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So, who got unemployed today? 2024 Edition

I've been unemployed since May of last year, when I graduated with my most recent degree.

I've applied to 400+ jobs now, and nothing. Barely an interview.

If someone figures out what's happening with the economy and where the jobs are, let me know.
 
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What neck of the woods?

I worked in central Washington and eastern Washington. If you like hydropower, we have several large Army Corp dams, BOR dams, county PUD dams in several counties, the cities of Spokane, WA and Idaho Falls ID have small dams, Avista and Idaho power are usually hunting for lineman and have everything from combined cycle to dams. A few months ago they had openings at BOR and USACE dams in western and central Montana.

For years I kept my eyes opened for jobs that people I knew might like. Depending on the job, they can be boring or remote for folks that like city life but the pay a ton and can really improve your life if you have the skills. Most, but not all guys are prior service military, some worked on ships and some people came from commercial facilities. With DEI being all the rage, if you have skills and a tan or a vagina you can get to the head of the line. You still have to work when you get here, but you will make a solid living.
 
I've been unemployed since May of last year, when I graduated with my most recent degree.

I've applied to 400+ jobs now, and nothing. Barely an interview.

If someone figures out what's happening with the economy and where the jobs are, let me know.


What do you do? If you applied for 400 jobs and got no hits, you might want to find some skills people want. In 30 years, I applied for four jobs and got four job offers. I got offered two jobs sitting in car dealer waiting rooms. Power plant operations and maintenance is not a huge field and people are aging out at the moment.

College is almost useless these days. I have a daughter-in-law who paid a fortune for a Master's in Social Work and the got a $30k a year job giving free shit to assholes. Between the two of them they make half as much as a good job and wonder why they cannot afford a house. All their trustafarian friends mock them from the reefer filled homes their parents bought for them.

If you type in the word, "hydroelectric" on usajobs.gov there are currently 105 jobs open to civilians, from engineers, to safety people, supply people, mechanics and security guards. If you checked every utility in your region you will probably find a few jobs, maybe even one or two you have skills for.
 
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Not sure what the problem is, stock market hitting all time highs.

if you have skills and a tan or a vagina you can get to the head of the line.
Just put on a dress and take a female name. Seen it several times. It works.

Apparently, Sports Illustrated is laying off most of those staff. Shocked.

IMG_4916.jpg

 
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I've been retired for three years, I still get at least 20 job offers a day................just looking for the right one.............. 😉 ............
 
Here’s what my last “welder” did to my floor during a 30
Minute job
Was his second day. And last after I seent this.

View attachment 8326747View attachment 8326748

Those are torch splatter marks and the grinder marks are 1/8-3/8 deep


View attachment 8326745View attachment 8326746Atleast the welds look good right

What‘s a certified welder pay, in your area? I’m assuming he was certified.


I took some welding classes and can stick stuff together, but I know my welding sucks and I can do much better than those pics suggest.
 
What‘s a certified welder pay, in your area? I’m assuming he was certified.


I took some welding classes and can stick stuff together, but I know my welding sucks and I can do much better than those pics suggest.
Welding is a very small part of this job. Paying $30 , maintain /fix / operate equipment. That’s higher than most others in this industry
 
I retired in December, almost no one wants to make $160,000 a year (with overtime) and live in the middle of nowhere, they are looking for 11 operators, 10 electricians and 10 mechanics. It will take forever to fill those jobs.
Where?
 
What do you do? If you applied for 400 jobs and got no hits, you might want to find some skills people want. In 30 years, I applied for four jobs and got four job offers. I got offered two jobs sitting in car dealer waiting rooms. Power plant operations and maintenance is not a huge field and people are aging out at the moment.

College is almost useless these days. I have a daughter-in-law who paid a fortune for a Master's in Social Work and the got a $30k a year job giving free shit to assholes. Between the two of them they make half as much as a good job and wonder why they cannot afford a house. All their trustafarian friends mock them from the reefer filled homes their parents bought for them.

If you type in the word, "hydroelectric" on usajobs.gov there are currently 105 jobs open to civilians, from engineers, to safety people, supply people, mechanics and security guards. If you checked every utility in your region you will probably find a few jobs, maybe even one or two you have skills for.

I've never had an issue until lately.

Have a bachelors in petroleum engineering, worked on drilling rigs, including 6th generation drilling ships, as an onsite field engineer and lead field engineer, on deep water drilling and completion operations. Then was a drill site manager on a land rig for 3 years, in charge of managing the day to day drilling operations and logistics for the drilling operator.

Left oil & gas, got a master's in landscape architecture. No jobs in that field in my current area (Tucson).

My wife recently started a company where she travels for work, so I've been trying to find remote job opportunities as a project manager (I feel that's pretty adjacent to what I used to do), so I can travel occasionally with her.
 
openings in Montana



These are awesome for younger guys or recently ets'd vets.


There are at least three powerplants owed by the Army Corp or BOR in Montana. And a couple are seriously in the middle of nowhere. Like Ft. Peck.

Ft. Peck is a short drive to go camping and fishing from my house...

But, I have zero interest in doing another apprenticeship for lineman. Nor do I want to deal with the union and their politics for a cut in pay.


