How hard is it to find a low-paying job right now? (Denver: sales, insurance)

[reef829]

I'm planning on moving to Denver later this year and I don't have a job lined up, but can last 12 months if I can at least find a job that pays $10/hr. I'm a civil engineer with an MBA and am hoping to land a job in project management. Obviously the construction/engineering field is dead right now so how hard do you think it will be to find a job that pays at least $10/hr? Are these jobs being taken by people who are over-qualified and who have been let go from their previous employer?

I'm willing to wait tables, bar-tend, work retail, etc...whatever it takes until I can find a higher-paying, steady job. Thanks for any feedback and/or advice.

[bhcompy]

Overqualified applicants tend to get looked over, at least in white collar jobs. Employers don't want to hire someone that is just biding time until a better position opens up. I'm in that boat, searching for any type of customer service or call center job while I wait for an IT or tech support job.

With an MBA, you can probably score a nice entry level sales job(perhaps in corporate sales or something rather than the insurance salesman type that seems so easy to pursue these days) and make a good wage if you put the effort in. No overqualifying to worry about there.

[vegaspilgrim]

Right now, low paying jobs are actually harder to get than high paying jobs.

[choosing78]

Do you have any experience waiting tables, bartending, retail sales? Bartenders and servers make way more than $10 per hour and these jobs tend to be harder to get. Not too many places are going to be interested in hiring someone with a Master's and no experience over the girl who's been working at tgiFridays for 5 years. BUT, if you are willing to do anything there are jobs out there in quick service, retail, conenience stores etc.

[CAVA1990]

Try to find a call center around there. They hire just about anyone and pay in your range.

[Synergy1]

The USPS usually posts programs for Management Interns. The posting comes out during april or may and candidates interview seeing the District Manager. Those holding an MBA qualify to apply.

That is the place I was in for a time and the review process is kinda tough but they train the successful candidates in every phase of the job. The training then starting pay is around $28.00/hour.

[Katarina Witt]

My daughter got a job at a day care center making $10/hr. She has a college degree, as do a number of her co-workers. It really didn't take her long once she actually applied herself to looking for a job.

[livecontent]

Originally Posted by reef829

I'm planning on moving to Denver later this year and I don't have a job lined up, but can last 12 months if I can at least find a job that pays $10/hr. I'm a civil engineer with an MBA and am hoping to land a job in project management. Obviously the construction/engineering field is dead right now so how hard do you think it will be to find a job that pays at least $10/hr? Are these jobs being taken by people who are over-qualified and who have been let go from their previous employer?

I'm willing to wait tables, bar-tend, work retail, etc...whatever it takes until I can find a higher-paying, steady job. Thanks for any feedback and/or advice.

You gotta be kidding. With your education, you should be able to get some sort of job, even if it is not exactly what you are looking for a career. Certainly, you could walk into any government or private employer job for some office position--for example, a purchasing agent position, which needs or would be a top candidate with engineering credentials.

Denver is a one of the biggest employers of federal workers. You can immediately qualify for a minimum Grade 7 in many positions and that is more than $10 an hour. If you are lucky to get a engineering position than you step into a perhaps a guaranteed step grade job of a grade 7-12.

I think you are selling yourself short, and restricting yourself to one career path. Sure there are many people with an MBA but it takes some smarts to have an Engineering Degree and that would put you ahead of many candidates.

Have a little confidence--you education deserves more than a low paying job.

Livecontent

[reef829]

Thanks for everyone's responses. You all have some good advice and I appreciate the feedback.

Originally Posted by choosing78

Do you have any experience waiting tables, bartending, retail sales? Bartenders and servers make way more than $10 per hour and these jobs tend to be harder to get. Not too many places are going to be interested in hiring someone with a Master's and no experience over the girl who's been working at tgiFridays for 5 years. BUT, if you are willing to do anything there are jobs out there in quick service, retail, conenience stores etc.

I don't have any experience waiting tables or bartending, and you're probably right. It's not rocket science though, so I would hope I could prove to the employer that I'm a dependable and trustworthy person, capable of doing the job. I may talk to some restaurants around here to get there take on a person w/ no experience trying to apply.

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Try to find a call center around there. They hire just about anyone and pay in your range.

Someone else PM'd me with this same advice. I'll give it a shot. Thanks

Originally Posted by Synergy1

The USPS usually posts programs for Management Interns. The posting comes out during april or may and candidates interview seeing the District Manager. Those holding an MBA qualify to apply.


That is the place I was in for a time and the review process is kinda tough but they train the successful candidates in every phase of the job. The training then starting pay is around $28.00/hour.

Thanks I'll look into this. And the pay sounds pretty good, especially for a government job.

Originally Posted by livecontent

You gotta be kidding. With your education, you should be able to get some sort of job, even if it is not exactly what you are looking for a career. Certainly, you could walk into any government or private employer job for some office position--for example, a purchasing agent position, which needs or would be a top candidate with engineering credentials.

Denver is a one of the biggest employers of federal workers. You can immediately qualify for a minimum Grade 7 in many positions and that is more than $10 an hour. If you are lucky to get a engineering position than you step into a perhaps a guaranteed step grade job of a grade 7-12.

I think you are selling yourself short, and restricting yourself to one career path. Sure there are many people with an MBA but it takes some smarts to have an Engineering Degree and that would put you ahead of many candidates.

Have a little confidence--you education deserves more than a low paying job.

Livecontent

Livecontent - I appreciate your optimistic attitude. My current employer seems they could care less that I even have an MBA so it's left me a little frustrated and feeling that it was a lot of hard work for nothing. At least I have my engineering degreet to fall back on.

And you're right about looking at different career paths. I don't mind moving into a different field. I'd actually be happy to try something else. My problem, as with everyone elses, is getting employers to respond once I submit an application. With that said, do you think I'd have a better shot by walking door-to-door once I move?

[CAVA1990]

Try to find something that requires communication. You won't have to compete with all the aliens that are filling most of the low paying jobs nowadays.