Tilted Forum Project Discussion Community - View Single Post - Finding a job and a place to stay in this economy...

Tully Mars · 03-14-2010, 06:41 PM

I have no idea what the job market is like these days. I know two years ago I was getting recruiting from other states and counties in my line of work. I currently live in Mexico and continued to receive them regularly for some time after moving south. Those have gone from a few every couple of months to one every six months or so. My mailing address is a drop box in Houston Texas, I assume they slowed because the job market sucks. But it could be due to my location, don't know.

That said I do remember what it was like to be in the job hunt in the early 80's... it sucked. I worked fast food and restaurants (had to move to a town 20 miles from my hometown to land a fast food job) until I couldn't look at people and ask "do you want fries with that?" and not feel feel like slamming my head in a door. So I joined the Navy. Sounds like that may not be an option for you. Maybe student loans and school could by you some time until the economy swings up? If nothing else just keep at it everyday until you get a foot in somewhere. I know when I got out of the Navy in 87 I thought, based on my Navy rating (HT) I'd be hired as a welder or a fireman somewhere rather quickly. Nope. Six months of pounding the pavement and as close as I got to a job with any FD was in Salem Oregon where I score 9th overall in a year they hire one person. No one in the welding field took my Navy exp. seriously at all. Needed a degree and cert from a civilian agency to even put in an app. I'd been welding on nuclear reactor components and I couldn't even get an interview to weld cargo and horse trailers. It was frustrating, very frustrating. After two months of unemployment benefits (they considered leaving the Navy voluntarily as "quitting" but for service to the country they gave me 8 weeks) ran out I found myself unloading semi-trucks from 12-8am. That was part time and only if a driver asked you. Pretty much had to hang out at the docks and hope someone would offer you work. $40 for a nights work, hard work. That lead to a connection who got me hired as a part time sub janitor for the Salem schools. That too was part-time and only if someone called in sick. After almost a year of often working from 4pm to 8am I got an interview for a law enforcement job on the Oregon coast. that interview went something like this- "well everything looks good and I'd like to hire you but we need some one who's a resident of this county, we need them to start Monday morning" (it was Friday afternoon) I told the guy "you hire me and I'll go back to Salem through everything I own into a U-Haul and rent a place in this County this weekend and I will be a resident by 8am Monday." The guy looked at me kind of stunned and said "If you can prove to me you're county resident by Monday morning you're hired." I left that interview and stopped at a pay phone (no cells back then) called my wife and told her she needed to start packing I'd be home in a about two hours with a U-haul and we were moving to the coast. Which we did, didn't even put any thing in boxes, wrapped the TV up in some bedding and through everything else in and off we went. Rented a place Sat. afternoon and walked in on Monday, gave the supervisor my new address and started work. I never even had an interest in law enforcement, just landed in my lap by applying for every job which I met the qualification. A year after getting that job the Salem FD called and offered me an interview. always wished I'd at least interviewed, never really like LE that much. But by that time my kid was in school and I didn't want to up root her.

Bottom line- in my experience when the job market sucks pound on every door (show up in person whenever possible) and have a never take no as an answer attitude. Take two or more shit jobs while you're still looking for a 'real' job, basically never turn anything down when you're out of work. If someone tells you they can't hire because you don't meet "X" requirement explain to then how you can meet "X" in record time.

Best of luck but I really think it's more hard work and effort then luck that will get you where you need.

03-14-2010, 06:41 PM	#14 (permalink)
Tully Mars Living in a Warmer Insanity Super Moderator Location: Yucatan, Mexico	I have no idea what the job market is like these days. I know two years ago I was getting recruiting from other states and counties in my line of work. I currently live in Mexico and continued to receive them regularly for some time after moving south. Those have gone from a few every couple of months to one every six months or so. My mailing address is a drop box in Houston Texas, I assume they slowed because the job market sucks. But it could be due to my location, don't know. That said I do remember what it was like to be in the job hunt in the early 80's... it sucked. I worked fast food and restaurants (had to move to a town 20 miles from my hometown to land a fast food job) until I couldn't look at people and ask "do you want fries with that?" and not feel feel like slamming my head in a door. So I joined the Navy. Sounds like that may not be an option for you. Maybe student loans and school could by you some time until the economy swings up? If nothing else just keep at it everyday until you get a foot in somewhere. I know when I got out of the Navy in 87 I thought, based on my Navy rating (HT) I'd be hired as a welder or a fireman somewhere rather quickly. Nope. Six months of pounding the pavement and as close as I got to a job with any FD was in Salem Oregon where I score 9th overall in a year they hire one person. No one in the welding field took my Navy exp. seriously at all. Needed a degree and cert from a civilian agency to even put in an app. I'd been welding on nuclear reactor components and I couldn't even get an interview to weld cargo and horse trailers. It was frustrating, very frustrating. After two months of unemployment benefits (they considered leaving the Navy voluntarily as "quitting" but for service to the country they gave me 8 weeks) ran out I found myself unloading semi-trucks from 12-8am. That was part time and only if a driver asked you. Pretty much had to hang out at the docks and hope someone would offer you work. $40 for a nights work, hard work. That lead to a connection who got me hired as a part time sub janitor for the Salem schools. That too was part-time and only if someone called in sick. After almost a year of often working from 4pm to 8am I got an interview for a law enforcement job on the Oregon coast. that interview went something like this- "well everything looks good and I'd like to hire you but we need some one who's a resident of this county, we need them to start Monday morning" (it was Friday afternoon) I told the guy "you hire me and I'll go back to Salem through everything I own into a U-Haul and rent a place in this County this weekend and I will be a resident by 8am Monday." The guy looked at me kind of stunned and said "If you can prove to me you're county resident by Monday morning you're hired." I left that interview and stopped at a pay phone (no cells back then) called my wife and told her she needed to start packing I'd be home in a about two hours with a U-haul and we were moving to the coast. Which we did, didn't even put any thing in boxes, wrapped the TV up in some bedding and through everything else in and off we went. Rented a place Sat. afternoon and walked in on Monday, gave the supervisor my new address and started work. I never even had an interest in law enforcement, just landed in my lap by applying for every job which I met the qualification. A year after getting that job the Salem FD called and offered me an interview. always wished I'd at least interviewed, never really like LE that much. But by that time my kid was in school and I didn't want to up root her. Bottom line- in my experience when the job market sucks pound on every door (show up in person whenever possible) and have a never take no as an answer attitude. Take two or more shit jobs while you're still looking for a 'real' job, basically never turn anything down when you're out of work. If someone tells you they can't hire because you don't meet "X" requirement explain to then how you can meet "X" in record time. Best of luck but I really think it's more hard work and effort then luck that will get you where you need. __________________ I used to drink to drown my sorrows, but the damned things have learned how to swim- Frida Kahlo Vice President Starkizzer Fan Club Last edited by Tully Mars; 03-14-2010 at 06:43 PM..