point in their military journey as they transition from one installation to the next. USO Pathfinder provides a supportive community to keep military spouses and military families strong and connected, while ensuring their voices are heard and their needs are met as they transition to life after military service. USO Pathfinder is a free service for military spouses and their service member counterparts to help transition from active-duty to civilian life.

2. Tell me a little bit about the role a scout plays in the process?

Pathfinder Scouts, the heart of the USO Pathfinder operation, provide direct connections to services and resources in the following focus areas: employment, education, financial readiness, veteran’s benefits, housing, legal, family strength and wellness, and volunteerism. Through the creation of an individualized Action Plan, Scouts collaborate with individuals to identify their personal and professional goals and build a roadmap to achieving those goals. The individual’s Scout then populates their Action Plan with the services and resources that are the best fit for their needs and geographic location.

Pathfinder Scouts maintain communication with individuals throughout their transition to confirm the quality of service being provided by the resources they are connected to and collaborate with them to update their Action Plan if their goals or destination change. With Pathfinder Sites located across the country and Scouts mastering the landscape of resources available in those areas, the USO Pathfinder program connects people to resources and opportunities at their point of destination, and before they separate. 

Individuals can access and update their Action Plan anywhere through the USO’s mobile app, where they can update their Action Plan tasks, add new tasks, and communicate directly with their Scout. The program’s Pathfinder Scouts are a trusted resource to develop a personalized Action Plan that best suits the needs of each individual spouse, whether moving to a new location or preparing for life after the military. Pathfinder Scouts can connect military spouses with services and resources that are the best fit for their individual needs. USO Pathfinder focus areas include: employment, financial readiness, education, VA benefits, volunteerism, housing, health and wellness, and legal assistance. 

Military spouses play an important role in supporting military readiness and boosting morale among their service member spouses and their families. The USO has always placed an emphasis on not just the service member but the military family as a whole. Military spouses are just as strong as their service member partners, and backing military spouses strengthens our service members, their families, and communities, and is proven to have a positive impact on the communities in which they live. Although their fight is not on the front lines, military spouses work hard to support our nation’s service members and their families, often taking on burdens alone in tough times. However, through it all, they continue to push through and serve as the backbone of our military. 

3. What about spouses who are going to PCS in less than six months?

​The USO stands ready to assist spouses at any time. Whether your family is preparing to PCS, transition from the military, or simply looking for someone to assist you in getting connected we are prepared to assist with supporting you to the finish line of your goals. 

4. What are some of the pilot programs for spouses and do you anticipate them becoming available?

Internally within the organization we are always looking at something new or improved ways to serve our spouses. I would always recommend stay tuned on one of our social media channels @theUSO.

Marguerite Cleveland is a freelance writer who specializes in human interest and travel stories. She is a military brat, a veteran and now a military spouse.  Her military experience is vast as the daughter of a Navy man who served as an enlisted sailor and then Naval Officer. She served as an enlisted soldier in the reserves and on active duty, then as an Army Officer. She currently serves as a military spouse. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Visit her website www.PeggyWhereShouldIGo.com

By Marguerite Cleveland

    The world of blogging sounds so incredible, travel the world for free, and make tons of money from the comfort of your home. Is this the right fit for a military spouse? It can be, but the first thing you need to understand is it is hard work and not right for everyone. Here are a few questions to ask yourself.

• Can I write and edit my own material? Can I quickly write content? A Blog involves a huge amount of content that when you are first starting out you will have to solely produce. Think at least three posts a week.
• Can I take and edit good quality photos? Do I have a camera or cellphone with a good camera? Do I have a good eye? Photos draw people to a blog and you must be able to produce good, quality photos so you don’t have the expense of purchasing.
• Can I see myself as a brand? What is my brand? How do I present myself to the public?

So if you think you have what it takes here are your next steps.

• Learn WordPress – This is content management software and you will need to select a hosting service. I like Bluehost because they are recommended by WordPress. The reason you need to use WordPress is you can move your content to other hosting services fairly easily if you become unhappy with your hosting platform. The majority of bloggers use WordPress. It does have a learning curve but once you become proficient it is very user friendly. There are lots of free online information to help you learn. You can also purchase a theme which comes with video tutorials.
• Your Brand – While getting your blog up and running you also need to think about how you are going to get people to visit you new blog. Who are your people or audience? What service do you provide or need do you fill? Pick at least one social media platform and start building followers. Decide on your look. What are your colors? You want this consistent across all your platforms so your audience immediately recognizes your brand.

     This just barely scratches the surface of what you need to learn and do to build a successful blog. One of the pros for a military spouse is that it is a portable career. Once you sustain a certain level of success you can monetize your blog and bring in a good monthly income. The biggest con is that it can take at least a year and even longer to build your audience to where you can monetize. It is consistent posting of an optimal 3 posts a week to build your audience. This is work that you are initially not getting paid for. The bottom line is you really have to love your subject matter and want to share it with the world.

     If after reading this you think you want to start a blog. Take it slow and take the time to learn what you need to do. Don’t just throw up your site on the internet; carefully build a website and blog that you can be proud of. It is worth the time to do it right.

     What kind of blogs do you follow? What would your blog be about?

Marguerite Cleveland is a freelance writer who specializes in human interest and travel stories. She is a military brat, a veteran and now a military spouse.  Her military experience is vast as the daughter of a Navy man who served as an enlisted sailor and then Naval Officer. She served as an enlisted soldier in the reserves and on active duty, then as an Army Officer. She currently serves as a military spouse. She lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband and two sons. Visit her website www.PeggyWhereShouldIGo.com