The next time you have a job interview by telephone, don't underestimate its importance.  It is, after all, your first chance and possibly your only chance, to make a great impression.

"The most important thing to realize when doing a phone interview is that people on the other end can hear what you're doing,” said Katherine Burik, Strategic Job Search Consultant and partner at The Interview Doctor, Inc (www.jobinterviewcoaching.org). "They can hear your attitude, whether you’re smiling or frowning, and if you’re slouching. It's not something they hear and pay attention to, but it comes through the telephone in a way that the person will pick up on it. So it really is an influencer," she said.

Here are four ways to master that phone call every time.

1. Close out all distractions

How often do you talk on the phone and do nothing else at the same time? If you're like most of us, probably never because you're a master of multitasking, right? Well, when it comes to multitasking while interviewing on the phone, don't do it! Having laser focus is absolutely critical.

“As a person who interviews people on the phone all the time, I can almost hear when someone is looking at another screen. Close all the (computer) windows and turn off audio and visual notifications so you aren't tempted by them."

And while you're at it, don't forget to disable notifications and other potentially distracting features on your phone, too.

2. Set up a focal point.

How many times have you tried to have a conversation with someone who was distracted? It probably didn't take long for the conversation to hit a brick wall and make you want to disconnect. Well, the minute the a job interviewer thinks a candidate's focus is elsewhere, he will want to disconnect too. To give yourself the best chance at building rapport, simply set up a physical focal point on your desk to talk to.

 "I have Catbert from Dilbert on my desk," said Burik. "When I'm talking on the phone, I’m talking to him. He represents a real person in my mind."

3.  Give yourself a pep talk.

Interviewing can be nerve-wracking, so before you even get started, give yourself a pep talk to get in the right frame of mind. Decide on how you want to come across and use a mantra to speak it into existence.

"You could say, ‘I am calm, confident and courageous,', Burik said.

Or, make up your own like, I will be present in the here and now or I am right for this job and this job is right for me.  You can use any string of words that makes you feel positive and helps you exude confidence.

"Also, exhale; sit up or stand up straight; and look your person in the eye. You will sound clearer and more confident," Burik said.

4. Say ‘Cheese!’

Mirror, mirror on the wall, help me smile right through this call.

Smiling is another way to build rapport. It adds warmth to your words, giving you a pleasant tone of voice. But, it has to last throughout the entire call, so hang a photo of your children, siblings, or friends, smiling away at you. Or, as Burik suggests, use a mirror.

"Have a mirror handy and look into it to remind yourself to smile. Everyone sounds different when they are smiling than when they are frowning," she said. "When you're smiling on the telephone you come across as more friendly and outgoing. It helps you be in the moment, too."

The goal in any interview, on the phone or in person, is to get to the next step in the hiring process. By following these tips on the phone you can begin building a relationship that just might help you get there.

Ashli Teeman was 35 weeks pregnant when she applied to work for a child and youth program at the NSB Kings Bay Child Development Center in Georgia.

While she didn’t have any teaching experience, she had a bachelor’s degree in elementary education, and she got the position.

She was required to do a routine drug test, but she went into labor before she could take it, and she was still in the hospital when the test was scheduled.

“Because I missed the drug test, they had to withdraw the job offer,” Teeman said. “We tried seeing if there was anything that could be done because I was in the hospital, but it came back that they couldn’t do anything.”

Teeman had to wait another six months before she was even allowed to re-apply for the job.

She ended up getting the job after the waiting period.

“There are some people that may be turned off by a potential employee being pregnant, but some are very supportive and willing to make things work,” she said.

Lindsey Savage, a lawyer and mother in Washington, married to a Navy sailor, agrees that you have to be pro-active when applying for jobs while pregnant.

“I think the best way to combat pregnancy discrimination is to educate and be a leader,” she said.  “This goes for women and men.”

She said maternity issues are often amplified when it comes to military dependents seeking employment.

“When I am faced with the ‘Oh, you’re going to be leaving soon, anyway’ issue, I combat it with ‘There is no guarantee that the non-military-affiliated person you hire instead will last longer than me,’” she said. “And it’s rung true.  I’ve outlasted several colleagues over the years.”

Savage recommends being honest with all potential employers during any interview.

Tell them when you are due; tell them when you’re available to start work, and highlight that you’ll be able to do quite a bit of good work before you have the baby, she said.

