There are so many military spouse events happening throughout the year it can be hard to keep up. Occasionally, many of us feel the envious twinge-inducing FOMO (fear of missing out) when we see photos of our mil-friends having a great time…usually in areas surrounded by a large military population.
But many organizations have decided to start meeting us all where we’re at, both in AND out of those areas with a dense military population! The National Military Spouse Network (NMSN) is one of those organizations and they just held they’re very first (but not last) Rocky Mountain Career Summit for military spouses!
On June 11 and 12, local and out-of-state military spouses gathered in the scenic town of Colorado Springs, CO for the two day, three event Summit designed specifically for the career-minded military spouse! Spouses from all different professional backgrounds came together to network and learn how to manage our careers, businesses and earning potential throughout our military journeys.
I realize I’m about to put you in FOMO mode, but fear not! NMSN will be holding another career summit in Washington D.C. on October 12th and 13th. That means you’ll have FOUR MONTHS to plan the logistics to attend this can’t-miss military spouse career event! You NEED this in your life. This Summit is one of the few opportunities to unplug and spend a few days focused solely on YOUR goals and ambitions. This is the event that will put you in an environment that will EMPOWER you. You’ll leave with a renewed sense of purpose, a new support network and REAL-LIFE info that applies to furthering your career no matter where the military takes you. We ALL need this in our lives.
Want to know more? Here are a few highlights that might have you clamoring for a ticket in no time!
1. BRANDING BASICS
Have you ever looked at someone else’s professional profile photo or headshot and wondered, “How can I look like that”? (raises hand). Well that’s exactly what we learned from Trish Alegre-Smith – a corporate photographer and business owner (who also just happens to be a military spouse AND Air Force veteran herself!) Trish walked us through how to create our brand through photos, from headshots, to website and social media images. She showed us how to style, pose and present our personal brand in a more polished way. She even made herself available to do a few headshots in between sessions!
2. HAVE PEN WILL TRAVEL
In this session we heard from three in-demand writers/journalists who found their niche in military life. They all shared tips on hustling to find gigs and how to develop and maintain writing as an actual career track. You may not be a writer, but there’s no way you would have walked away from this session without your jaw hitting the floor.
We heard from a military spouse writer who recently wrote and sold a cable TV script, a spouse of a retired Marine who’s writing has been published everywhere from the New York Times to the Costco magazine, and a war reporter/documentary filmmaker, who covers U.S. Special Operations Forces on combat missions. These three AMAZING women all came from different backgrounds and their journeys took on lives of their own. As they told us their own stories, we all began seeing how our own grit has gotten us as far as we’ve come.
3. HOW DID YOU GET THAT JOB?
Have you ever wondered how someone found their way to an awesome job? What is the path to get from serial volunteer to working for a sitting U.S. Senator? How does someone go from a background in Criminal Justice and Crisis Management to becoming an advocate with Blue Star Families? In this segment, we heard from the Special Assistant to the Mayor of Colorado Springs, Regional Director for a US Senator, Senior Advisor for Careers at Blue Star Families, and the Chief Strategy Officer for VetTix. Every person on that panel was either a military spouse or had served themselves, and each one of them laid out the map showing us how they were led to those really awesome jobs!
We got so much out of those two days, from negotiating salaries to preparing our careers for life after the military. We ate the BEST food, at a GORGEOUS location and made connections we would never have dreamed of elsewhere. I could write a NOVEL on every takeaway we walked away with, but I don’t want you to feel the FOMO, NO-MO’!
I want YOU to come to the next Military Spouse Career Summit this October in D.C. Grab a few career-minded friends, share a room, unplug from life and for ONCE: Do YOU! This is your chance to say YES to yourself and your goals, and I can’t think a better way to invest in you than this inspiring and motivating event. Hope to see you there!