Spouse Jobs

Hi again!

My job has been to take care of my 3 little kiddos for the past several years, but I know that soon, I will be entering the job market outside of the home, so this subject has relevance for me.  :)

Moving frequently makes the job market squeeze a little tighter for a military spouse.  Civilian jobs are easier to come-by and easier to keep when you stay in one place.  Although military spouses have some national networking that others might miss, it doesn't replace the kind of long-term, local, social-networking that allows knowledge/entrance to jobs that a spouse might have the qualifications to do.  The pace of moving also has a deleterious effect on advancements/promotions that only time within a company can provide.  Additionally, pensions, if any, are missed by military spouses for the sake of many moves.  

Did I mention that companies are allowed to discriminate for employment based on your spouse's job?  Listen, I know I may have other reasons for being passed-over for jobs, but I've had several interviews that went well until the subject of my husband's work came-up, then the interview would get cut short.  :) I have to be honest, although some military spouses are not honest for the sake of having equal opportunities to support their military families.  My honesty with the questions regarding my husband's job have, I think, cost me.  When they ask how long we will be stationed nearby, I can't help but tell the truth.  Who can blame them for not wanting to hire someone who only has 3 years, a year, or even a few months to work before they'll have to quit?  It just makes sense to hire a person who at least has the opportunity to stay because they'll become more knowledgeable about the company/job with time.  

Have you thought about the time spent by spouses looking for jobs every PCS?  How great would life be for the military spouse if they only had to search for a job once, or when they felt a need for change?  Much time is wasted in searching for employment every move: time that could be used for earning money.  

What about professional licenses?  Try changing professional licenses every few years to add to spouses' wasted earning time.  

Oh, and spouses are not allowed to have jobs in some overseas locations because of the effect local economies might face.  What about the military family economy?  

I love that the military spouse gives so much away in their career for the sake of the active-duty life, and yet the military does not give any pension for surviving spouses of retired military.  YES, that's right.  There is a type of insurance that retirees can buy for surviving spouses, but its cost is unfair, and does provide the pension I think military spouses deserve for years of loss in the job market compared to civilian peers.  (YES, military spouses earn less than their civilian counterparts.  Is this any wonder?)  

Hopefully, in the future, the military spouse will get more recognition as a vital part of the military and the spouse 1/2 pension will be part of the benefits the military offers.  

Until then, I have to air out my grievances.  Thanks for listening!  

C.M.

Staying Positive

Truly, I hope that I don't come across as a complainer!  This weblog is sort-of my way to air my complaints about difficulties in military family life, but not all of my feelings are negative.  Perhaps next I will begin a blog about the wonderful, unique opportunities that military family life provides, but I haven't finished here, yet.  

Look to the right and you'll see some of the silly positives in the "Top 5".  

In fact, today I will list more good reasons to be a military family on the right to satisfy my need for some balance.  :)

C.M.

P.S. Picture is of an air show we saw this year. 

A Home of My Own!

Oh!  How I wish I had a home of my own!  

Alas, my situation is not set for home ownership!  

With moves coming at intervals of 1 to 3 years apart, it is understandable why home-ownership is but a dream for many military families.  In order to recoup the costs associated with buying and selling, the home a military member buys must see a tremendous price-increase over the span of his time on-station.  

A few years ago, some military families saw their wallets grow fat as they sold homes in the peak of the housing bubble in peak-growth areas of the country.  We, however, were among those who moved to a peak-growth area during the peak of the bubble.  Fortunately for us, we decided against purchasing a home at that time, and rented a nice home instead.  Now, we have moved to an area that is still seeing home prices decline, and it is not a "good" time for us to buy here.  If we were to stay past 2 or 3 years, a home purchase might be advantageous, but that's not the situation most military families are in.  

Sure, we could rent out a home, with much risk and trouble, but being a landlord is just that: risky and troublesome.  

We've seen many military families stuck with homes that they didn't want, but couldn't sell, and have had to deal with renters who have destroyed their properties.   Otherwise, people have lost tens of thousands of dollars in order to sell.

We live in many ways to protect the American way of life, and the American dream.  It would be nice for us to be able to own our own home as a part of our "American dream", too.  What I wouldn't give to be able to paint my walls, or plant a plant, or install curtains, or ceiling fans without having to ask permission.  I would love to skip replacing blinds or carpets or packing up my furniture every time we pcs.  The cost of moving is pretty high, when all is said and done.  

It would be nice, at the end of my husband's work for the military, to have a home mostly paid-for, but when we move so frequently, it's usually not smart to buy.  Our non-military friends, for the most part, will have been in homes, and been paying for their homes for 10 to 20 years before we can even begin to think about where we will settle.  We will probably be looking at a 30 year mortgage when they may only have 10 years left to pay.  This is one of the many prices we pay as an American military family: it is much more difficult to buy and keep a home. 

Still, we are proud to be a military family.   If you are reading this, please remember the numerous sacrifices that military families pay, and maybe pat them on the back, and say,"Thanks."

Thank YOU for listening. :)

C.M.

 

Housing Market Woes?

Hi, again!

I want my own home!