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5 Ways to Gain Professional Skills Without Going Back to College

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I’ll admit it, there was a time when I wanted to be a famous actress. I wanted to devour a screenplay and give my own personal flair to the leading character.

I also wanted to be an innkeeper.

And a baker.

And a wedding planner.

Oh, and of course, a famous author.

While I haven’t quite been able to add all of those things to my resume, I have managed to stay gainfully employed over the last 20 years despite moving every few years. Up until recently, I did it without a college degree.

Don’t get me wrong, if you have a chance to get a degree, I highly recommend it, but going back to school isn’t the only way to learn new professional skills and boost a resume.

Here are a few of the ways I built up my skill set.

5 Ways to Gain Professional Skills Without Going Back to College

Free College Classes

This sounds off, right? How does taking free college classes mean not going to college? When those classes are part of an adult learning program, of course.

You can tap into the wealth of knowledge college professors and instructors have to offer by looking into local adult learning classes. Many times the classes are taught in the evenings or on weekends in local high schools or community centers.

Want to learn a new computer skill?

How to select the proper wine for a steak dinner?

Take a quality photograph?

You can learn all of these things and tons more by signing up for one of these courses. Plus, it’s a great way to meet and network with others who have similar interests.

Volunteer

Can I just tell you how many great nonprofit organizations out there would jump for joy to have someone who is willing to learn and is giving of their time? Volunteering is a great way to jump into an organization and learn about how they do things.

I learned a great deal about people management and branding while working for a nonprofit.  Find a cause that speaks to your heart and then look for a way to get involved.

Volunteermatch.org is a fantastic resource and offers both local and online volunteer opportunities.

Lynda.com

If ever there was a paradise for learning software and creative skills, Lynda.com might be it. Want to learn how to use Photoshop? How to create an effective social media campaign? How to create a WordPress site? Lynda.com offers all of these and more.

I love that you can learn on your own time and at your own pace. A subscription is required, but it’s well worth the access to hundreds and hundreds of training videos.

Temporary Positions

There is nothing better than on-the-job training. I worked for several temporary agencies when I was a young military spouse.

Each job did 3 things:

1. Provided a paycheck

2. Gave me real-life experience to add to my resume

3. Taught me something new

The first two are a given if you show up on time. Learn something new required me to pay attention to my surroundings and to ask questions.

If someone needed an extra set of hands or eyes, I was quick to jump in. Exposure to new software and industry practices is another benefit.

Plus, many temporary agencies have training programs. I worked for Robert Half International for a long time and they have a great training network available to their temporary employees. Not only can you take training courses, but then you can test to demonstrate you’ve mastered a new skill.

Internships

Sometimes a good internship can be hard to come by, but with a little work, you can find them. Some are reserved for college students, but there are still plenty more open to everyone.

Some internships pay, many do not.

Like volunteering, internships are a great way to see how successful businesses operate. But unlike volunteering, internships are designed to help you learn.

Even as I’m writing this post, I’m eyeballing an unpaid remote internship opportunity with a literary magazine. It won’t bring in a paycheck, but it will give me a chance to hone a skill I already have and provide another great bullet for my resume.

What professional skills are you looking to add to your resume?

15 Corporations Looking to Hire Veterans

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Veterans Day, November 11, is quickly approaching. Soon restaurants will begin advertising free meals, stores will offer discounts and people will be making more of a point to thank veterans for their service.

These gestures are nice, but there is more businesses can do for veterans.

They can hire veterans.

There are currently more than 20 million veterans. That’s a lot of people to thank. The unemployment rate for veterans overall last month was 4.3 percent. That number has been much higher in recent years, but the government has been doing a lot to encourage businesses to hire veterans. They have also introduced programs, such as Joining Forces, to motivate businesses to hire veterans like never before and the rate of veteran unemployment has dropped.

15 Corporations Looking to Hire Veterans

If you are an unemployed veteran, use this list as a tool for finding the right job for you.

There are many companies that are military friendly. These businesses hire a large number of veterans. They specifically target veterans with their recruiting efforts. Most of them have special programs specifically for veterans and help them make an easy transition into civilian jobs.

Military-friendly companies also help develop veterans into leadership roles.

