Life of a Military Spouse

EviCore is an active partner to our military, committed to recruiting and employing military spouses and veterans. We value the skills they bring to the table and the crucial roles they play in our success. For example, as a company we strive to provide specific work options and accommodations that can fit with the lives of military spouses. Each of our offices is authorized to try to accommodate the specific and sometime-unique needs of these dynamic individuals. The overarching goal is to give those who have given so much to us and our country the support they need to succeed.

With that being said, we’d like to shine light on one of our honorable and dedicated military spouses from our team. From EviCore’s Colorado Springs Office meet Erica Gough, Lead Talent Acquisition Specialist.

1.  What is your role at EviCore? What are some of the responsibilities associated with this role?

I am currently a Lead Talent Acquisition Specialist within Human Resources. The Talent Acquisition Team has the important mission of matching our internal employees with great career opportunities, while simultaneously attracting the top external talent we need to carry out the company’s mission. Internal promotion and hiring encompasses sourcing, scheduling interviews, and collaborating with hiring leaders to identify the talent suitable for promotion within the organization. External hiring includes actively sourcing and identifying talent interested in EviCore, setting up interviews with hiring leaders and Human Resources, and then extending offers to join our special team at EviCore.

2.  How long have you been a Military Spouse and how has that impacted your lifestyle? How have you developed your career over the years and supported your spouse?

I have been a military spouse for 3 and 1/2 years. My husband commissioned as an officer in the Army in May 2015 on active duty. We’ve been stationed at Fort Carson in Colorado Springs since May 2016. Obviously, this impacts our lives drastically, as we are very far from all of our family who reside in Ohio and along the east coast. We had to learn to problem solve and work together as a team to do the simple adult things! For almost half of the 2 and 1/2 years we’ve been stationed here, we’ve been apart due to deployments and training exercises, so I’ve had to make my own friends, develop relationships, and find my own purpose to stay motivated.

I find a lot of satisfaction in my own personal and professional successes. I’ve always worked hard and felt that if I make myself valuable to a company, a company will see the value in keeping me, even if we are relocated. I have never let there be a major time gap in my resume. I’ve immediately gotten involved in the professional community in Colorado Springs, and the military-spouse community as well. I find that by volunteering my time outside of work, it’s easy to support my husband and make friends.!! I am the company FRG (Family Readiness Group) leader, volunteer with the USO and Hire Heroes USA, and sit on the board of a charity called Mountain Post Santa’s Workshop, which provides Christmas gifts for families at Fort Carson who need a helping hand around the holidays.

3.  How has EviCore supported your career while you’ve been acclimating to the ever-evolving lifestyle of a Military Spouse? How do you maintain the balance between being a business professional and a Military Spouse?

EviCore and the stability of my team and job help me cope with the non-stop changing and fluctuating military life. When I joined the team, I thought it all sounded wonderful but knew that some jobs don’t turn out perfect. I have been so pleasantly surprised with the culture, the professionalism, and the way that colleagues and management care about our employees. When my husband came home from a 10-month deployment, there was so much excitement and support from my HR team I couldn’t believe it. Once you show how hard you are willing to work, EviCore and the leadership here will do everything possible to grow and support your career.. Everyone has a bad day or bad week, not just military spouses, so I love that I get to support my work family and they support me, no matter what!

As far as a balance goes, that’s a work in progress I think, probably for everyone! If anyone’s figured it out perfectly, let me know! Although I love to volunteer, the bottom line is that my work is  my passion and what helps my family financially, so that is my first priority always. But, with my husband gone a lot over the last 3 years, I’ve gotten to spend evenings and weekends working on my volunteering and attending military spouse events! I do think that keeping the balance of husband time, friend time, and work time—regardless of if your spouse is home or away—is VERY important. You can’t drop everything when they’re home, because when they go again, you’re left with nothing and starting over!

4.  Has your experience with the military prepared you for the workforce? What values has it instilled in your work ethic and approach?

I think every military spouse is prepared for the workforce because we are adaptable, flexible, productive, and (usually) patient! These traits are what most companies look for in their workers! Adaptability, because priorities and goals change; flexibility, to work with new people and stay on course; and productivity. What company doesn’t want a productive worker?

Over the last 3 years, and even while my husband was at a military college, we had to learn communication and patience, which has changed a lot about who I am. I have learned that clear communication is key, which helps me in my professional work. I try to be understanding but direct in communication with my co-workers and leaders at EviCore.

I think the values I’ve learned from being a military spouse have been vital to my success in supporting every company I’ve worked for.

5.  What advice would you give to men and women who are seeking careers after they complete their military service?

Oh man, this is tough because transitioning military members and their families often face overwhelming change! Almost everything about your life will change. I think my no. 1 piece of advice is to find that mentor, recruiter, or professional person who you trust, and work with them. Whether that person is someone at a nonprofit for veterans’ transitioning, or a recruiter like me, or a mentor who has experience as a military spouse, it’s so important to get realistic input and expectations from someone who has done this before. And remember, thousands of veterans each year successfully find careers after the military, and though it can feel daunting and impossible, if you work on constantly improving your resume, networking, and applying to jobs, it will happen for you too!