But yes, it's not a surprise they can't fill positions. The only people that stay there are running the family ranches. The rest leave and move back to retire.
Also hard to convince a kid to move somewhere that Internet and cell phones don't work more often than not.
 
I've never had an issue until lately.

Have a bachelors in petroleum engineering, worked on drilling rigs, including 6th generation drilling ships, as an onsite field engineer and lead field engineer, on deep water drilling and completion operations. Then was a drill site manager on a land rig for 3 years, in charge of managing the day to day drilling operations and logistics for the drilling operator.

Left oil & gas, got a master's in landscape architecture. No jobs in that field in my current area (Tucson).

My wife recently started a company where she travels for work, so I've been trying to find remote job opportunities as a project manager (I feel that's pretty adjacent to what I used to do), so I can travel occasionally with her.
I too have been told project manager is a pretty good gig just actually getting it. Have a friend that does it. He works 95% from home and only does 1/2 day in office on Fridays. He makes enough to have house and land paid for at 32 years old.
 
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I too have been told project manager is a pretty good gig just actually getting it. Have a friend that does it. He works 95% from home and only does 1/2 day in office on Fridays. He makes enough to have house and land paid for at 32 years old.

What draws me to that role is that there seems to be a decent amount of opportunities (though apparently currently not as much as there once was or is predicted to be in the near future), pay is decent, my skill set should transfer over, the role is used in many different industries, and a lot of remote opportunities.

It's just trying to break into the role that's proven to not be easy, but I think that could be remedied with some skill updates/certification.
 
I keep reading about the economic repercussions of the money printer, the soft landing while also reading about lots of jobs going unfilled.

I exist in a vacuum and have distilled my network down to a select few high value individuals.

So far I’ve not had a single friend lose their job but several have jumped ship for more money and better lifestyle.

Figured I’d ask here.

What’s REALLY going on out there? Are you getting fired or promoted? What’s the job market like out there.

Its teetering on the edge of a cliff.

I got fired end of last year because they cut half the staff. Shit is REALLY slowing down in my area. Now I do have a new job lined up but it’s 2x as much work for the same money.

Also I tried to restart my side business doing cabinetry work and it’s going nowhere. In the past I would have a small job per month, this last year I had two jobs total.

The most infuriating thing is all the retired boomers out here running their mouthes about how wonderful it is. Well yeah if I sold a house in Orange County for 1.2mil and had two pensions I’d think it’s wonderful too lol.
 
I've been unemployed since May of last year, when I graduated with my most recent degree.

I've applied to 400+ jobs now, and nothing. Barely an interview.

If someone figures out what's happening with the economy and where the jobs are, let me know.
If you have a clearance and anything resembling a technical skill, in Colorado Springs you can get employment in short order. I've been at my new job for almost a year and I still get calls 1-3 times a week with headhunters trying to hire me.
 
I've never had an issue until lately.

Have a bachelors in petroleum engineering, worked on drilling rigs, including 6th generation drilling ships, as an onsite field engineer and lead field engineer, on deep water drilling and completion operations. Then was a drill site manager on a land rig for 3 years, in charge of managing the day to day drilling operations and logistics for the drilling operator.

Left oil & gas, got a master's in landscape architecture. No jobs in that field in my current area (Tucson).

My wife recently started a company where she travels for work, so I've been trying to find remote job opportunities as a project manager (I feel that's pretty adjacent to what I used to do), so I can travel occasionally with her.
Ok, so all bullshit aside: you want to be a project manager, get your PMP or PMO. If you can’t do that, find another job.

The reality is that you are looking for a job that the certification gives both credibility and a reason to pay your more. You have to do your part. You are not some bullshit noob that I would discount as horseshit commentary- I am shooting you straight. Premiums are paid for those certs - you have to know the info to pass the tests, but you MUST know the industry you have chosen to work in. Otherwise you are an inexperienced idiot. That’s just the reality. I have gone deeply down the PMP route - there is money there. PMO too. Look into it.
 
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The machine shop where I'd worked for 12+ years decided to relocate to the big city over an hour away, and a handful of us decided we weren't interested in driving that far. December 15 was our last day, and I started a new job at a tool and die shop last Monday, with the opportunity to learn programming, which I've never had to do at previous shops.

All the CNC jobs I've seen posted this last month all want people with programming experience, so with this place willing to train me, I'm going to take the opportunity to add that to my skillset.
 
The machine shop where I'd worked for 12+ years decided to relocate to the big city over an hour away, and a handful of us decided we weren't interested in driving that far. December 15 was our last day, and I started a new job at a tool and die shop last Monday, with the opportunity to learn programming, which I've never had to do at previous shops.

All the CNC jobs I've seen posted this last month all want people with programming experience, so with this place willing to train me, I'm going to take the opportunity to add that to my skillset.
Fukn A man, don't be a part of the problem, be a part of the solution.
 
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openings in Montana



These are awesome for younger guys or recently ets'd vets.


There are at least three powerplants owed by the Army Corp or BOR in Montana. And a couple are seriously in the middle of nowhere. Like Ft. Peck.
Kind of tempting... But I guess I've reached the age that prepping/making 15kV terminations in the snow just isn't as rewarding as it used to be.(Not that it ever was)

Add to that the deal with Montana turning purple gives me a lot of pause.

Mike