Military Spouse employment can be the key to a military family’s quality of life.

On today’s episode we got you covered if your on the job hunt!

You’ll want to join us as we welcome back federal resume expert, Kathryn Troutman. Kathryn is the author of several Federal job strategy books to include *10 Steps to a Federal Job*. Vist Kathryn’s website www.resume-place.com for more information and to sign up for her free 1 hour webinar.

Check out your local Fleet and Family Support Center (or equivalent for your branch) for resume help and to sign up for the “10 Steps to a Federal Job” class – free to you as a military spouse!

Federal Job Search sites:

http://www.usajobs.com – The Federal Government’s Official Job Site

https://chart.donhr.navy.mil/ – Department of the Navy Jobs

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Also joining us, John Dipiero from USAA’s Military Talent Recruitment (interview plays at appx. 46:00). As the #1 Ranked Top 10 Military Spouse employer by Military Spouse Magazine, USAA is committed to recruiting the best and the brightest. Listen in as we learn what you should know when it comes to pursuing a career with USAA.

Meet John DiPiero

John is a 29-year veteran of the Air Force and Texas resident for many years. During his Air Force career, he spent most of his time in the training and education business. He was a pilot and amassed over 3,500 hours in both helicopter and fixed wing jet aircraft, and retired in the rank of colonel. Upon retirement in 2000, he spent two years as the commandant at a military academy in Virginia, Randolph-Macon Academy. He moved back to San Antonio in 2002 and began his career at USAA in military marketing. John is now a military recruiting and talent management specialist, responsible for reaching out to the military community (and spouses) ensuring they know USAA is a military friendly employer for both veterans and actively serving Guard and Reserve members. John received his BS from Southwest Texas State University and an MA in Communication and Management from the University of Oklahoma. He also attended numerous military schools, including Squadron Officer School, Air Command and Staff College, Air War College and numerous flying training programs in a number of different aircraft.

To search for jobs at USAA visit http://www.usaa.apply2jobs.com

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Just in time for Valentine’s Day delivery, Debora from WireACake.com also stops by to talk about how we can send a homemade cake to our loved ones deployed or at home.

Debora George is a hard working mother of three who started her own telecake nationwide cake delivery service,WireACake/HB Bakery Connection in 1987 after an unsuccessful attempt to have a cake delivered to her father for his birthday. In 2008 she found an opportunity to ship birthday and all occasion cakes {complete with personal inscription on the cake!} to soldiers overseas from her hometown of Huntington Beach, CA. For more information and to order a cake log onto www.WireACake.com

Testimonial:
“Hi Debora- My husband Chris received his cake today and he absolutely LOVED it! I think he was really surprised to have received an actual birthday cake in Iraq. He shared it with his buddies and they all loved it too, they said it tasted great! Thank you so much for providing this service to us and for helping me make his birthday away from home a little more bearable. Thanks again!
~ Ashley 01/28/10″

Show Date: 24 Nov 09, 9pm CT

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USAA Ranks No. 1 on Military Spouse Magazine’s List

Posted on Sep 09, 2009 from USAA.com

Experience, loyalty, work ethic cited as top reasons for recruiting military spouses

Military Spouse magazine has ranked USAA No. 1 on its 2009 list of America’s “Top 10 Military Spouse Friendly Employers.” The third annual list, which is the magazine’s October cover story, recognizes a variety of major corporations for demonstrating a significant commitment to hiring spouses of military personnel.

“USAA was named No. 1 because of its sustained and effective efforts to recruit military spouses,” said Military Spouse managing editor Josie Cellone. “And once the spouses are hired, USAA has the programs in place to support them and their unique lifestyle.”

USAA was chosen from among 2,500 companies achieving $1 billion in annual revenues. Companies were evaluated on their efforts to recruit military spouses, results in recruiting from them and policies affecting them.

