Military Spouse PASSED OVER for JOBS
Greeting from "Mexico" Opps! I mean AMERICA, aka United States of America!
Geez, where do I begin? Ok: Scenario 1- I'm a bachelors and master's educated, military spouse who transferred to YUMA, AZ (small border town) for husband's active duty military job.
I have been working in same field since 1992. I left my career for YUMA,AZ to support husband/marriage. I applied for NUMEROUS jobs in various disciplines for the past one year and three months. Even went to temp agencies. Even went to USMC relocation/employment assistance, double-wide trailer on base. Yuma is extremely limited for my line of work.
Scenario 2:
Employer asks, "GED/HS Diploma" I say no. Employers asks "SE HABLA ESPANOL" I say yes, basics for ice-breaker chat only. Employer asks, ahh, how about reading and writing Spanish? I say six grade basics. Employer states, sorry "SIENTO" we need bilingual applicants. So, I venture to the public gov't sector.... apply again. I call HR. I ask what gives? I told the person that I transferred from S.Cali due to my husband's USMC orders & that I need a job. I continue to say I haven't heard from anyone re: application. I state I am qualified to do the job. HR states actually...you are overqualified. I state, I'll take anything that can give me because I need to get out of the house! Person in HR states ahh, yeahhh- we are deterred from hiring military because if we train the person (military spouse), then they up and leave after a certain timeframe!!!! I was flabbergasted! That was such an ILLEGAL statement!
Scenario 3:
Interview for a few jobs. Federal gov't interviewers ask, why YUMA, AZ? Where do you see yourself in five years? What brings you here? I tell them the truth. I do not lie. Hence, declined for job. Job interview for a Navtive American Indian tribe. They ask me how would I deal with a certain business situation with the "Redneck" and "Latinos". Redneck? I was again- FLABBERGASTED.
I feel overwhelmed and due to the move here, I am NOW in a financial black hole. Someone suggested to re-do the resume. Down grade it. Dumb-A-FY (I know-there is no such word) it as I like to call it! Ahh, yeah TO WHAT?? LIE on the application? Make up a fake companies? Companies need to check references. What is happening to the USA??? I feel punished because I am AMERICAN and for being an active duty military spouse. I speak two other languages excluding of course, English. But not Spanish. I didn't know that in order to be a successful, military spouse one needed a background in the medical field, a K-12 teacher or a real estate agent! The most transient jobs for military spouses. Oh yes, and OF COURSE to read, write and speak Spanish for $8.00/hr jobs and for managerial positions! I will accept anyone's input as to what to do. Please advise.
FRUSTRATED MILITARY SPOUSE
Hi,
I so sorry that you are being put through so much garbage. The following sites might help, I hope so. Keep smiling, you'll find a job!
Military Spouse Job Search-Job Search Engine-Jobs
http://www.militaryspousejobsearch.org/msjs/app
Good Luck!
tb:)
Thank you...
Believe me- be there- done that. I have attempted. I have a login and password on that site too.
Cheers,
FrustratedMilitarySpouse
I appreciate that you're frustrated, but a few things:
1. IF you want any response to any posts, please pick a font, size and color that human beings can actually read. I had to paste your post over to word and change the font size (you were using 7.5 Times for pete's sake) in a color that has no contrast.
2. I'm sorry that it is difficult to find a job as a military spouse, however, this shouldn't be any surprise. It isn't fair, but it has been the way it has been since women started working outside the home. Why is this such a shock to a well educated worldly woman? Pretty much anywhere that US military bases exist you're going to have this problem. They are nearly always in small towns and remote areas. These are not the places where you find high level jobs. Unfortunately, that's what you signed up for when you became a military spouse.
3. You can't blame an employer for not wanting to hire someone who is likely to move in a year or so, especially into a position above the entry-level. There's a lot of investment in employees and it is a waste to them to invest in you if you'll be gone so quickly. Granted, you don't know if anyone is going to stay around forever, but you're a high risk.
4. You can't get a job by calling an HR department and whining about how you need a job and it isn't fair, yada, yada. That is not how the system works. While you may be perfectly qualified, so are lots of other people. They're looking for a good fit, not someone who is high maintenance and complaining before they even get an interview!
5. LIke it or not, you're now living in an area where Spanish is important. Not all jobs will require bilingual employees but many will. Your choices are to learn some Spanish or not. Since you are a military spouse, it may not be worthwhile to learn Spanish for this one assignment, but that's something you should consider.
6. You seem to have a huge disdain for the military life, the military culture, the locations of the bases. You're annoyed that you had to relocate and you're happy to take that out on the employers of a small town in Arizona and on its Spanish speaking population. I predict you're going to have a long haul with this.
7. You need to look at employment that is going to be portable. You should seriously look into starting your own home business that can have a client based that isn't tied to Yuma. Maybe it is as simple as selling specialty gift baskets on line or establishing your own consulting firm in whatever your field is. Either way, something like that is probably going to suit you a lot better than store clerk at Wal-Mart which is where a lot of military spouses end up. You should also keep your eyes open for civilian jobs on the base that may be approriate. Look at Red Cross as well. They employ small staffs on most bases in the US and abroad.
Good luck!
Tess
Thank you for your constructive criticism.
The "war on terrorism" is a war to support corporations (for oil, no bid construction contracts, military-industrial complex, etc) not to go after terrorists.
Spanish is required for many jobs now because the government has decided to look the other way and not secure our borders and national interests to make sure corporations have cheap labor.
Our military personnel are not paid enough so that their families can live a normal life so that our government can hire corporate mercenaries (Blackwater, etc) and pay them each six figure salaries and great benefits via no bid contracts.
I have buddies that don't get proper medical attention from the VA to this day because Bush cut the VA budget.
And voting Democrats into congress hasn't changed anything. Democrats are just as tied to the corporate money as Republicans are.
Actions speak louder than words.
"Confessions of an Economic Hit Man"
by John Perkins
ISBN: 0452287081
"The Secret History of the American Empire: Economic Hit Men, Jackals, and the Truth about Global Corruption"
by John Perkins
ISBN: 052595015X
FMS, maybe you could consider a white lie / leave information out re your situation, just to get a job that suffices, because an unhappy you would not help your spouse either. I guess to get a foot in the door won't disproportionally hurt potential employers, they will find replacement once you have to leave and employees can quit or be fired for various reasons anyway. I understand the situation is frustrating, it is great you stand by your principles and priorities though you have to adjust to a great extent. Just my two cents, best of luck to you.
You are in a tough predicament. First, you are in a city that has a lot of Spanish speakers. I know that is not fair to you. And another thing that is working against you is the fact that many employers have a misconception that in a few months or perhaps years you will probably quit because your spouse will be transferred to a new base.
At Camp Pendleton in San Clemente, California, the community understands that many of their customers are Marines so they support their spouses and offer then jobs knowing that the Marines will probably transfer their spouses sometime in the future.
Have you tried civilian military jobs like working in the PX or some other administrative work?