Jump to content

Sort Of An Unorthodox Question


Recommended Posts

But for you guys that have a spouse, how hard is a move for them career wise? Are Army aviators assigned to new bases often? And if so, are perspective employers understanding of that, or reluctant to hire someone on that could be moving again in a couple years? My girlfriend is a year away from graduating a SLP program so we are trying to find out how things will be should I get selected.

 

As an aside, I work for the FBO at KTRI. We get a steady stream of Blackhawks and the occasional Apache and Chinook. Would love to talk to some members if any of you use us as a fuel stop.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It really depends on what your spouse does for a living. My wife didn't have too much trouble finding a job but definitely felt some hesitation amongst employers to hire anyone with military connections. That said, you can expect to be stationed somewhere for 3-5 years if it's a normal duty station. The biggest issue we ran in to was being located near a school that she could attend for the program she wanted. I don't know much about SLP but if it's a rare specialization there might not be many if any jobs nearby as many Army bases are located in somewhat rural areas.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm in the same type of situation with my wife. She's a paralegal here in Dallas and is really nervous that she won't be able to find a decent job at or near any base. She's working on getting her personal training business up and running which she'll do online and in person anywhere we live, but that may still take a while to get really rolling.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I haven't been military in 46 years, but I've moved a lot. A lot...

 

You're asking the question to the wrong people. If the individual is impressive, aggressive, has valuable skills, and can put the interview plan together and execute- 1 year, 2, 3 or 5 years at the new position is secondary to the sale in the interview. If the sale is closed, that's the end and retention is the employer's issue- not your problem. The hiring process is a guess for everybody. If somebody else presents with equal qualifications, etc., prospective retention will decide. Evaluate, plan, execute and exploit realistically.

 

You pays yer money and you takes yer chances. In the end, it's what you make it despite what you plan. Not that a good plan isn't important...

Edited by Wally
Link to comment
Share on other sites

BLUF: as an SLP, she won't have an issue.

 

Great question, my wife is an SLP and had ZERO trouble finding a job here. As a matter of fact the clinic she works for is currently looking for one. When does your wife graduate and when will she finish her CFY? I can connect you with the clinic my wife works for if you like.

 

To answer the more broad question; SLP's nationwide are in high demand so we don't expect too much difficulty in finding jobs for my wife when we move. However, last time I checked there are 0 open positions in the whole of DOD so (unlike our expectations) she probably won't be able to find a job working on post, although I'm sure it depends heavily on timing. Also, rural areas tend to need SLP's more badly then big cities since they are so hard to come by.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

BLUF: as an SLP, she won't have an issue.

 

Great question, my wife is an SLP and had ZERO trouble finding a job here. As a matter of fact the clinic she works for is currently looking for one. When does your wife graduate and when will she finish her CFY? I can connect you with the clinic my wife works for if you like.

 

To answer the more broad question; SLP's nationwide are in high demand so we don't expect too much difficulty in finding jobs for my wife when we move. However, last time I checked there are 0 open positions in the whole of DOD so (unlike our expectations) she probably won't be able to find a job working on post, although I'm sure it depends heavily on timing. Also, rural areas tend to need SLP's more badly then big cities since they are so hard to come by.

Really appreciate everyone's reply and the great info you provided, walkerman.

 

She graduates from ETSU May 2017, so if my math is correct and I am selected in September, then her fellowship will be down at Rucker with me if we can find a place down there that will do it. It's a long ways off, but I would love to put her in touch with your wife if the Army decides to take a chance on me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 8 months later...

Sorry for the old thread revival, but with my WOFT selection we are really trying to get everything planned out.

 

I leave for BCT Feb 7th and then begin a 4 month AIT at Fort Rucker. My WOSM thinks she can get me a WOCS date almost immediately after completion of AIT, so I'm looking at about 2 years straight at Rucker.

 

My girlfriend graduates in May with her master's in SLP. I think I'm going to go ahead and move her down there pretty soon after she graduates if we can find her a clinical fellowship around Fort Rucker. Is this feasible? I know I won't see her during WOCS or SERE, but I should get weekend passes for AIT. Or should I just wait until I begin flight school to move her and she just begin her CF then?

 

Those of you with SLP wives, are there any companies that you know of that would allow a student to do the CF knowing she wouldn't stay on with them after its completion? We are making a list of all possible employers and will begin contacting them soon.

 

Also, I remember a poster here having a rental home. I'd be interested in checking out any properties members here have available for rent.

 

Thanks and really sorry for the novel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey sorry for the late response! Been cramming firehoses down my mouth for the last few months haha. There are plenty opportunities for SLP's, beware though, don't do what we did and casually input her info into any kind of recruiting database (recruiting in the sense of "headhunters" who look for professionals to place in jobs such as SLP's), my wife has been employed for over a year and still gets random calls from all over the country. If a company wants to hire an SLP, and they hire a headhunter service, beware, they probably have a high turn around of employees and probably not for good reasons.

 

That being said my projected graduation date is March-ish. Seems like everything around here is up in the air in some way. Anyways, we have a house here that we are plan on renting out to flight students or any other service member who finds themselves at MotherRucker. Hit me up if you're interested.

 

On a side-note... about the girlfriend. You're new to the military I assume? Which means she probably is too. My advice, do the long-distance thing for a while, if she can handle it great, if she can't it wasn't meant to be and you saved yourself A-LOT of heartache. Being a soldier and especially an officer is a transient life-style (ya see what I did there? transient? heh-heh little flight-school joke) and you don't want to invest your time/money/emotions into someone who can't handle a life where you move every two to three years and deploy as often as every six-months, for you secret-squirrel wannabes(no really though, put me in coach). Test it out. Feel the waters. If y'alls relationship is worth the wait for you both, then you've got something really special and put a ring on it a little ways down the road. If not, well at least you won't find your accounts emptied out and all your sh*t on ebay halfway into a deployment down range, know what I mean?

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

Loading...
×
×
  • Create New...