The following is a list of military-friendly companies verified by Military.com and Military Times. The former keeps a running list of military friendly businesses and each year Military Times puts out a list of their best employers for veterans.

If you are an unemployed veteran, use this list as a tool for finding the right job for you or pass it along to someone you know who is looking for a new career.

15 Corporations Looking to Hire Veterans

Verizon was ranked No. 1 by Military Times as the top military-friendly employer. They advertise that 85% of military jobs translate to Verizon jobs.

Union Pacific Railroad employs more than 9,800 veterans. They believe military service members bring a unique set of skills to the job and recruit military heavily.

USAA provides insurance, investments and banking products to veterans, service members and their families. They also employ a great deal of them.

PwC is a consulting firm that has received the Seven Seals Award and has been listed on numerous top lists for military-friendly businesses. They are also highly rated for military spouse employment.

BAE Systems is in the defense and aerospace industry. They offer jobs that allow veterans to continue doing jobs that are mission-centered.

Booz Allen Hamilton is committed to hiring veterans and wounded service members. They offer mentoring programs to help transition from military life to civilian. They employ more than 7,400 veterans.

Intuitive Research and Technology Corp. is growing in the engineering services sector. Fortune lists them as the No. 1 workplace to retire from.

The Boeing Co. employs more than 22,200 veterans. They have excellent track record of working with veterans helping them transition into long-lasting jobs. They are heavily invested in supporting military families.

CACI International focuses on information technology and provides IT services and solutions for defense, intelligence and homeland security. They have veteran advocates that help veterans make the transition to civilian life.

Capital One has excellent benefits for activated reservists. They are number 10 on Military Times list of top military-friendly employers. They are also in the top 100 for best companies to work for in 2016 according to Fortune.

Amazon has worldwide operations and is actively recruiting veterans. They employ thousands of veterans and military spouses. In May, they pledged to hire 25,000 veterans and military spouses over the next 5 years.

The Army and Air Force Exchange Service has more than 40,000 jobs in 20 different career areas. They employ over 4,000 veterans and continue to hire more daily.

BNSF Railway operates one of the largest freight rail transportation networks in America. They have been hiring veterans since the end of the civil war. BNSF Railway has hired more than 9,000 veterans since 2005 and have pledged to hire 5,000 more by 2018.

CSX Transportation is the largest eastern railroad and one of the top military-friendly employers. They are part of a group of more than 80 companies that have come together to collectively hire 100,000 veterans by 2020.

General Electric employs more than 10,000 veterans. Amazingly, one in 14 GE employees is a veteran. They have transition assistance programs, military employment programs and veterans networking.

Each of these companies has their own recruiting methods and veterans can apply to them directly.

There are many avenues veterans can use to seek help with preparing resumes, cover letters or with filling out applications such as the Veterans Employment and Training Service. Other groups include Feds Hire Vets, Hire Heroes USA, We Hire Heroes and the National Association of American Veterans.

Do you work for a company that is actively recruiting veterans as employees? Tell us about it in the comments section.

How to Find a Work From Home Job

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The never-ending cycle of hunting for a new job is a struggle we military spouses know all too well. Many spouses turn to work from home opportunities as a way to remain employed despite moving every 3 years.

How to Find a Work From Home Job

Do you work from home? How did you find your work from home job?

But sometimes finding a work from home job is enough to make you question your sanity.

Do steady, dependable and legitimate work from home opportunities exist?

Of course they do!

Check out this list of work from home resources and then get to work!

Work from Home Job Boards

Telecommuting and remote work are no longer the oddball, sketchy positions they used to be. Tons of reputable companies offer work from home positions in areas like communications, customer service and project management. There are lots of job boards out there. Here are a few with good reputations:

  1. Flexjobs.com. There is a fee for access to the site ($50 per year, with options of quarterly or monthly subscriptions), but this is one of the top work from home job boards out there. Search for freelance and remote opportunities listed by hundreds of well-known companies.
  2. VirtualVocations.com. This site requires an annual fee, but offers a great list of remote work opportunities. Jobs include computer and data entry work, to writing, marketing and more.
  3. Indeed.com. Free to use, just put “Remote” in the location search field to find all kinds of telecommute and remote positions. You can even set up keyword alerts so you don’t have to visit the site every day.