Emphasize how good you are at your job, Savage adds.  They need to know why it’s worth it to hire you, even if you do take paid or unpaid maternity leave.

“Stress why it’s worth it to them to give you a chance or if you’re already employed, to give you maternity leave,” Savage said.

If your potential employer doesn’t have a maternity-leave policy, question them about why and suggest one.

“If you present them with, why it’s worth it to them, they might consider implementing it,” she said.

Maternity and paternity leave policies help families, she said.

“If you’re a father, push for paternity leave,” she said.  “And if you have it, take it.”

She encourages women in positions of power to help support other mothers with good maternity policies.

“Line others up behind you and support other women in their efforts to succeed,” she said.

Federal protection can be provided through the Family and Medical Leave Act, in which companies who have more than 50 employees must offer 12 weeks unpaid maternity leave when an employee has a new baby, though you’ll need to be employed for at least one year, be employed by a qualifying business, and be able to afford 12 weeks without pay.

In addition, look up the state laws regarding medical family leave; they do vary from state to state.

Savage’s son was born in California and her daughter in Washington.

In California, the law said pregnancy and birth is a “short-term disability,” so she was allowed to take 12 weeks of partially paid time-off for “family-bonding time.”

In Washington, however, she had no state policies in place to protect that time, so she had to use vacation and sick days. She never took any maternity leave.

She had pre-arranged with her employer to work from home while taking care of a new baby.  When she had to go to the office, she brought her daughter with her.

Her husband used his paternity leave, plus extra leave he had saved up, to help Savage so she could continue to work.
 
“Not all military families have the luxury of getting pregnant at the most convenient times, and sometimes you have to PCS and search for a new job when pregnant,” she said.  “It is hard.”

As an attorney, with a career that isn’t “naturally portable,” Savage understands, having to be a licensed attorney in three states thanks to her husband’s military career.

“But I have also found employers who were willing to give me a chance,” she said. “And it worked out.”
 

Winter is finally gone! It's time to shed the extra weight of layered clothing, pack up the sweaters and jackets and add a little color to your wardrobe. Some employers will loosen up the dress code a bit during the summer months, but be careful not to go overboard.

To keep your professional image intact, follow these basic summer dress code tips and your summer style won't land you in hot water.

Tops

For men and women short sleeved shirts that button up and short sleeved cotton tops with crew necks or v-necks are perfect to wear with suit jackets, lightweight button up sweaters, or alone. Polo shirts are acceptable, but stay away from tank tops, halter tops, spaghetti straps and t-shirts, especially those with graphics and words. And men, either wear the tie or don't wear it, but avoid the open collar with a loose tie hanging around your neck as if you worked all night or are headed to happy hour.

Bottoms

Trade in your dark colors and heavy fabrics for dress pants and slacks in light colors and lightweight fabrics. Lightweight fabrics include cotton, linen, and polyester/cotton blend. Save the shorts (no shorter than halfway up the thigh), capris and jeans for the office cookout and save the exercise wear for exercising.

Dresses/skirts

In general, hemlines should not rise with the temperature. Skirts and dresses should fall between an inch or so above to an inch or so below the knees. Neither nightclub wear (tight and made of spandex), daytime fun wear (long and flowing), nor sports wear (tennis skirts) should be worn at work.

Accessories

Keep the style of accessories consistent with clothing: conservative. For example, while you may trade your gold and silver baubles for a little color don't let jewelry become too distracting and certainly don't go too big or add too many pieces. In most cases, you should stick with no additional visible piercings beyond the ears and don't wear sunglasses inside, not even as a headband.

Footwear

While it's not inappropriate for women to wear sandals in the workplace with properly groomed feet, they should be more dressy than casual. Leather sandals in neutral colors and around two inch heels are safest, but flip-flops are never ok. Most men's sandals will appear too casual for the office, so opt instead for a soft leather slip on dress shoe, like loafers.

Colors

While it is ok to wear brighter colors and patterns, don't go overboard with flashy designs. Fluorescent colors, very busy patterns and Hawaiian-print are more on the casual side of patterns. Stripes, small polka dots (the smaller, the better) and solid colors are more appropriate for the summertime workplace.

No matter the season, presenting a professional and polished look is important to your career. So while workplace attire may be a bit more relaxed during summer months, your employer's expectations won't be.

