Why won’t companies hire military spouses?

Why won’t companies hire military spouses?

When Aspen Bergmann was being interviewed for a job as a secretary, she felt confident the position was hers for the taking.

The 36-year-old clinical laboratory researcher was more than qualified and hit it off with the boss, who was impressed with her experience and enthusiasm.

But when she mentioned that her husband was in the military, the tone of the conversation changed.

“I’m sorry, but we are looking for someone who is going to stick around for several years,” the interviewer told her.

There was no job offer after that.

While separation, instability and safety are openly discussed as concerns of military spouses, unemployment is barely touched upon. Nevertheless, a staggering 28 percent of them are unemployed — a figure that has increased by one-third since 2016. Currently, the national unemployment rate for the general population stands at 3.7 percent, making the wives and husbands of armed-forces personnel about nine times more likely to be without a salary than other civilians.

The main reasons are frequent moves, scarcity of jobs in the often-remote areas where bases are located and lack of child care.

Even though companies such as Prudential, Starbucks, La Quinta and Microsoft actively recruit military spouses, some women become surrogate mothers as a means of making money.

The spousal employment challenge is “a real problem,” says Dan Savage, LinkedIn’s head of military and veterans programs. He even worries that it could threaten enrollment in the armed forces, pointing out, “Dissatisfaction with their family life leads to people leaving the military.” He says his department is working to lessen the gap by offering free, premium membership to wives and husbands of those in the Air Force, Navy or Army.

Bergmann, who encountered the prejudiced manager in Washington state in the mid 2000s, certainly hopes businesses will look to military spouses for workers. She has lost count of the number of opportunities she’s missed out on as an Army wife.

Saquadrea Crosby’s Air Force job means the family has to move often — which makes it hard for husband Simeon to find work.Tamara Beckwith/NY Post

“It’s kind of disheartening,” says the mom who lives in Springfield, Va, near her husband David’s base, after moving around the country five times since they married 15 years ago. “A lot of employers ask, ‘How long do you think you’re going to be here?’ . . . The truth is, I really don’t know because we could be sent anywhere with little notice.” If she’s honest, she gets rejected, she says — and that “gets in your head after a while, and dents your confidence.”

Similarly, budget analyst Simeon Crosby served as a supervisor at a gas station when his wife, Saquadrea, a master sergeant in the US Air Force was based in Spangdahlem, Germany.

It took the 40-year-old about six months to get a job there after moving with his spouse and their kids, Simeon Jr., now 14, and 10-year-old Chloe.
“There were limited professional opportunities and, despite having an accounting degree, I had to settle for a position that paid $12 an hour,” he says.

Currently unemployed, he is now seeking a finance job, which makes the most of his qualifications and pays about $65,000 per year. Although he has been offered positions in Texas and Illinois, nothing has come up near Trenton, NJ, where Saquadrea began her latest posting in June.

“It’s been a struggle,” says Crosby, who claims it usually takes him an average of six months to find a job when his wife is re-stationed every two or three years.

“It’s a strain and a burden for Saquadrea, who understandably gets frustrated by the amount of time it takes me to get work.

“Another difficult thing is telling the kids they can’t have items they want, like a bicycle or a drum kit because we don’t have a dual income at the moment.”

He has attended job fairs and applied to a variety of companies such as Johnson & Johnson, Amazon and Google, but none have born fruit.

“I only get an interview in about 4 percent of cases, so I’m constantly in touch with recruiters,” adds Simeon, who has an MBA from the National American University in Rapid City, SD. “I’m determined to find the right position to help provide for my family.”

Underemployment is the problem for certified public accountant Katie Bellocchio, 45, whose 43-year-old husband, Andrew, a lieutenant colonel in the Army, teaches mechanical engineering at the military post in West Point, NY.

The CPA currently works from home 20 hours a week for a virtual firm. But she is desperate for more hours and responsibility.

She secured her job with help from ServingTalent, an agency that focuses on placing US diplomat and military spouses with employers.

“I’ve been married 20 years, and I knew I would be moving around a lot from the get-go,” says Bellocchio, who insists her marriage is strong, despite the hurdles. “But I knew I wanted to be with my husband, so it’s been a case of taking on the challenge and being a little more creative with my career.”

The mom of two has found that she is mostly offered entry-level jobs because her husband is re-stationed every one to three years, despite holding senior positions in the past.

Katie Bellocchio, 45, says her husband Andrew Bellocchio, a 43-year-old Army lieutenant colonel, is often stationed in “middle-of-nowhere” towns with scare employment opportunities. Angel Chevrestt

“I’ve been offered jobs with low wages, no benefits and two weeks’ vacation,” she says. “I’m overqualified, but I often find I undervalue myself.”

Another factor has been Andrew’s regular Army postings “in the middle of nowhere,” in economically challenged areas such as Fort Drum, in upstate New York.

“Employment up there was difficult to find,” she says. “Plus there are gaps in my résumé, which I have to explain.

“I don’t advertize the fact that I’m a military wife, but often it’s inevitable that the employer knows or finds out.”

Meanwhile, Carrie O’Neal, founder of Military Wives Connect, which organizes networking events for its members, says the qualities needed for being a military spouse translate well to the workforce.

“By nature, the wives and husbands of military people tend to be flexible, independent and confident,” she says.

“This is 2018, and people move around in their jobs a great deal. It’s important that military spouses are offered the same opportunities as everyone else — without stigma.”

Despite all of the obstacles she’s been faced with, Bergmann is still plugging away at applications. She recently landed a gig working five hours per week as an assistant to an image consultant, earning $15 an hour.

“I really enjoy it, but it’s not what I’m trained for,” says the University of Kentucky graduate. “I’m ready to get back into the workforce and know I’d make a great employee.”

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