Our Blog

BY Joel Junker

Spouses Have a Significant Role in the Military to Business Transition

We value the input and participation of Spouses/Significant Others of our candidates.  There are many ways to get involved.  Below are 7 ways you can participate to include watching a webcast.

Note:  I have written similar posts in the blog every year, continue to post again so that it stays at the front of the blog and each year, we do a new webcast for spouses and upload it into our Resource Center (instructions below).

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Changing career direction from the military to Corporate America is one of the most important moves JMOs make in their lifetime. It affects their futures and those of their spouses/significant others.  This is why Cameron-Brooks highly encourages spouses/significant others to be involved with the entire career search process to include attending our Information Meetings, Personal Interviews, and Career Conferences.

We feel spouses/significant others need to be involved in gathering and analyzing information so they can make an informed decision with their JMO spouses.  They both should have the same degree of knowledge regarding the business world and the same degree of commitment to a successful transition to business.

I recommend the following 7 steps for spouses/significant others to get involved with the Cameron-Brooks program and be a key partner with his or her JMO candidate.

1. Watch the Spouse Support Webcast I conducted with two spouses who attended a Conference.  We provide advice on how spouses/significant others can get involved with the program and their role at the Career Conference.  To view the webcast go to our Learning Library inside the Resource Center, and select the Webcasts – Transition Perspectives folder.
2. Attend an Information Meeting where we discuss the Development Candidate concept, the mission of Cameron-Brooks, the role of location in a career search, benefits and compensation, and much more.  If the spouse/significant other cannot attend a live Information Meeting, e-mail candidates@cameron-brooks.com and ask for a recorded Webcast, which is an abbreviated version of the live presentation.
3. Read PCS to Corporate America 4th Ed. by Cameron, Alvarez and Junker.  You can order a hard copy from Amazon.com and digitally from Amazon, Barnes & Noble Nook, and for the Apple iBooks.   Pay specific attention to Chapter 3 where there is advice on how a spouse/significant other can support the candidate.
4. Attend the one-on-one personal sessions when the JMO candidate meets the Cameron-Brooks Recruiter.  This is a great opportunity to ask those burning questions and learn more about the process.
5. Read Tab 5 of our Development and Preparation Program© (DPP©) and listen to the some of the Interview Preparation Podcasts in our ResourceCenter.
6. Help your JMO candidate prepare by taking him or her through mock interviews.  Chapter 3 of PCS and the webcast listed in the first point provide advice on how to do this.  Reading PCS, reading Tab 5 of DPP© and listening to the Podcasts will give you the right tools and knowledge to provide constructive feedback.
7. Attend the Career Conference.  You will learn so much about the opportunities and be better prepared to provide input into the final decision on the choice of company, position and location.  You will also be a good study partner.  Two heads are better than one!  Finally, the Conference is busy.  You may have to step in at times and be a “logistician” for your spouse JMO to help him or her get to the right place at the right time.  The webcast in point 1 addresses spouses at the Conference.

Spouses/significant others:  We want you to be a part of the process and feel included.   Please let us know what more we can do for you, and if we can answer any other questions.

Joel