Spouse Tip of the Week - Tough Interview Questions for Military Spouses
Source: Military Community and Family Policy (MC&FP) Weekly eNewsletter
Today's employers are looking for talented, knowledgeable job applicants who can bring them business success. For each new hire, they will make training, pay and benefit package investments in exchange for the work experience, skill sets, and personal attributes they seek.
But even if you are the "perfect" match for their job opening, they may have serious concerns about your mobile military lifestyle and the impact it will have on their business. So, be ready to address their concerns honestly, with forethought, and respond in the most positive terms possible. What will your answers be to these touch interview questions?
Relocaton Concerns
"How often does your family move?" "How long do you expect to be in the local area?"
Did You Know:
- As military family members and civilians move up their career ladders, they often change jobs every two to three years. This is the same length of time that a third of the military population receives a new duty assignment which can be within the same geographic region. Will you be in your current location at least this long? Will you be loyal to your employer and stay in your job this long to avoid another job search? Are you willing to be transferred into another job with career potential within their corporate structure if they have a job opening or allow telecommuting when it's time for you to relocate?
- Military spouses who live in large military concentration areas frequently have the opportunity to stay in one geographic location for multiple tours of military duty. Is it possible you will be in your current location for five to ten years because of follow-on military duty assignments in the same region (e.g., sea/field; shore/garrison, HQ/admin/program management, and school)? Most military families can do this.
- Military spouses whose service members are deployed overseas frequently remain within the United States for education, employment, housing, safety, and security reasons. Are you planning to stay in your current location during times of deployment and long separations? Many military families do this.
- Today's duty rotation schedules are designed to give military members and spouses "dwell time" at home which provides geographic stability and facilitates career development and advancement opportunities for both military spouses and their military sponsor. What is your anticipated duty rotation schedule?
Child Care Concerns
"How many children do you have and what are their ages?" "What are your plans for child care and after school care, especially if your military sponsor is deployed?"
Did You Know:
- Military spouses have access to the best child care resources in America through the Department of Defense (DoD) Child Development Program, which includes Child Care, Development and Youth Services for children of all ages, Respite Care for high stress situations, and Home Care Networks that are ideal for meeting the needs of infants, children with special needs, sick children, and after-hour care requirements.
- Military spouses also have access to DoD Child Care partnerships in local communities across America and around the world. Referrals for child care services that meet DoD's high quality standards are made 24/7/365 through Military OneSource, (800) 342-9647.
- Military spouses are very resourceful. They build and maintain close personal relationships at each new duty station so they have friends standing at the ready to help out in emergencies. These "extended family" relationships are strong and life-long. They wrap around the globe.
Education Concerns
"What special training and education do you have that will help you do your job?" "Has it been hard for you to complete your education since you move so much?"
Did You Know:
- Research shows that military spouses have higher levels of education than their civilian counterparts despite the fact that they move 14 percent more frequently than non-military families. They also have an accelerated ability to learn that is a direct result of their mobile military lifestyle. Because they are determined to have career success and employment continuity, military spouses actively seek out higher education and technical training that provides them with the licenses and credentials needed to practice their professions regardless of geographic location. DoD's MyCAA program provides them with up to $4,000 of financial assistance to pursue portable career related licenses, credentials and Associate’s degrees.
- Military spouses adjust quickly and well to new surroundings and cultures. That is because they have lived in different regions across the United States and have worked successfully with various socio-economic groups in local communities. Military spouses have also gained valuable experience overseas and have learned or taught other languages. Additionally, many teach English to foreign speakers.
- Military spouses bring the richness of their work experience with them each time they relocate to a new duty location and continue their careers. Many have gained valuable experience with industry "best practices" implemented by some of the highest performing public and private sector organizations in the world. They have helped state of the art business practices produce global success.
Concerns About Core Values and Personal Attributes
"What are your strongest characteristics and your greatest weaknesses?"
Did You Know:
- Military spouses are patriotic, hard-working, loyal, honest, trustworthy, mature, responsible, and respectful. They are excellent communicators, strong leaders and team players. They are flexible and resilient. These attributes are the keys to their success as they endure the stress of having a loved one in a combat zone or on a long deployment; separations from family and friends; and career disruptions. Their endurance and commitment to achieving personal and professional success carries over into their work-life – which is a great source of pride and professional satisfaction.
- Is your greatest weakness the fact that you often have to step out of your comfort zone to perform tasks for which you have little training and experience because of military deployments and separations? Do you realize this has made you are stronger and more capable, by choice AND by necessity?
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