[SurfinAshe]

Hi

I am trying to asess a move back to Las Vegas for a number of reasons but I have a question or two.

I lived there 7 years ago and I wound up working as a Waitress/Bartender at a couple of clubs and also doing picture framing to make ends meet.

I am planning on coming back there but 7 years is a lifetime in the growth of a city like Las Vegas.

I guess what I would like to know;

What percentage of jobs are there in other areas besides the hospitality jobs like bartending, waitressing, etc.?

I guess I am worried that being 40 but I look like I am in my late 20's is I will be frozen out of the hospitality jobs because of people looking at my application and seeing an age of 40 i wont even get an interview.

I have a degree from University of Wisconsin Madison and experience in Info systems but its coming up on 6 years since I had a job in that industry because of the movement of those jobs offshore.

I am interested in your thoughts on how easy it is to get a job other than something that depends on looks I guess which unfortunately or otherwise is a problem in Las Vegas. How you look can go a long way.

thanks for the time and hopefully the help.

Ashe

[olecapt]

Well you won't start at a top shift at Bellagio. A friend who long left 40 behind a long time ago got on at one of the local casinos and moved from the coffee shop to a good spot in one of the restaurants after 6 months. She looks good and has 20 years at it elsewhere...she does not however look late 20s...maybe late 30s if you are nice to her. Good body.

The IT stuff is not terribly strong locally though there clearly is some. Tbe best deals are the Casino systems though it is hard to crack into.

[SurfinAshe]

OLECAPT

Thanks for the answer.
It sounds like any type of move to a city I have been in. San Francisco, NYC, Miami, L.A.. You have to be there to really have a good assessment.

The only other thing I worry about is that I am trying to get the classes necessary for going into nursing or a P.A. in the long run. I know from my mom beating into us as kids that the reality is beauty is fleeting and even though I still do modeling a few shoots every couple months I need to go back to school yet once again.

I wonder if anyone knows also what the college situation for getting classes in impacted areas is like? I will call UNLV and this new Nevada State college also but an inside perspective would be great I guess.

Thanks once again and take it from a person who grew up in a state and went to college in a city that is always on the top 10 lists for livability and such. I grew up in Wisconsin and spent many years at Madison.

Every state, every city has its pros and cons. Wisconsin is still a good place to raise kids and has one of the top 5 education systems in the USA. The trade off is the 5th highest taxes and fees in the USA, 6 months of not even snow just brown grass and bitter cold that isnt even fun to go out in, 6 months of mosquitos that make biking and running an exercise in eating bugs and getting bit, oh and on average Wisconsinites work 25% longer work week and make 25% less in salary, and the job diverisity here is also non existant. You either have a PHD and get lucky enough to teach or work at the very small amount of technology jobs or you learn how to weld. Other than that its a service industry state that starts out at $7.25 an hour and if your lucky you will get $9 an hour in a year and a half.

I guess what I am trying to point out is that dont believe these top 10 lists from Forbes, Businessweek, Mens Fitness, etc. Pretty much every city has become a mirror image of each other. Same stores, sameness across the board. There are few that have their own flavor anymore because of mass migration of workers to get jobs. Las Vegas has become that same type of city a little different around the edges but in the end 90% like any other city its size. Its just that it has opportunity that many dont anymore.

Just my contribution to the debate of is one place better than others. In the end you bring yourself with you and like my brother always told me "The backgrounds and the scenes of the play change, but the people you meet and make friends with where you are are the important parts that make where you are special"

cheers Ashley