Living in Southern Illinois and trying to get a real job? (Carbondale: to rent, unemployment)

[BLS2753]

Originally Posted by Fezzik

Far Southern IL. You could live in Metropolis or more north and work in Paducah. Its big enought so support real jobs.

Paducah has a wider representation of career options than in most of the region. However there's not much growth outside of retail and healthcare. People who are fortunate enough to gain employment in their profession, tend to stay at the same job forever, simply because there's few other opportunities in the region.

Average unemployment rate in the region is pushing 10%, so a normally poor job market is even worse.

[AJohnston_STL]

Originally Posted by BLS2753

Paducah has a wider representation of career options than in most of the region. However there's not much growth outside of retail and healthcare. People who are fortunate enough to gain employment in their profession, tend to stay at the same job forever, simply because there's few other opportunities in the region.

Average unemployment rate in the region is pushing 10%, so a normally poor job market is even worse.

I graduated college in May 2007 and was "lucky" to have found a job in southern Illinois to start the Monday after graduation. Within weeks, it was the worst job I had ever had (and that's with a history at Domino's Pizza, Target, McDonald's, etc, and unpaid internships). I thought I had 2 choices;
- Spend the next 2 years in misery trying to find another job in southern Hellinois while suffering through my "professional" job that offers no benefits, insurance (with a wife and son, no less), etc (should not have trusted that they would hire me after 3 months, as I was hired through a staffing agency).
- Pick up and move where the opportunities exist

I chose the latter. My friend who stayed with his bachelors in Psychology a year and a half ago is still slinging pizzas at Domino's, and he's talking about coming to stay with me and trying to find a job.

[KeeponwithB]

thanks to everyone who has posted. I know the challenges I face. I admit I was looking for some glimmer of hope here, but I prefer honesty. I share these feelings as well so it's not a shock. It feels like the area is almost hopeless. Education and medicine are the only thriving things here, unless you want to be in law inforcement in some way. There is competition even for bad jobs at this point. I obtained a degree with hopes of doing a little better than my previous history of dead end, low pay, and zero benefit jobs. I've applied for who knows how many jobs with hardly a response. Some interviews that went nowhere. I was born in Carbondale, so was my wife. She is a school teacher there. Our families are there. My parents are older and need assistance which also adds to why I feel I have to be near. It is very difficult to obtain a degree then going right back out and applying for high school diploma/ged level jobs, yet still having trouble obtaining even those! It sucks to say it, but I feel jipped, even conned in a way about doing the work for a degree. All that work and it feels like it's meaningless. There are more than likely dropouts in this area with better jobs than I've had. I see now I will most likely return to school and be trained for something. Either way, it will have to count or be specific in what it qualifies me for. I don't have it in me to waste any more time. Again, thanks to everyone for their input thus far.

[Dolly]

Originally Posted by chet everett

Guess what, people fought for senior level top dollar jobs all through the last eight years, and the eight years before that. A lot of them had advanced degrees too.

Do you think that there was some "golden era" when jobs in southern Illinois were so plentiful that there were more jobs than applicants?

Rural area of the midwest have been losing population for the past four decades, largely because of reduced need for labor in agriculture.

Did the folks at your school lead you to believe there was some acute need for those possessing Masters in Psychology in rural area, now or ever????

Actually, yes, there was a time I could get any job I wanted. And yes, rural areas need people with Masters' degrees in Psychology too, they just are not well funded in programs that could provide jobs in these fields. I blame that on our local governments and representatives that only want to recruit more factories to the area and completely ignore the needs for professional jobs. I had been gone from SI for many years, living in another state but still what woudl be considered a rural area. We moved back due to aging family members. We didn't have difficulty finding jobs then but now their are less tax dollars to go around, less grant funding (most psychology type jobs are in non profit organizations) and less jobs. But there are just as many needs in a rural area as the city but we do not get good representation so we do not get programs or funding as we should.

[AJohnston_STL]

^ I know it doesn't quite fit your situation, but have you ever considered looking in the St. Louis area and living in an Illinois suburb, like O'Fallon? You would then have about a 2 hour drive to Cdale. I know it's not ideal, but just suggesting.

[sunshine girl]

keeponB-It's really good of you to care for ailing/aging family in their time of need, but growing up in cdale, you already knew what it was like to find, or not find, employment in deep So. IL. Have kids your age 30 & 25 that were born there and raised there, schooled there, are SIU alumnis, but never intended to spend the rest of their lives there, due to the economic realities of the area and the grand tradition there of hiring ones own relatives and friends to opening positions. Or even creating positions for them. You must be aware of all this being a native also. Folks that get into jobs never leave. Turnover is low as a direct result, and therefore, no openings are created. I worked for 21 years at the hospital before leaving, so there's one example. My husband, a cdale native, worked for 50 years for the same construction employer before retiring. There's another example. One kid works in IT, and loves her job, makes more money than she ever would in So. IL and the other is in SW FL, doesn't make fantastic money, that's his choice by living in south FL, but enough to support himself, and is happier than he ever was growing up in so IL.
Anyway, bottom line is, while I do understand your predicament, and again, commend you for taking care of your people, it must have occurred to you at some point in your academic endeavors that you risk becoming yet another professional student of the area. There is a limited need for a psychology degree in any city, let alone such a small area. You know SIU and the hospitals are the biggest employers there, why not try something there even though it's not your dream job, sometimes good things happen in unlikely places. They probably also have the best benefits going, too. Don't give up, keep trying if you are really intent on staying in the area. Good luck to you, and I wish you the best

[AJohnston_STL]

^ You hit the nail on the head. Plus, I'm 23 years old and make a salary of $49k working in desktop support. I have great benefits (my wife and I both just got $5,000 surgeries respectively and paid $0) that only cost $100/mo. I've told my parents over and over that if I wanted to even match what I'm making after only 1 year of experience in STL, it would take 10-15 years of experience and I'd have to be "well-connected" if I wanted to make $49k in southern Ill in IT.

[sunshine girl]

So true AJ...Daughter works in Springfield MO, but her position is based out of STL, therefore, she makes STL dollars without living there, which stretches her dollars even more. She is also support, but the next level up. She is single, owns her own cute little house, is happy as a clam, and none of this would be possible in So IL. I do understand the OP not wanting to leave his family, but one does need to deal in the reality of one's area if that is the choice made.

[MO_CPA]

Coal is making a comeback in SI. Have you looked for a position in that industry

[GraniteStater]

Originally Posted by AJohnston_STL

I graduated college in May 2007 and was "lucky" to have found a job in southern Illinois to start the Monday after graduation. Within weeks, it was the worst job I had ever had (and that's with a history at Domino's Pizza, Target, McDonald's, etc, and unpaid internships). I thought I had 2 choices;
- Spend the next 2 years in misery trying to find another job in southern Hellinois while suffering through my "professional" job that offers no benefits, insurance (with a wife and son, no less), etc (should not have trusted that they would hire me after 3 months, as I was hired through a staffing agency).
- Pick up and move where the opportunities exist

I chose the latter. My friend who stayed with his bachelors in Psychology a year and a half ago is still slinging pizzas at Domino's, and he's talking about coming to stay with me and trying to find a job.

So you moved over to the STL metro?