How to Have a Career and be a Military Spouse/Partner - Amy's Story
Welcome to How to Have a Career and be a Military Spouse / Partner, our series where we talk to real military spouses / partners about their career path and how they got to where they are now, along with any valuable advice along the way. If you want to tell your story (which can be anon) please contact rachel@militarycoworking.uk
Please introduce yourself!
Hi! I’m Amy Lovely (yes that is my actual surname!), currently living in Aldershot. I work for Joanne Bowmer at JB Property Law as a Legal Assistant and have been a military spouse for about 11 years now.
What did you want to be when you were a child and what did you study at college / university?
I wanted to be a few things as I was growing up! I wanted to be a teacher for the longest time but was planning to study Midwifery at University. I ended up in an apprenticeship working as a school administrator and I loved it! Doing an apprenticeship was the best thing I did because it gave me the skills and the qualification to always be able to gain work in admin and it is always something I fall on when I need to change my job. All the jobs I have wanted or been in are fast paced, demanding, ever changing, no two days the same. I always say I thrive in these types of roles because I just love being busy!
At what point did you realise your plan would have to deviate, and how did that make you feel?
I think the most significant point where I realised how much military life dictates, mine is when my husband rejoined. He had left for all of 1 year, and he really struggled without the routine and knowing what to do. After a lot of conversations, we both agreed he would be better rejoining and so he did! It was 2020, I was 7 months pregnant and had to leave a job I had worked hard to go from Administrator to Housing Manager, I was building a career, and I had to leave it to restart our life in Scotland. I knew it was the right decision for our family but I was gutted that I had to leave behind a job I was good at, I enjoyed and one that I was actually moving up from Admin. Work in the highlands is scarce, as is childcare, and my husband’s regiment was extremely busy and so I remained a stay at home mum of our 4 girls. However, I am grateful I got the opportunity to be there for my girls, and I would do it every time.
How did you get to where you are now?
Joanne will tell me off for this because she is always telling me I under sell myself, but I truly believe it was just luck! I wasn’t supposed to be scrolling Facebook, I was meant to be doing the washing, but it was a sunny day and the girls were playing. Anyway, I saw the post, saw how much attention it had gained and carried on by. But I could not stop thinking about it! I rang my husband and told him about the post, and he said just apply you never know! I did finally apply and I could not believe it when I was offered the job, I have never been so excited! I had lost so much confidence trying to get back into work following our move to Aldershot. I was constantly rejected, never heard back from most of them, and when I did get an interview, I was repeatedly asked if I was associated with the Military and how long was the posting. It was resilience within me that I had built from years as a military spouse that kept me going, it kept me applying for work and just believing I would be given an opportunity. And Joanne has done that for me.
How do you feel like military life has impacted your career?
Military life has had a huge impact on my life and my career. People underestimate what it takes to be in this life. Yes, it is our husband’s career not ours, but it impacts us just as much. Military life and supporting my husband have meant I have to give up my job roles at anytime he is posted, I am the one that must sacrifice my position and progression to ensure he can continue with his and I am willing to do that but it does have an impact on your confidence and the way that employer view your capability, reliance and skills. However saying all of this, we are incredibly lucky to have some amazing organisations such as the Forces Employment Charity, MCN and MILSPO. These are all so important to help support spouses into careers and have opportunities that fit around our lifestyles. And also, employers who understand. Joanne was a military spouse herself; she understands me and everything my life is being a spouse. We don't get special treatment by Joanne. Everyone is treated the same. We don't get a foot in the door because of who we married. We just don't get the door closed before we've even tried to open it. She has given me an opportunity that other employers don’t and that is a chance to pursue a career, build something for myself, and not compromise on my home life.
What does a typical working day look like for you?
My working days vary day to day, which I love! I am the social media manager for both JB Property Law and for new our campaign Beyond the CV which is about to launch. I usually spend the morning researching ideas, planning the content and creating my ideas. I am still new to social media, so I am still learning everything there is to know about creating engaging content! Usually, I will schedule a week ahead so that I know it is all ready to go! Currently I am learning how to do the legal side of buying and selling properties, helping Joanne to complete quotes and open files. It is super exciting and I can’t wait to keep on learning more as I go along. I also have the opportunity to do my Level 3 Paralegal qualification which is something I do on my own time in the evenings. In between this it is not uncommon for Joanne to give me a text with ‘I have an idea!’ and we discuss it and what she needs me to do to help, and I always go along with them. Mostly because she is passionate about helping others, particularly the Armed Forces community, and the other half is because I love her spontaneity. All this work is flexible and allows me to run my home life along side this and for that I am grateful for. I still work hard and get it done, but I don’t have to worry about taking my lunch break over school runs.
Finally, I have created my own social media page for my Virtual Assistant work, this is slow running in the background but my hope is that one day I will be so busy that I need to hire some help and I hope to hire someone from the military community who needed a chance just as much as I did.
Do you have any advice for other military spouses / partners that you wish you’d been told?
Don’t give up. For every 10, 20, 30 employers that don’t get back to you or reject your CV, or ask ridiculous interview questions, there is 1 employer out there who is willing to get to know you beyond what your CV is telling them. We are more than that and we deserve the same opportunities as anyone else who wants to work and build a career for themselves. Reach out to the organisations we have around us to help guide you, to offer you more education or just a confidence boost that you are capable to do whatever it is you are dreaming of!
How can we find you online?
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