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I haven't seen any recent news regarding the local job market in Billings MT. I am originally from Vancouver Washington and I moved over to Billings in January.I was in school over in Moscow Idaho and I enjoyed the college town so much. I feel nothing but disappointed about the move to Billings I graduated with a bachelors degree in Broadcasting and Digital Media and I cant get a job in my career field.I originally had another job at the Gazette and they laid me off in 6 weeks because they were downsizing. Now I currently work for the cable company and hate it. I have to be yelled at on the phone all day and I keep interviewing for other jobs and getting denied. I am denied mostly because I am over qualified and there are not enough professional jobs for college graduates. The Gazette kinda messed things up for me career wise and I would really love the change to be able to find something else in my career field. I relocated with my fiance because he is going to school at Rocky Mountain college for aviation. I do not understand why it is so hard to find a decent paying job here especially since I finished High school and have a degree. It is almost like employers would rather hire job experienced high school drop outs that cant spell or remain professional. Along with all the problems associated with not having enough professional jobs for college graduates I can not wait to leave. I have not even been in Billings for a full year and their crime is comparable to Spokane due to all the robberies,drunk drivers and drug users. Renting is a nightmare because the property management companies overprice the homes and it is hard to pay rent when there are a lack of high paying jobs here. I am almost to the point of frustration and feel tempted to pack up my car tonight and drive all the way back to the Pacific Northwest to live rent free with my parents and get a higher paying job. I do not want to do that but this city is horrible when regarding how difficult it is to find affordable housing and places to bring your pet with you.
Reading your post, I see several mistakes you made:
1. You got a degree in a field that is quite limited in smaller cities. IMO, with that degree you need to be in a city with a larger population, 500,000 to a million people at a minimum.
2. You moved to be near your boyfriend without taking the job market into consideration. You should have done more research to see what jobs were available.
3. You seem to think that a high school diploma and a bachelor's degree will guarantee a great job and a fantastic life. Sorry, that just is not true! The degree must be marketable.
4. You did not research rentals before you moved. Yes, finding a rental that will allow a pet is difficult, and you will often have to pay a premium to keep your pet. I saw a list of rentals in the Gazette the other day. About 1/3 of them showed pets allowed, so such rentals ARE available!
5. Part of your rant is about "It is almost like employers would rather hire job experienced high school drop outs that cant spell or remain professional." However, it is apparent that your spelling and punctuation skills are not the greatest, and to top it off you failed to proofread your post before hitting the "submit" button. Either that, or you simply did not see the errors, which is even worse!
6. Then, to top it all off, instead of recognizing your own failings, you blame your problems on the city!
Sorry, I have no sympathy for you. Perhaps your best bet IS to return the the PNW. I'm sure there is a job in Seattle or Portland that will be a good fit for you.
Vancouvergirl,
My coworker has worked in broadcasting in Billings, and said that you can try to get a job with the advertising agencies, and that KULR 8 is looking for people. You may need to move to a bigger city, like what Redraven said; Seattle, Portland, even Denver would have more to offer than here in Billings. Good luck to you,
Rachel
Your problem is, your degree is very limited as others have told you. There are just not that many jobs, that need the skills you are trained for. Many other degrees have the same problem. Pay scale in 2014 rated all the degree fields, and the further down the list one goes, the bigger the surplus of graduates for the potential jobs within the field and the lower the incomes available.
Another problem is as you found out the print media is a fast dying industry, with layoffs all over the country. A lot of the jobs in the communication field as the link below show are not high rated fields, due to the fact there is such a surplus of people with a degree out there looking. And a lot of them have a lot higher rated school they came from, which is a problem for you.
Look down the list and you get to #99, which is for Broadcasting and TV degrees, and starting salary is under $40,000 if one can even find a job. It is clear down at #99 as is is a low demand profession, and a lot of highly experienced persons in the communication fields have been laid off all over the country.
Don't blame Billings for not having jobs, as this is a problem all over the country as the print and even the broadcast mediums are laying people off with tons of experience. You have to compete against them.
Other jobs, are hiring people with degrees and or experience in their field, and it makes it hard for you to say you would be a better candidate. And as you are finding out, your degree does not give you a leg up over graduates in other fields, and even sharp high school graduates with experience. It is not you are over qualified, it is you are qualified in the wrong field for so many jobs.
I know one man, who was in your field who to find good employment went back for a teaching degree in special education to find a good job. He loved working in his/your field, but could not find the jobs were there for him to fill. And it was a lot easier to get a job when he graduated, and there were still way too many graduates for the available jobs. It is worse today.
