Jobs Jobs Jobs (Bangor, Ellsworth: sales, high crime, house)

[bbb3601]

We are planning a move to your state in the spring. I have read most of the Thread's regarding work etc. My question is that everyone talks about a lagging economy, and yet I see all kind's of help wanted ad's in your papers? We live in Ohio now and we are heavily taxed as well with a poor quality of life. Most new jobs created here pay about 9.00, but it seems that if you are a hard worker you can make a life for your family in Maine. Do most company's recruit from the agency's I see in the papers?

[K-Luv]

Yes, there are alot of jobs here advertised in the papers and on the internet. I would suggest doing your research and sending out resumes a few weeks before you move.

When people talk of a lagging job market, or "no jobs" for that matter, they are generally talking about not being able to find a job in a particular field or market.

Or they are speaking statistically from something that they heard on the news or read in the paper. And statistics can be biasised in one direction or another based on the source or amount of information collected.

[flycessna]

I am not sure where "Most" companies do their recruiting. By agency I assume you mean all these temp agencies that list jobs. In my own experience the market is flooded with temp jobs. I have a friend thats been working the same temp job for 3 years. I guess it's a way for companies to find cheap help.

I am not sure where you are looking but when I look at the want ad's the only jobs I see are Health care, Social services, Government, and maybe some truck driving jobs and crap jobs. The state of Maine's economy was the only one other than Louisiana (remember the hurricane) that has declined. So....not wanting to be a kill joy, and you might find Maine to be the best state you have ever lived in, but I would make sure I had a plan before I moved here. And oru pay is about the same here. Most jobs are $8-$10 an hr.

If you are highly skilled or highly educated and professionalized you might have a good chance at finding something. Even though those jobs a scarce, because of our poor demographics, I find that companies can have a hard time filling them. And like I said there are many health care jobs and of course, the staple of Maine, good state government jobs.

[bbb3601]

Most company's here in the Columbus Ohio area do hiring via temp service. They look at it as a try brfore you buy situation. We are a two income family you know just normal workers. We sold our house because the taxes just got out of control(135k house over 3k per year, 6.75 sales tax,2% city income tax,plus state income tax. all of this for high crime ,people on top of people,bad school, and horridly hot weather) To a newcomer is it easier to get your foot in the door using a temp service rather than beating the pavement so to speak? As for "crap jobs" we Ohio workers see all of our factory's etc leave daily....why there go's another....Maine can't be any worse off.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by bbb3601

Most company's here in the Columbus Ohio area do hiring via temp service. They look at it as a try brfore you buy situation.


To a newcomer is it easier to get your foot in the door using a temp service rather than beating the pavement so to speak? As for "crap jobs" we Ohio workers see all of our factory's etc leave daily....why there go's another....Maine can't be any worse off.

Companies use temp labor because even though you work at that company, you are not employed by them hence ZERO benefits. That company may pay the temp angency $12, 15, 17 an hour for your services, and then the temp agency only payiing you $7, 8, 10 an hour, but it is still cheaper in the long run for a company to do it this way.


I've done the temp route before and depending on which agency you go to and what "assingment" you take, it could either be worth your while or a degrading waste of time.

Personally, I'd rather make SOME money shoveling sh*t while looking for a better job then making NO money sitting on my behind all day waiting for the phone to ring. I dunno, that's just me, thoguh.

[bbb3601]

Do the temp services get you to work quickly, or is it a wait and see game? The only reason I ask is would this be a better route for me since I will have no local job references? We do have about 4 month's expenses saved my field is sales ie call center/customer service etc. My wife retail mangement.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by bbb3601

Do the temp services get you to work quickly, or is it a wait and see game? The only reason I ask is would this be a better route for me since I will have no local job references? We do have about 4 month's expenses saved my field is sales ie call center/customer service etc. My wife retail mangement.

I have seen lots of ads for call centers so you may have some luck there. Retail management might be a little bit harder as a majority of retail stores in Maine tend to fall into the ma and pop variety or very, very small chains.

Temp agencies-I guess that it all depends on how many positions they need to fill versus how many people are available for work.

Granted my temp experience were in other states, but I can't imagine the scene being that much different here.

Generally, I got work right away (the day after I "applied"). One assignment was in KS, and that lasted several months and the only reason that posistion ended was becaused I moved out of state. I had another one in Minneapolis that lasted for four months. It was only supposed to be a three day assingment-Wed to Fri, but at the end of the day on Friday the place that I was at asked me if I was coming in on Monday. I went to the temp agency and told them that they want me back. They were cool with it (don't know why they wouldn't be). After a few weeks I basically would just pick up a time slip from the temp place and go to work at the company, liek as if it was a normal thing to do even though it was not officially apporved by anyone. No one said a thing and I figured that I would keep this up until someone did. I was quickly treated as an employee by the company that I was working with and after four months they said that I should quit the temp agency and officially apply to them. I stayed with them for four years.

Right before this, I was at another agency that got me a job right away, but it sucked so bad that I just had to quit after two weeks, then I went to one I talked about above. I went back to that place on several other occasions and most of those times I was able to pick up some work, only once was it no dice.

The only other time that I had no luck with a temp agency was in California. I applied with several, but none had anything for me to do, even though I called all of them every morning.

[Zymer]

Originally Posted by bbb3601

Do the temp services get you to work quickly, or is it a wait and see game? The only reason I ask is would this be a better route for me since I will have no local job references? We do have about 4 month's expenses saved my field is sales ie call center/customer service etc. My wife retail mangement.

I think Bank of America has been looking for call-center types in the Bangor/Ellsworth areas.

[bignhfamily]

What about construction jobs. I am a skilled carpenter with many years experience. Frame to finish work with tools and equipment to handle most anything. Do you think I would have a problem finding work?

[forest beekeeper]

Originally Posted by bignhfamily

What about construction jobs. I am a skilled carpenter with many years experience. Frame to finish work with tools and equipment to handle most anything. Do you think I would have a problem finding work?

I find it hard to imagine that you would have any difficulty at all.