Attention all military members. If you are using a the Post-9/11 GI Bill, you may now be considered an in-state student.

Regardless of how long you've lived in the state, where your license was issued or where you own property.

On July 1, schools were required to comply with the Section 702 of the Veterans Access, choice and Accountability Act of 2014. The rule mandates that the VA will not make payments to schools if qualifying Veterans and their dependents are charged rates higher than those charged to resident students.

The act is meant to protect military families' tuition benefits from being taken away by schools who overcharge them for performing military service and being constantly on the move from state to state, unable to establish residency.

Still, not every GI Bill recipient will qualify. Here are the rules:

- Students must be receiving tuition assistance through the Post-9/11 GI Bill or Montgomery GI Bill - Active Duty.

- Student (military member of family member) must live in the same state as the school and enroll within three years of discharge from a period of active duty service of 90 days or more

- Students who initially meet the requirements will remain qualified to receive in-state tuition as long as they remain continuously enrolled at the school, even if they are outside the 3-year window or enroll in multiple programs

- States are required to ensure all public institutions of higher education are offering in-state tuition and fees to qualifying individuals. This includes the military member as well as spouses, including same-sex spouses and children (biological, adopted, pre-adoptive and stepchildren).

Schools that do not comply will stop receive payment from the VA for all Post-9/11 GI Bill students.

Have questions? Think you are being overcharged? Let the VA know.

Contact the VA specifically about this provision by emailing: Section702.Vbavaco@va.gov

The VA will continue to post updates about the Post-9/11 GI Bill on its website at www.benefits.va.gov/gibill

Or call with your questions at 1-888-GIBILL-1

It’s PCS season. It’s vacation season. You may be laying your head down on a lot of pillows that are not yours.

Which means you may encounter some unwanted travel companions, such as bedbugs.

The tiny, flat, sometimes nearly invisible pests can hide anywhere: hotel rooms, theaters, libraries, nearly all public places.

People are their main source of food. They are active only at night and leave bite marks much like a mosquito or flea. While bedbugs do not spread disease, they can very difficult to get rid of and that process often causes the most distress.

If you can’t see them, how can you avoid them?

You can start at The Bedbug Registry, bedbugregistry.com

The online clearing house of all things bedbug was started by a computer programmer who got bit, and had enough. She created the site so that travelers could post their encounters and where they happened.

Users searching for bedbug warnings can enter a hotel name or street address to see if there are any reports. Travelers who come across the nasty little boogers can hop on the site and write an alert.

The registry creator tells visitors that while most of the entries are posted by honest travelers, it is impossible for her to travel to each location and validate the existence of bedbugs. So, take the report with a grain of salt. Any site that does not have another report made within two years is removed.

Experts cite the registry as the place to begin when you are booking your vacation. Check for bedbug reports and the frequency of reports at one location. One sighting? They may or may not be hiding in that hotel. Ten sightings, you might want to pick a new location.

The registry also offers detailed instructions on how to check for bedbugs when you arrive at your destination, what to do if you think you’ve found them and most importantly, how to keep them from coming home with you.

Happy travels, try to sleep soundly.

https://membracid.wordpress.com/2008/09/18/how-to-inspect-your-hotel-room-for-bed-bugs/

It is PCS season! Which means, people are leaving their jobs. Which means, employers near military bases are hiring!

A great way to get your resume out and check out the businesses near your new home is to take part in a hiring fair. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation continues to hold monthly fairs around the nation that are open only to military members and their spouses.

Here is a list of the ones happening in July. Remember to click on the link and register. Spaces fill up so register soon.

July 10

Cleveland, Ohio

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/cleveland-hiring-fair

July 14

Montgomery, AL

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/montgomery-hiring-fair

Dallas, Fort Worth, Texas

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/fort-worthdallas-hiring-fair

July 17

Springfield, OR

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/springfield-hiring-fair

July 22

Anchorage, AK

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/joint-base-elmendorf-richardson-transition-summit

Davenport, Iowa

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/davenport-hiring-fair

July 30

Arlington, Texas

http://www.uschamberfoundation.org/event/arlington-hiring-expo-texas-rangers

Are you driving across country this summer to PCS? Heading to the in-laws. In the middle of nowhere? Trying to keep your kids occupied while dad is deployed for the summer?

More than 2,000 museums across the nation want to make this summer a little less stressful for you. And, the cost is free.