Work from Home Jobs Where You Are the Boss

Starting your own business might be the best work from home opportunity out there, but it does require you to get smart on business laws and regulations. State, county and even city laws can impact the kinds of businesses you can run from home. They also regulate taxes. If you live on-post or overseas, additional rules may apply, so check with your housing office.

  1. Get Crafty. If you’re a master with a glue gun, crochet hook or paintbrush, consider turning your hobby into a great home-based business. Sites like Etsy.com, Artfire.com and Amazon Handmade take all hassle of building an e-commerce website. Good pictures are essential, so if you can’t take them, hire a photographer who can.
  2. Cottage Industries. Many states have cottage industry laws that are designed to help nurture budding home-based businesses. If you can bake like a master or if you grow tomatoes like there’s no tomorrow, consider selling your wares and produce at local farmers markets. Each state (and sometimes county) has different rules, so be sure to do your research.
  3. In-Home Child Care. In-home child care can be a great way to earn an income while helping other military families. Just like other businesses, check your state, county, city and military installation rules for running this kind of business for children.
  4. Direct Sales. If you love to meet new people and try out great products, direct sales might be the job for you. Choose from a vast array of products – everything from make-up and home goods to food and wine – and work as much or as little as you like. Some direct sales companies will even ship to FPO/APO boxes, though specific regulations and rules apply, so make sure you check with the company you are interested in and your installation. The Direct Selling Association website is a great place to start.

Freelance Jobs for Military Spouses

  1. MadSkills.com. A newly launched military spouse-owned business, MadSkills is out to help connect military spouses with companies who need their mad skills. If you’re a whiz at building websites, graphic design, project management, writing, and more, then check them out. It’s free to create a profile.
  2. Other Freelance Communities. It can take some time to build up a reputation to keep you busy all the time, but there are many freelance communities offering a wide range of freelance opportunities. Check out Freelancer.com, Guru.com and UpWork.com. Free accounts are available, but paying the small upgrade fee can provide greater visibility of your profile and open up a greater field of work. Craigslist can also be a good resource for freelance work, just do your due diligence before accepting any work listed there.
  3. Millie.com, which is managed and run by veterans and military spouses, hires “Scouts.” Scout opportunities are open to active duty, Gold Star spouses or newly retired military spouses who are willing to use their experience PCSing, buying and renting homes, deployments, community involvement and volunteering to help military families transition into new locations. This could include walking through potential rentals or letting a handyman in to do some repairs on a service member’s house.

Do you work from home? How did you find your work from home job?

National Professional Licenses Would Help Working Military Spouses

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You graduated from college and got your teaching license in one state and then the military moved you to another. You want to work but you can’t. Your professional license isn’t valid in your new home state. What a frustrating situation to be in. You are trying to support your spouse and your country and you can’t even work because of a state license, a professional license that you worked hard to earn.

National Professional Licenses Would Help Working Military Spouses

How much money have you spent transferring your professional license?

Sound familiar? There are several careers that military spouses have worked hard to have but they have to give up their job because of state licensing. The process to get a new license can be complicated as well as cost you time and money.

Some states allow out-of-state licenses, others do not. The regulations can be really random and there is no national standard. This isn’t only an issue for military spouses. Civilians move to a new state for their spouses’ jobs too and run into this same type of problem.

So what is the answer? Have you faced this state licensing problem as a military spouse?

It would be great if there was a nationwide license transfer standard. Where it wouldn’t matter where you got your license and where you live in the United States because you could simply transfer your professional license without a lot of issues. Doing this would allow you to find a job in your field without having to worry that you don’t have the right license. This change would make life a lot easier for military spouses who want to further their careers.

The good news is that there is a group trying to make this happen.

The Third Way is a D.C.-based Think Tank working toward an “Interstate Teaching Application.”

Each state would evaluate the person as well as their credentials. Those working as nurses, lawyers and other professions would be able to benefit from something like this too.

I know if I worked hard to get a license and start my career in one state, I would really like to continue to practice my field in another state no matter where the military might send us.

