​Looking for a Lifeguard: Does your teen have what it takes?
I know, I know, it’s only just now turned to Spring (unless you’re living in a geography like mine where we had a short summer a few weeks ago followed by two weeks of winter). So, my bringing up summer plans may feel a bit premature. But there’s no time like the present to prepare for tomorrow… er, three months from now.
For military teens and college-age students, summer jobs can be tricky. You may be PCSing before summer begins, or PCS season may fall right in the middle of summer vacation. It can feel impossible for them to prepare for the skills they might need to land a summer job.
However, there is a job opportunity that our military kids can prepare for right now—the summer lifeguard. With MWR pools and community pools located on or near installations, lifeguards are guaranteed to be in high-demand.
In many states, teens as young as 14 can work as lifeguards. Lifeguarding can provide teenagers with job experience, spending money, and the chance to grow.
They are a strong swimmer.
They enjoy being outdoors and around water.
They are off during the summer months.
They are willing to get certified as a lifeguard and in CPR and First Aid.
Get Certified. The American Red Cross provides Life Guard, CPR, and First Aid certification courses on installations throughout the CONUS and OCONUS. Some organizations will provide funding for individuals to complete the training. Lifeguard jobseekers need to have certification in hand when applying, so it’s important to complete this training well before pool season begins.
If lifeguarding doesn’t sound like the best fit for your teenager, have them connect with MSCCN. We can help them identify areas of interest as well as opportunities that may fit their employment needs.
Here’s to a summer of teenagers gaining some real-world experience!
Tomorrow, ​we celebrate St. Patrick’s Day, one of my favorite holidays!
It’s not the green beer (which I don’t drink) or the seas (rivers, fountains, etc.) of green that I love. It’s the idea of luck. For me, there are two kinds of luck—the luck that’s forced upon us, and the luck we create.
Sometimes we are unlucky, and it’s out of our control.
I recently met a job seeker who lamented the time and energy spent on an application and resume, only to be ignored by the hiring company.
I could have replied in a number of ways, but I opted for being honest. Sometimes, we aren’t lucky, and it’s beyond our control.
He may have submitted an awesome resume; he may have been entirely qualified for the position.
But maybe the company had a strong internal candidate; maybe they closed the position. Who knows?
If you put your best foot forward (with a truly amazing targeted resume and a great LinkedIn® profile) and you don’t get the call, you may just have to accept that in this instance, you were unlucky.
The reality is there’s a lot of “bad luck” in the job search. It’s helpful and even healthy to accept that some factors are out of your control, no matter how much you wish they weren't. The good news is that there's a second kind of luck.
I believe everything happens for a reason. The universe has a way of righting itself, and we have to accept the things we cannot change.
But I also believe we have to create our own luck, while accepting the potential bad luck that the universe (and the job market) thrusts upon us.
As a job seeker, what kind of luck are you creating for yourself?
Are you using the resources available to you?
Are you reaching out to your network and making your needs known?
Are you targeting every resume? Scanning LinkedIn® for the right keywords and opportunities? Researching the companies in which you are interested? Checking regularly for new opportunities? Do you have a job search plan?
In short, are you creating your own good luck?
Creating your own good luck requires that you take responsibility for the job search factors that are within your control. Once you know what those factors are, you do your best to ensure that they are as perfect as they can be.
If you believe you are in control of those factors and are not getting the call, we need to consider what bad luck you may be up against, or you may be in need of some help creating your own good luck.
If you feel like the universe is conspiring to deliver nothing but bad luck to your door, contact CASY or MSCCN, and let’s see how we can help you create some luck in your job search.
Have you ever considered becoming a Personal Financial Counselor?
Do you understand the military lifestyle?
Do you have a working knowledge of financial topics of interest to the military community, like— military pay and allowances, military legacy and blended retirement systems, Thrift Savings Plan (TSP), group insurance policies offered by the government, health care benefits, Military Lending Act (MLA), and Service members Civil Relief Act (SCRA)?
Are you interested in finances?
Would you consider yourself to be empathetic?
Can you build trusting and helpful relationships?
Do you have a national certification, such as an Accredited Financial Counselor (AFC), Certified Financial Planner (CFP), or Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC)?
If you’d like to help military families and service members make sound financial decisions, then you may want to check out our Personal Financial Counselor position, a recent hot job!
Review the posting by logging into your MSCCN account and searching for Requisition #212591BR.
Don’t have the required certification, but interested in pursuing this kind of work?
The FINRA Education Foundation Military Spouse Fellowship offers spouses a certification program to become an Accredited Financial Counselor.
They are taking applications right now through April 20, 2018.
You can learn more about the program by visiting http://www.militaryspouseafcpe.org/.
We're bringing you more spouse success today!
After working with MSCCN for four months, she accepted a Learning & Development Specialist position!
Hiring Challenge: After a 11-year full-time career, I worked from home consulting in the Instructional Design field for the past 16 years while I raised my children. I just moved to a new area and desired a full-time position.
Assistance Received: A recent retiree led me to MSCCN. Ms. Jenna Weakly, my Employment Specialist, assisted me with tailoring my resume to each position for which I applied, coaching me with my responses to interview questions, and refining my search. I attended webinars on resume writing and interviewing skills. Ms. Weakly also shared links to sample cover letters and thank you notes, both of which I used.
Result of Assistance: I learned how to tailor my resume to each position I sought, using key words and matching terminology. My interview skills were enhanced, and I was more prepared for interview questions, as they were similar to the ones for which I was coached.
"I am not sure I would have gotten this position without Ms. Weakly’s help. I am grateful for this organization and would recommend it to any recently retiring veteran or spouse ready to dig in and do the hard work it takes to get a job!"
​Personal Statement of Value of Experience: I was resistant to cutting so much from my resume (after a 25-year career), but Ms. Weakly helped me realize that irrelevant experience merely detracted from the relevant experience I had for each position. I developed a master resume with ALL my experience, then cut any experience not relevant to the job sought. My mock interviews were very helpful as it had been a long time since I last prepared for an interview. The position I eventually won required a video interview, 2 face-to-face interviews, and a 30 minute presentation to 12 employees. I had never done a video interview, and it was very awkward for me, but being prepared for answers removed much of the stress. I am not sure I would have gotten this position without Ms. Weakly’s help. I am grateful for this organization and would recommend it to any recently retiring veteran or spouse ready to dig in and do the hard work it takes to get a job!