New climates, new accents, and new ZIP codes are just a few of “new” things military spouses have to learn as they move from duty station to duty station.
In fact, a surefire sign that you are a battle-tested MilSpo is that you have been locked out of your credit card at the gas pump because you couldn’t remember your current ZIP code! It is a laughable situation (well, maybe a few days and a few glasses of wine later) but it highlights one of the superpowers of military spouses: their chameleon-like ability to adapt to new environments and ZIP codes.
Adaptability allows Military spouses to successfully navigate the unique journey they are on.
Many organizations (like USAA, Verizon and ReMax) have taken notice of this adaptability and hire military spouses to help infuse this characteristic into their organization. (Check out the 2017 Military Spouse Friendly Employers list, too.)
Adaptability is defined as being able to adjust oneself readily to different conditions, followed by a picture of a military spouse. Okay, so maybe that last part isn’t actually true but it might as well be!
Military spouses are able to quickly respond to plans that change rapidly, often times with limited resources or support.
This ability comes in very handy when the RFO you have been waiting for comes back with South Korea instead of South Carolina. The good, and bad, news is that this isn’t the first — or last — time that you as a military spouse will be forced to throw out your existing plan and start from scratch. Pretty soon, you learn to “expect the unexpected.”
Military spouses know how to leverage both resources and networks to successfully navigate an upcoming PCS move. They know which schools get the best ratings, which churches inspire you, which Chinese take-out place won’t make you sick, and — most importantly — which hairdresser won’t make YOU cry!
Although avoiding tears at the hairdresser is important, there are also professional applications of military spouse adaptability. Here are the top three reasons why organizations need to hire military spouses.