Maine is great and all.... (Portland, Lisbon: employment, construction, public schools)

[Syngar99]

Now can someone help me find some decent paying employment?
All these posts delighting in maines natural beauty and such are meaningless if I can't afford to live here.
Maine seems to be dreadfully exclusive- seems like only rich folk can move here nowadays.

[dmyankee]

Ahhh, "The way life should be," or is it, "Maine is on the move," or "The Way life used to be."

All signs on the turnpike entering Maine the last generation. Depends who was Governor.

Maine's Quality of Place

[Newdaawn]

Syngar - what are your skills? Do you have experience in anything that would lead you to a good job here? We have several large medical centers if you have any technical skills in that area. There are also colleges and universities if you are in the teaching field and there are public schools all over. There are many large store chains that employ managers and thousands of restaurants if you have management skills in that area.

Most people advise that you have a job before you make the move to Maine.

[retiredtinbender]

Originally Posted by Syngar99

Now can someone help me find some decent paying employment?
All these posts delighting in maines natural beauty and such are meaningless if I can't afford to live here.
Maine seems to be dreadfully exclusive- seems like only rich folk can move here nowadays.

Yes but there were also many posts saying visit a few times first, work is hard to find but keep looking, and such as that. I'm sorry it's not going so well for you. Keep trying; there must be something in that area down there.

[reloop]

It's tough, that's for sure, but here's a link to help you get started looking anyway...good luck.

Maine.gov: Employment: Job Opportunities

[Syngar99]

Thanks for the kind words everyone-
first things first, i have no really useful technical skills. i have 4 years in the marines, and regrettably a masters in fine arts. I am however smart enough to learn a skill if given an opportunity.

I am signed up for the maine job thing, but most of them are either on the canadian border or only pay 9 dollars an hour. As we speak i am engaged in application processes for a few apprenticeships, but these seem to have immense waiting lists or worse are in a freeze.

I had actually hoped that upon reading this someone with connections might have something for me lol, small chance, i know, but they say most jobs are derived from refferals, not employment sites and services.

As for gov't work, again either they want specific PRIOR skills or they are in BFE maine.

[Valley Living]

4 years in the Marines can possibly get you a good job working for the Department of Homeland Security. They are actively recruiting Border Patrol Agents, Customs and Immigration Agents, as well as food inspectors for Portland Sea Port. Look into these government jobs and you will be pleasantly surprised at what they offer thier employees. Good Luck to you and once you settle down you will be very happy with your choices.

[Maineah]

Try Shipyard Brewing Company in Portland. They are a good outfit and if you stay with them and show an appitude for it they may teach you how to be a brewer. If not they have a multitude of other jobs including the bottling line, maintenence, distribution ,sales ,advertising etc and it isn't all that far from Lisbon Falls.

[reloop]

Originally Posted by Maineah

I stand corrected! There's still way too many people working for the State in Maine!

Welcome to the "I stand corrected" line...been there a few times myself.

Nonetheless, back to the OP, it sounds as if you possess the right attitude to sell yourself. 4 years in the Marines (thank you by the way ) looks good on the resume anyway. Attitude can still go a long way if you're willing to work.

My "supposed to be retired" neighbor just went back to work in road construction mainly because (so it was told to him) they lacked candidates who had the experience and work ethic that he had.

I am of the thought that if you are willing to learn new things, you are an asset to an employer.

Good luck.

[Syngar99]

My biggest problem is finding people to sell myself to