“We know that military spouses sometimes feel corporate America prefers not to hire them because of their transient lifestyle. Well, we’re different,” said USAA CEO Maj. Gen. Joe Robles, USA (Ret.). USAA was founded by military personnel who were experiencing the same discrimination from insurance companies that thought their transient lifestyles made for a bad risk. That kind of corporate thinking was wrong in 1922 and it’s wrong today, because military servicemembers and spouses are great employees as well as great customers.”

USAA’s military spouse program ranges from hiring to employee benefits. Highlights include:

• Military spouses make up 40% of USAA’s 2009 new hires with military experience.
• Benefits programs assist military spouses with childcare during deployment by providing a “Life Referral” counselor who helps identify alternative childcare options.
• Company-sponsored intranet sites guide spouses with financial, legal and benefit-related information.
• USAA’s Employee Assistance Program provides mental health and well-being services to help address deployment-related challenges that military spouses may experience.

“Military spouses bring a very specific set of skills to the company, such as flexibility, loyalty and adaptability,” said USAA employee Maggie Hahn, wife of a retired U.S. Marine lieutenant colonel. “As a military spouse, we spend our lives living the mission of the armed forces right along with our soldier. Working at a company that embraces those core values makes being a USAA employee a perfect fit.”

To search for jobs at USAA visit http://www.usaa.apply2jobs.com

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http://www.blogtalkradio.com/navywiferadio/2010/02/03/military-life-radio-navy-wife-radio

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Valentine’s day is one of those special days that you really want to share with your spouse!! But for some of us, our spouses are deployed, TAD, or a Geo-bachelor and are a way from us.  But don’t fret!! You can still share this holiday with your spouse or significant other. 

Send a care package!!!  This is one of the best times of the year to go all out and do a themed care package.  Below are some ideas to get you started, and don’t worry if it arrives a little late. Remember it’s the thought that counts!

Ideas:

-Take an ordinary pillow case and get some iron on photo transfer paper and print out some photos of you and the family!  Add some perfume or your sailor/soldier’s favorite scent and pack it in a Ziploc bag to preserve the smell.  It’s an instant visual and scent memory of home. You can iron on the pictures on the inside of the pillow case if you’re worried about the command wanting the racks to look uniform.

- Take some handkerchiefs and iron on pictures to them, or have the kids make hand prints or paint pictures on them with fabric paint.  Your sailor/soldier can carry these around in his pocket, something he doesn’t have to worry about incase it gets wet or something!  You can also send these in a Ziploc bag with a scent on it. 

- Of course candy, cookies, chips, cracker, cake snacks, etc!!  Just beware of items possibly melting or spending a long time in a holding area before getting to the sailor/soldier.

- Make a mixed CD or thumb drive (if they have their own computer), remember in school how you made your own  mixed Tape or CD of your favorite songs (is that still big, lol.  I’m starting to feel old and I only graduated 9 years ago).  Make a theme of love songs and songs that you two as a couple liked to listen too.  I used to draw silly pictures on my tapes and CDs to personalize it!

- Send little toys and trinkets that represent Valentines Day!  Everyone still loves to play with toys, come on you know it!! Send stuff that can put a smile on their face and that they can share with others.

- Don’t forget Cards and letters, in today’s email crazy time a good handwritten letter can mean so much.  And if you send one it is like a ‘wink and nudge’ to your spouse and you may get a handwritten letter back (note: you may actually have to spell it out in your letter that you want a hand written response…. Some guys just need the ‘wink and nudge’ explained to them. LOL). 

- Make a list of why you love your spouse, or what makes you smile about them.

- If you have time find a place that can put images on insulated coffee cups, and have it personalized in addition to the picture.

- Send something that is specific to what your spouse likes, for example a PSP Game, or a New CD from his favorite artist

-And last of all instead of using packing material to make the box secure inside use socks, boxers, and t-shirts to make the box tight (take them out of the packaging and use a pair or two to pack, its ok if you don’t use a whole pack just set the rest aside for the next package you send).  No matter where your sailor/soldier is deployed they can always use new CLEAN socks, boxers/underwear, and t-shirts.

I hope that his has gotten you started!! Please share your additional Ideas!! 

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