Desperately seeking work in the Four Corners! (Pueblo, Montrose: hotel, houses)

[Colorado Rambler]

I habe been without work for sometime now, every since I was laid off from my last job as a relief clerk/night auditor for one of Cortez's "hospitality" outfits. The lay-off was through no fault of my own, BTW. It was a cost saving measure and last hired (me) was first "fired." Montezuma County, where I live, is not exactly a job seeker's Mecca. I've heard that unemployment here is anyway from 8.8% to a whopping 20%. Whatever the truth of THAT, it's extremely hard to find a job around here.

If I had the money to move, I'd be gone just like that. Although, as an older worker, I think I'd have some difficulty getting hired where ever I went. My most recent experience is in the hospitality industry, and many managers would rather have a cute young thing staffing the front desk, not someone a bit long in the tooth like me.

I ran out of my regular unemployment a bout 6 weeks ago and was forced to apply for extended benefits. OK, it has taken forever, but I'm told that I will finally get my extended unemployment beginning next week. In order to make the Feds happy, I had to jump through several hoops to do this. For example, showing up at Work Force and taking an aptitude test, created by someone in a Federal office somewhere who had too much time on their hands, or - at the very least - needs to get a life.

The last time I took an aptitude test I was 17 and my ideal job turned out to be "light house keeper." Unfortunately, Colorado had no lighthouses then and STILL hasn't. What could I do other than to go live in a cardboard box?

But aptitude tests are no longer the same these days. This time, I came out as "Artist," but that doesn't mean I should go paint pictures or whatever. It's more like being a "rabbit" or a "tiger" when you look up your animal on one of those Chinese astrology mats while you're waiting for you sweet and sour mystery meat to arrive.

An "Artist" (you can also score "Scientist" or "Social," etc.) has a good imagination and often comes up with solutions on her own that are" far better than those of the boss." (I added the last part). "Artists" are best left alone to accomplish their work-related tasks because a thwarted "Artist" can go postal and turn into a mass murderer at the blink of an eye. Gee, I wonder what occupation might be best for an "Artist"? Could it be keeping a light house, perhaps?

Stuff like the above surely has helped unemployment in Montezuma County to continue to rise despite what we're told about the "recovery" elsewhere in the country.

After a couple of hours of federally mandated time wasting like the above, I finally escaped from the "Work Force Center" and got down to the business of actually looking for a job. Motel and hotel managers here have started looking anxiously down the road in hopes of seeing an advancing phalanx of tourists and jobs are starting to open up - some.

I started at one end of Main Street and then worked my way down the other, leaving off resumes for my latest career - the hospitality industry - the main type of work available here except for the casinos run by the tribes, and Native Americans have hiring preferences in those.

I emphasized to potential employers that I was looking for a night auditor job, not so much a front desk clerk (although I'd gladly do that, too). Night auditors don't have to look cute and young since they usually come out like vampires after 8pm or so and may stay as late as 2am, tucked out of sight in the far back, trying to get the damn books to balance just this once. I also didn't let on to anyone that I was an "artist."

A couple of managers were pretty encouraging, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed. Hiring will commence in April. We'll see...

[brightdoglover]

My best wishes to you for finding a job, and a good one, I hope. You sound like someone anyone should be happy to hire. Please keep us posted.

[Idunn]

Certainly good luck and my best wishes in this endeavor.

I can see "artist" to an extent, so you may be on to something. But as we all know, there are lots of starving artists. Nevertheless, in what free time …

This is kind of out in left field, but with all the likely wildfires (3 I know of at the moment burning in CO) this—very rapidly—approaching summer, perhaps they'll be looking for additional support staff (secretarial, etc.). I wouldn't doubt that many already have an in there; although some young hot shot stud may hardly be a good receptionist. To each their own. As said, a long shot, but you might check.

Best wishes.

[LemonYellow]

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~sending good luck vibes your way!!!!!

[proveick]

The new normal is to bring your job with you. Good luck.

[Colorado Rambler]

Thanks, Idunn and brightdoglover! I'm open to any and all suggetions. You name it, I'll probably have done it or be able to learn the required skills.

I started out as a professional librarian until I receive a mild brain injury which has impacted the function of my short term memory, among other things. I never reakized how inportant short term memory is in the every day way the rest of our brain fuctions. I'm a very lucky woman because I wasn't killed - they were amazed that I survived what had happened to me. In addition, I simply am blessed with nature of a mule - tell me I can't do something, and I dig in my heels just to prove the other person wrong. But poor old Cortez, I check on Caigslist, and literally scan threw 4, 5, 6 screend with about a 100 jobs listed on each of them, but not a single one for Cortez.

If none of my recent applications here bare fruit, I am seriously thinking of going up to Montrose (druggies or not! ), and camping somewhere nearby and getting a PO Box and shower at a couple of truck stops I know, and checking out jobs there. If Montrose doesn't work , then maybe Rifle or maybe Westcliff where I already have some firiends and could probably share the ride into Pueblo for work.

I'll pretty much re-locate anywhere in Colorado where the wage allows me to earn my own way and not have to depend on food stamps or whatever. So my Colorado friends, if you know anything about jobs available in your part of the State, please post them here or send me a DM, if you prefer.

Thanks!

[Mike from back east]

Okay, hold your nose and read these, esp the one out in Peyton, on the prairie. I know it's not you cup of tea, but they are hiring here.

[brightdoglover]

I think Montrose is a good idea, maybe just because I visit there, but it seems like a relatively rounded economy for a Western Slope town its size. Also, there are a lot of retirees and older people there, so I don't think it would have that "gotta hire a young chickee" mentality. Anecdotally, I was told by my friend there that people have trouble getting good hires because of unreliability of younger workers and some of the meth problems (not that it's a druggie town, not at all, but there is meth and a lot of it, not so far up the road).

[rushhournewb]

Wellllll....did you ever consider moving out of that area, you know, to where there are jobs? What's so special about the Four Corners area anyway, except for the fact that's where you are currently? Moving should be an option, doncha think?

[wanneroo]

Sounds like even if you land a job for the summer, it's probably a good idea to start thinking about getting out of Cortez into a place with more options.

If you want to stay in Colorado and just need A job to tide you over for a while and especially if you want to try out something different check out Coolworks:

Colorado Jobs | CoolWorks.com

I imagine a lot of places are starting to hire for the summer season either now or very soon.

Coolworks has been around for ages(I remember my employer using them 13 years ago) and they have a lot of connections for hospitality work in Colorado for the summer and winter seasons.

Also Vail Resorts has a boatload of jobs open right now.