What are some of the signs of recession are you seeing in Denver and what are you doing because of it? (Boulder: home, find a job)

[DenverAztec]

Originally Posted by wanttomoveeast

...For work....I just heard on the news that w/the recent gambling law changes, they are hiring 90 new dealers, no experience required. They put you thru dealing school for free. I know you have to pay for a gambling license, no matter what you are doing in a casino. Years ago it was around $100. Some casinos pay for that too. I guess their business is great!

Did the stakes go from small to a little higher in Colorado with this last round of poll voting?

[denverian]

Originally Posted by DenverAztec

This is good to hear. Stapelton is a hot area for those wanting a suburban feel but easy access to the city. With respect to the poperty that has been on the market for 6 months - it is amazing how some folks can trash out a house in the matter of one party.

Apparently they don't watch any staging shows on HGTV. When we put our condo in CA on the market, I was there for the agents' tour, where our agent brought through at least 75 agents at one time to view it just before it hit the market. They kept asking me, "who did your staging?" I just laughed and told them, "we're gay - this is the way we live!"

[denverian]

Originally Posted by wanttomoveeast

oh I know, they are all over the city. I was trying to say that the ones far out in the burbs are all new and shiny, and seem to be gigantic compared to the ones in Denver.

Didn't that used to be "McFry's"?

There used to be the Pick-Save (Pick-N-Shove, P&S Boutique) in CA, and they turned into Big Lots.

[denverian]

Originally Posted by the3Ds

The federal application process is a lot more simple once you figure out how it works. I worked in the civilian personnel office at Ramstein AB and got the 411 on the process. Here's the gist (though I'm sure there are a few exceptions, but this is just the standard info). If you've got a bachelor's degree, you are qualified for a GS-5 job. If you've got a master's, you're qualified for a GS-7. That's getting your foot in the door. Once your foot is in the door, you can move up and around with your actual qualifications, but no matter how qualified you may be for a GS-11, if you don't have previous federal experience, don't get your hopes up.

As for your resume, you've got to redo the wording. Since you were in the military, remember all the acronyms? For someone on the outside, it's like speaking a foreign language. You've got to reword your experience to match what the job requirements are. For the most part, it's all done by scanning your resume into the computer. When the computer is looking for "keyboarding", and you've put "typed", you may not get credit for knowing how to use a computer. I have two different resumes...one for civil service and one for the real world. Both have the exact same experience, but the wording is completely different. For example, my first job after college was an executive assistant to the marketing manager. That doesn't translate in civil service computer language. The closest I could find was "commanders secretary". Guess what? It translated and gave me credit for the year I worked and qualified the job as a GS-7. Once I got in the system, I worked in a GS-8 job and moved up to a step 7. Not bad at all.

By the way, since it sounds like you're working towards your master's degree, don't forget the possibility of becoming a teacher. You don't just have to limit yourself to elementary, junior or high school either. There are plenty of community colleges (my father-in-law taught Spanish for more than 25 years at a CC in Phoenix. By the time he retired, he was rich, rich, rich (both financially AND in job satisfaction)). Plus, there will always be a need for teachers.

Thanks for the info! That's the whole problem - I can't take a GS-5 position at this point in life as it would be a big cut in pay.

[the3Ds]

[quote=bhouston77386;7723248]

Originally Posted by the3Ds

It's interesting because fortunately for my family, we've done everything we're supposed to do: No credit card debt, bought a house that was WAY lower (more than $100,000 less) than we were qualified for, eat out only once a week (and then usually only for lunch as it's the same food but cheaper), and have cut back on clothes and "extras" unless we really need them.

We have noticed a smaller crowd out at restaurants and have occassionally asked our server about it. Every one of them have said they've noticed a downturn. However, I went to my hairdresser's last week (which is fairly upscale...I pay $140 for a cut, color and highlights) in LoDo and I asked her about any sign of the down economy. She said she has been surprised because they haven't felt any downturn at all. I guess you can't put a price on looking good.

140 dollars for a HAIRCUT!!!!!!!! You've done everything your suppose to? Yeah right, thats way too much for a hair cut.

I knew someone was going to say that. You're absolutely right. However, both my husband and I get $100 "spending money" every payday and we can chose to do what we want with it. I get my hair done every 8 weeks, so I take money from the spending money I have and save it up for the trip to my hairdressers. My husband spends most of his spending money on coffee and drycleaning. We discovered that having a set amount of spending money for each of us is the best way to resolve conflicts before they happen. I promise you that if we didn't have that spending money and the funds were actually coming out of our family expense account, I WOULD NOT be getting expensive haircuts. It's an indulgence of mine. I spend my money on books and haircuts.

[the3Ds]

Originally Posted by denverian

Thanks for the info! That's the whole problem - I can't take a GS-5 position at this point in life as it would be a big cut in pay.

See, that's exactly why the federal government is not able to attract qualified people. The application process and the pay grades do not match what people need in order to survive. I started as a GS-5 before I had a family and before my husband and I needed me to make more income. Every single one of the people I worked with who are now getting paid big bucks did the same, and now after 20 years of service, they are at a point where their income actually matches (or exceeds) what they need to live on. It's really unfortunate, but until they figure out how to do the hiring process better, people like you will not be able to work in the federal government.

[DenverLawGal]

I believe you are right, I remember as far back as Pick n Save and then Big Lots. Wow, an old store. Let's hope they don't shut down too. My husband was just telling me to stop shopping online because that's helping to close stores. So then I thought well the same stuff I buy at Target was made in China! But he says, you are helping people keep their jobs here though.

That's all I need to hear. Who's up for an all day shopping event this weekend?!? hahahaha

Originally Posted by denverian

Didn't that used to be "McFry's"?

There used to be the Pick-Save (Pick-N-Shove, P&S Boutique) in CA, and they turned into Big Lots.

[DenverLawGal]

oh yes, quite a bit. I voted for it and am kinda glad I did. The proceeds are supposed to go to Colorado's community colleges, although a lot of opponents said that it was a lie and no money would end up going to the colleges. Anyway, it went from $5 max bet up to $100 max bet. woo hoo for gambling!

Originally Posted by DenverAztec

Did the stakes go from small to a little higher in Colorado with this last round of poll voting?

[nelumbo]

Originally Posted by the3Ds

If you've got a bachelor's degree, you are qualified for a GS-5 job. If you've got a master's, you're qualified for a GS-7. That's getting your foot in the door.

I'm pretty sure a masters entry level is GS-9 (GS-11 for a doctorate). That said, the federal hiring process is very very slow. If you are looking for a specialized job (one that requires and unusual or specific skill set) in a particular agency, you could try networking or directly contacting someone who works there. Some agencies have lots of non-federal positions which can be faster/easier to get, but they don't show up on the usajobs list, and you need to know where to look for them.

[the3Ds]

Originally Posted by nelumbo

I'm pretty sure a masters entry level is GS-9 (GS-11 for a doctorate). That said, the federal hiring process is very very slow. If you are looking for a specialized job (one that requires and unusual or specific skill set) in a particular agency, you could try networking or directly contacting someone who works there. Some agencies have lots of non-federal positions which can be faster/easier to get, but they don't show up on the usajobs list, and you need to know where to look for them.

I think you may be right about that. However, I think the person asking only has his bachelor's. There are plenty of ways "in the door" for federal service jobs, but since most people don't know them, I just gave him the "guy off the street" advice. I've worked with people who walked into a job that was much higher than they should have been in but that's not the majority of applicants. You're right though about the timeframe. There is no good reason why the hiring process should take so long. That's the government for you, though.