The Blue Star Museums program is again offering free admission to more than 2,000 museums in all 50 states for military members and their families. The program runs from Memorial Day to Labor Day, Sept. 7.

Check the website at http://arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums and click on the map for a user-friendly list of blue star museums in each state.

To get your free tickets, simply show up to the museum and present Geneva Convention common access card (CAC), a DD Form 1173 ID card (dependent ID), or a DD Form 1173-1 ID.

The military ID holder plus five family members will be admitted for free. Family members include children, spouses, grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Also, the military member does not have to be present for the family to participate. The family can still gain entrance with a dependent family member ID card.

The program was created several years ago to show support for active duty military families who have faced multiple deployments and to give those families a chance to be together and explore these museums. The program recognizes that many of these families would otherwise not have the means, or the time together, to do so.

For all the details, go tt http://arts.gov/national/blue-star-museums/frequently-asked-questions#sthash.30D5lmJJ.dpuf

Happy Travels!

Can you really post, comment and tweet your way to a job?

"Absolutely! I just hired someone today who found me and sent me her resume on LinkedIn," said Jennifer Takacs-O'Shea, President, Caterpillar Career Consultants, Inc. "Sites like LinkedIn are often a direct professional connection from job seekers to hiring managers and companies that are actively hiring."

Very few employers don't use social media to some degree these days, so savvy job hunters should be fully aware of the many ways they can benefit from this digital playing field. Here are some insight and tips from two career management experts on how to raise your professional stock using social media during the job search.

Uncover the good stuff

Researching companies is very important at every stage in the job search process. And with social media, there is a whole lot more to be found than just vacancy announcements.

"Take advantage of being able to go deeper into the organization," said Jeff Bockelman, career behaviorist and personal branding expert.

For example, company blogs and online newsletters contain articles about a company's internal   projects and community initiatives. This makes for great networking conversation and during interviews it can show you've done your homework and that your background or interests match the employers'.

"Also, through some social media sites you can learn a lot about what the company wants by looking at the backgrounds of people it has hired in certain types of jobs. Then, make sure that you are presenting relevant skills to those employers," Bockelman said.

Finally, don't forget to use social media as a professional development tool. Follow closely professional associations and publications to keep up-to-date with industry trends, research and other important information about your field. No matter how much of an expert you are, there is always more to learn. 

Prove your expertise

Everybody can call themselves an expert in their career field, but with social media you can, and  should, prove it without a doubt. Every post or comment you make online can help build your brand, so make them count!

"Sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook allow job seekers to demonstrate their professional knowledge by making posts related to their field and demonstrating their professional talents," Takacs-O'Shea said.

Just don't make the mistake of only posting items, but not interacting with your colleagues. Start or join in on professional discussions, answer questions from others, and provide resources like articles or websites with lead in messages about how they could be helpful. Not being actively involved can look like you are just scheduling posts and have no real interest or expertise that you are willing or able to contribute.

"Furthermore, professional interactions and how prospective employees may conduct themselves within the workplace and amongst industry professionals is an important part of identifying the right match for the job opening and the company's culture," said Takacs-O'Shea.

Now, sit down, log on and review your social media presence. Make it better and make an impact with future employers!

If you are a new college grad without a job, don't be discouraged about finding one. Employers who responded to the National Association of Colleges and Employers' Job Outlook 2015 Spring Update survey reported plans to hire 9.6 percent more Class of 2015 graduates in the U.S. than they hired from the Class of 2014.

In the fall they predicted it would be only be 8.3 percent so things are looking even better, thanks to the growing economy and an unemployment rate that, according to the Department of Labor, is the lowest it has been in years at 5.4 percent in April 2015.

New graduates with degrees in engineering, business and computer science are highest in demand. Within the engineering field, civil a engineers will fare better than most other engineering areas with a whopping expected growth of 20 percent between 2012 and 2022, which is faster than the average of 11 percent for all fields. About 53,700 jobs will be added during that timeframe and those hired to help improve the aging U.S. Infrastructure will earn a median income of about $79,300 a year.

Business degreed graduates with interest in marketing research, marketing management and accounting are atop U.S. News & World Report's three best business jobs in 2015.

The BLS reports their growth to be 31.6 percent, 12.7 percent and 13.1 percent respectively. Marketing managers had a median income of $123,000 in 2013 while market research analysts earned around $60,300 annually and accountants earned about $63,500.