Related: 5 College Degrees Leading to Portable Careers

Life can be hard for military spouses when your career has to be put on hold. Not all spouses want to be a stay-at-home mom. There are so many spouses out there that want to continue working and can’t because of situations like this. It would be better for everyone if something could change to make it possible to easily transfer a professional license.

These changes would also encourage those who are in school or thinking about going to college to pursue one of these careers. They can continue their future careers more easily when the PCS comes. I know if I was debating a certain program, I would want to know that I could continue that career into the future, wherever we might go and whatever state the military might send us.

What do you think? Should professional licenses for nurses, teachers and lawyers be accepted nationwide?

5 College Degrees Leading to Portable Careers

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A college degree is a big deal.

 

A recent article from Kiplinger mentioned that an employee with a bachelor’s degree earns on average almost double the amount of money compared with a person with only a high school diploma.

Basically, that extra piece of paper makes you more competitive, more portable and more money.

Whether you had to put your education on hold or never got the chance to start, it’s important to begin the admissions (or re-admissions) process with a solid direction. Military spouses endure unique career challenges. We need to factor in PCSing, managing a household (sometimes alone) and countless other random military-related last minute craziness when choosing the right time to earn a college degree.

With that in mind, picking a major should be the first decision you make, even before researching schools. Your interest will dictate what school or program you will want to apply for. It will be a huge advantage to establish a path at the very beginning.

Start by thinking about what you see yourself doing afterward you earn your diploma. A lot of military spouses choose to study a program that would result in a portable career. It makes sense. We have a relatively mobile lifestyle, so why not pursue a curriculum that would support a portable career?

Here are 5 college majors for milspouses looking for a portable career:

  1. Management. After you graduate, a degree in management offers a whole lot of flexibility. It sets the foundation for a variety of jobs that a lot of employers seek, whatever your interest. Personally, I have friends that have pursued a sales managerial position, opened their own e-commerce store and another that used it to work admissions at a school. All jobs that are easily transferable. There are many military spouses with great ideas and this degree direction might be an excellent way to build your successful small business.
  2. Health care. From nursing to medical technicians, the heath care field offers a broad selection of degree programs. There are also options for certain professions that may not need a bachelor’s degree, only a certificate or associate’s degree, which gives this path flexibility (i.e. Registered Nurse (RN) versus a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN)). Wherever you are stationed, there will most likely be a doctor’s office, hospital, dentist, rehab center, etc. Despite what people may say about the difficulties in finding jobs in heath care, it’s hard to argue against the continuous need for people in the profession. It’s a challenge to find a job in general, so if it’s your passion to help others in this way, go for it! Remember to discuss all the appropriate certifications with your career counselor that way you’re ahead of the curve when you begin the job hunt at your new duty station.
  3. Communications. I was once told that a communications degree was pointless. On the contrary, a B.A. in communications can open doors to a very wide range of opportunities. It’s a creative discipline and if you have a knack for working with people, brainstorming ideas, writing, communicating in general, then this major is for you. I’m extremely bias because I hold a communications degree. I was able to explore several different facets before putting together my portable career. For example, I studied journalism, marketing, and public speaking.
  4. Computer Science. There is no doubt that the digital age is booming. With a computer science degree, you become the go-to person. Other degrees that are similar are computer engineering or computer development. After graduation, use your expertise and land a job being a developer or researcher. There is no denying that a bachelor’s degree in computer science would translate into a very lucrative career. The National Association of College and Employers (NACE) reports that the starting salary for someone with a computer science degree is around $64K.
  5. Information Technology/Systems. Not to be confused with computer science, this degree takes technology systems and integrates them with businesses. For example, the skills you learn with this program can be applied to work for a number of places like IT firms, online Internet security companies or apply for other similar professions. This degree is great because it provides a well-rounded technical education.

If you are still undecided on a major, aim your studies toward a genre like liberal arts, business or science. Once you’ve applied within a certain school, work on your prerequisites before finalizing your major. U.S. News and World Report is a great resource to gather information on universities, programs, and a whole lot more, including some tips too.

Ultimately, choose a major that is right for you, no matter what. It’s best to be in a career that you love because then your job will never feel like work.

Want more information about college degrees that are most compatible with military life? Visit the Spouse Education and Career Opportunities Program website.