[tym2retyr]

Ivorytickler you are right about the construction. I work for a wood panel products company that makes OSB. Our sales are starting to go up which tells me that housing starts and repair construction may be on the rise. In light of recent events in the midwest due to the storms that have been happening, there will be a lot of reconstruction going on. It was also stated in a prior post about thinking outside the box. Sometimes all the college degrees in the world won't place you in a good job position as sad as that may seem. Take the training you have fought so hard and long for and think outside the box. What other field could you use this for other than the automotive field. I was trained as a journeyman power lineman and as I got older I used that training to go into industrial control wiring. I have been with the same company for twentyfive years now and things are good for me. But I thought outside the box and it paid off for me anyway. There is work out there. It just depends on what you are willing to do to put food on the table and of course gas in the tank.

[GlassPipe]

Yeah, gas is a huge consideration anymore. I think we're caught up with the rest of the world now. All we need to do now is let go of our big trucks and gas guzzling awd suvs and we might be able to afford to drive anywhere.

With construction, it was always a roller coaster. Spring time means home improvement time and people are using their tax returns and, this year, stimulus checks to do the work. As Tym2Rtyr said, his OSB company is starting to pick up in sales. Tells me a lot of roofing and siding going on. If you look around my neighborhood, you'd see what I mean. It's just hard finding a good steady company that has work all year round.

As for the degree bearing folks here, sorry, hope I didn't hi-jack. But I feel for you. My mom knows a few people with masters, double masters and even a phd who cannot find work right now. One guy she said has been out of work for almost 3 years now. She's in Keego Harbor near Pontiac.

The company that I work for has been hiring contractors for network engineering positions. All 4 of the past contractors have been greencard holders. Sorry to say it, but that's where all your jobs are going. They are still there, just you ain't gettin' em! What the hell is wrong with this picture? I asked my boss why they keep hiring the GC holders who just quit and go back home after a few months when there is a line up of people fresh out of tech school with the networking certs needed for these jobs. She said it's because they are cheaper and you can push them around more to get what they need from them. Nice, huh?

[pitchinrules88]

are u talking about liek engineers or like car designers in the studios?

[Ivorytickler]

Another reason GC holders are more attractive is they don't have to worry about them long term. They're not staying.

I've been out of work since November. Had a couple of nibbles right away out of state but wasn't in position to go. I haven't gotten one lead here. I have 18 years in automotive engineering going from concept to customer and then landing in testing and two masters degrees. I'm not sure what I'm going to do.

In this economy, it's difficult to change careers but I have to. There are no automotive jobs. In fact, they're laying off again. Everytime they do, it makes it that much harder to find work and you're treated like if you're out of work for any amount of time it means you don't have anything to offer. No. The economy just sucks and it's more who you know than what you know these days. Yet we're judged because if we were worth something, someone would have picked us up by now.

I really wish we didn't have to stay here. If we move so I can find work, we just face my husband being out of work.