Finally, computer science degrees are the third highest in demand according the NACE Job Outlook Survey 2015 report of January 2015. Some of the specific occupations and their median salaries include: computer networkers and software developers with median incomes of $91,000 and $93,000; security analysts earn about $86,000 while the remaining occupations earn in the mid- to high-$70's. The top three fastest growing are security analysts (37 percent), system analysts (25 percent), and software developers (25 percent).

But, what if you are a graduate who doesn't have a degree in engineering, business or computer science?

Don't fret, take your skills to a growing industry, like the medical industry. The population is aging and therefore the healthcare industry will need people in all occupations to support that growth, including those with healthcare backgrounds and non-healthcare backgrounds, to include, for example, human resources, food management, marketing and public affairs.

In fact, according to the BLS, healthcare will add the most new jobs between 2012 and 2022, at nearly one-third of the projected growth in all jobs. Other growing industries to consider are financial services, pharmaceuticals, e-commerce, online publishing and broadcasting.

There are three industries to be wary of due to projected decreases in employment: manufacturing, federal government, and agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting.

I have been struggling to keep my head above water the last few months. My husband has been away at a 10-week course only a few hours away. There were a few weekends we were able to have him home for the weekend. In my mind, it doesn’t get much better than that! Or, so I thought.

I did not emotionally prepare myself for the disaster that would ensue. In my mind, this would be easy peasy!

Instead of daddy coming home in the middle of dinner or bedtime, we Skyped. Or tried to. Most nights, the boys were overtired and didn’t have the attention span to talk. I jam packed activities into not just our weekdays, but also over the weekends as well.

Weekends without your significant other are the worst - kids or no kids. So I kept us busy and tried to make up for the missing link.  But something was missing. I felt like I was slowly unraveling.

I assumed my husband would be able to come home most weekends. And I had the thought in the back of my mind that I would have relief when he did. But, after our first week apart, it was hard for our schedules to link up to chat. How was it possible to be in the same time zone and not find time to talk?

And then he had duty and assignments to do on the weekend and couldn’t come home. I became irritated. I also barely spent any time at home with my kids because I kept our schedules so busy.  

I did not realize how busy we had become until I had friends asking to get our kids together and I literally had no time free to “pencil” it in. I felt panicked and rushed all day, every day. I found myself short on patience, annoyed and grumpy. All. The Time.

And exhausted.

Gone are the days of a newborn or infant waking up every two hours. So I should be rested! Instead it’s the same battles from the time my little ones wake up until bedtime.

And my sleep is broken by sneaky toddlers coming into my room in the middle of the night or yelling for water or for me to cover them up. I can’t remember the last time I slept through the night.  I felt like I was failing at everything. But I kept pushing through.

I also finally got a job! I was thrilled. Light at the end of the tunnel! Until my daycare provider fell through. What good is a job with no daycare? I felt like the universe was telling me to stop everything and be satisfied with being a fulltime stay at home mom and military spouse.  

One night as I was trying to close my eyes, I felt like my heart was going to beat right out of my chest. I started panicking. Was I having a heart attack? I tried to control my breathing. I prayed it would go away and I would wake up to my children.

I did. But I called my doctor just to be sure. I have never been to the doctor so much in my entire life. Labs after labs and even a few x-rays. The verdict? Anxiety.

Solution? Medication. I was devastated. Is this the only solution? Of course I have stress and anxiety.  What mother and military spouse doesn’t?  But I have been through tougher things! This wasn’t even a deployment! How would I handle that if I couldn’t keep it together for three months? I left the doctors office feeling defeated.

For right now, I am comfortable with knowing that this is just a tough season of life for us. I am not sure if I will go forward with the medication but I do think I would benefit from talking to a counselor or therapist familiar with military life.  

And, I plan to slow down some of my commitments. Military families take on a lot.  And even though I am so grateful for the life I live and the gifts we have been given, it’s a tough life.  We can simply not do it all.  I have a background in psychology, it’s time I accept that there is someone out there to help me. Even if its simply getting some things off my chest and reprioritizing and refocusing.

So I hope in my transparency, I am able to help someone else. It’s okay to feel like you don’t have it all together. I guarantee you that you are not alone.

It’s okay to not love this lifestyle sometimes! But the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, so we must make the best of what we are given. And this isn’t forever. it's just a tough season.