[dennis1077]

My buddy has been begging me to move to Vegas with him for years and I think I'm ready to give it a try. He swears that since there is so much growth there I should be able to get into a Union working construction, regardless of the fact that I have no experience.

How are the job prospects out there? Is it a smart idea to move there with limted savings and no job or will I be kicking myself as I eat Ramen Noodles for dinner?

[GreggB]

Iv'e been here less than a year. As far as I am concerned, if an individual WANTS to work, he/she will find a job easily. Wages are another matter. Tend to be on the lower end of the scale in most occupations. Would suggest anyone comming here have a minimum of 3 -6 months living expenses on hand. Of course the majority of jobs here are service industry orientated. I am in the Transportation Industry and had either an interview or offer at nearly every one of the places I applied. (Over 20). Good Luck to You!!

[mrschilicook]

There are definitely jobs, but like everywhere else, the housing construction is slowing. As said earlier, wages are another matter. Lots of cheap labor here. You might want to take a couple of weeks to do some interviewing and scope out the landscape before you jump into it. Depends on your skill level and experience. As GreggB says...if you want a job you'll find one, but it may not be what you expected...or it may be even better.

[olecapt]

Jobs are easy. Good jobs are harder. There is an immense amount of union work on the strip and related areas. All residental is non-union...but the strip is almost all union. You however need a contact or prior union experience generally to get in.

In general it is very hard to get hired unless you live here. A local address and a local phone number are needed to get considered if the job is not some sort of a professional or high level position.

If you come get a job...any job quickly. That gets you fed and establishes you as local. Then you can hunt for something more rewarding over the next period of time.

Our streets are not paved with gold. It is a hard town. But it does offer opportunity for those who strive for it.

It is also an interesting place to live. Most love it. But a significant minority hate it. But you have to cut the cards to find out...

[BobKovacs]

As has already been said, getting into the unions is anything but a sure bet unless you know someone or have a union book from somewhere else.

As Olecapt has said though, you can find "work" rather easily if you're willing to be open minded. When I moved there in 1999, I had a BS in Construction Management and several years of residential experience- I figured it'd be a cakewalk to find a job since there were over 20,000 new homes being built there every year. Reality, on the other hand, was a different story- Vegas is very much about "who you know"- I applied at every homebuilder in the city and kept hearing "come back when you get some local experience".

As I had to do something, I turned to my hobby, and took a job in sales at an off-road shop. I actually had a blast selling parts for lifting trucks and Jeeps for a little over a year, but at a starting wage of $7/hour ($10 when I became assistant manager- woo hooo...lol), it wasn't going to be a career. From there, I took a position as a super for a pool company, handling all of their builder-program pools. This put me in front of the homebuilders every day, proving that I could deliver what I promised and work to a schedule. It took over a year of doing that (at around $35k/year), but I eventually landed a position as a super with a mid-range homebuilder. Overall, it took 4-5 years to really get "into" the construction market, but once you're there, it's a good gig.

Bob

[RedWingsFan]

You should have NO problems finding work in Vegas. Give it a shot. There are plenty of jobs there, the economy is good there.

[yellowsnow]

Bring some Ramen Noodles with you!

It's true you can get a job in Vegas. But will it pay enough for you to live? Maybe not. Perhaps I'm too conservative but I would never recommend someone take off and move cross country with no money. Sounds like a recipe for disaster to me.

There are lots of local people with experience hoping to get those union jobs. Most of them started years ago working low pay residential construction and they want to move up to the big dollar. If you have no experience, you can't compete.

OTOH, I know what it's like to live in E. Podunk and I understand wanting to move to Vegas! You will probably be fine in the long run but you will have to work hard and eat a lot of Ramen Noodles!

[dennis1077]

Thank you for the replies. Your responses have been quite helpful. I'm hearing quite different things than what my friend has been telling me as far as the availibilty of high paying Union jobs. I think he'll tell me anything to get me to move out there.

If I have a guaranteed job I'll be moving to Vegas. If not, I'll just have to come party for the weekend one time.

[jaky]

hi guys am new here in north vegas am still waiting for my work permit my question is how to get a job while am waiting ?
is there any way or job that i can do without having a work permit
thanks

[lvkewlkid]

what kind of a work permit are you waiting for?

if you are underage for a work permit, you get it when you pay for it...i don't know what else would require a work permit...