Reading your post, I see several mistakes you made:
1. You got a degree in a field that is quite limited in smaller cities. IMO, with that degree you need to be in a city with a larger population, 500,000 to a million people at a minimum.
2. You moved to be near your boyfriend without taking the job market into consideration. You should have done more research to see what jobs were available.
3. You seem to think that a high school diploma and a bachelor's degree will guarantee a great job and a fantastic life. Sorry, that just is not true! The degree must be marketable.
4. You did not research rentals before you moved. Yes, finding a rental that will allow a pet is difficult, and you will often have to pay a premium to keep your pet. I saw a list of rentals in the Gazette the other day. About 1/3 of them showed pets allowed, so such rentals ARE available!
5. Part of your rant is about "It is almost like employers would rather hire job experienced high school drop outs that cant spell or remain professional." However, it is apparent that your spelling and punctuation skills are not the greatest, and to top it off you failed to proofread your post before hitting the "submit" button. Either that, or you simply did not see the errors, which is even worse!
6. Then, to top it all off, instead of recognizing your own failings, you blame your problems on the city!
Sorry, I have no sympathy for you. Perhaps your best bet IS to return the the PNW. I'm sure there is a job in Seattle or Portland that will be a good fit for you.
I don't see anything in your post that is helpful for the OP----that is what you intended, to be helpful?
BTW, I have 3 degrees, including a MLIS, and I often make typos, etc, in my posts, simply because I don't bother to proofread them. Why bother, I'm not applying for a job here!
I think your field has limited opportunities in the traditional sense.
But how are you thinking outside of the box?
Why not start a podcast series on traveling in Montana, storm chasing, or whatever is your interest....make your own show, show what you've got.
Start a business docudrama-ing people's adventures with outfitters...fly fishing biz, whitewater rafting biz, dude ranching biz, eco tourism biz.
"I don't see anything in your post that is helpful for the OP----that is what you intended, to be helpful?"
No, my intent was to show the OP that BILLINGS is not her problem, SHE is her problem.
Her actions are HER responsibility, the community has nothing to do with them.
If she had spent her time in school becoming a Registered Nurse, or a Certified pressure vessel welder, or a diesel mechanic or a framing carpenter, she would find a job almost anywhere, including Billings.
On a related side note, her boyfriend is in an "aviation program" in school. Will he be an A&P mechanic when he graduates, or a pilot, or both? It really does not matter, high paying entry level jobs for either of them are not out there. I know, I am a licensed A&P mechanic, and I know a well qualified A&P with pilot's license that is working in a sporting goods store!
Yeah, they need to get out of Billings. There is nothing here for either of them!
Not to sound rude or anything I know my career is harder to get into I am more into the creative arts. I have multiple learning disabilities which makes it harder to get a job I have Attention Deficit Disorder and a mathematical learning disability which are not protected by disability laws. I am not the problem the United States is the problem they don't value the arts,humanities or social sciences as much as they value nursing,national energy ect. My fiance is becoming a commercial pilot so we don't have to live in Billings once he is done. Mary Lee you don't have to rude about what the millennial generation has to endure I am sorry I am not as privileged,snobby,rude and nobody researches the rental market that deeply. I took faith and trusted God to move and was screwed over by the newspaper because they cut down the workforce. I do not see typos right away because I have two learning disabilities and I have to install a program to make sure I don't accidentally miss punctuation or small typos. Not to be a mean person or anything I love my boyfriend he is low income and needs me here to pay the bills. I moved to support his dreams of becoming a pilot. It's not that I am not a smart person I researched areas of Billings and the rental companies slightly. I just had to move really fast and the job market in Billings is bad and they don't care about my degree because it is more specialized.
It sounds like nobody in Billings cares about your degree because its not applicable to the job you are applying for. Yes, Lee Enterprises screwed up your resume but I think you'd be better off highlighting your blog detailing your writing style and talents rather than a 6 week stint being a gopher at the local paper. If you have other applicable work, leave Lee off the page. Plenty of people make money off of blogs and online click-bait articles and I'm pretty sure bringing in ad revenue is the most desirable quality in the media space today.
I'm going to assume you aren't in the "really, really, really, purdy people who read whatever the teleprompter says" camp as those people can usually find a job in media/you-tube/advertising at the drop of a hat.
The reason you are getting slapped with the Entitled Millennial label is because you are acting like one. Everything is everyone else's fault you can't get a job as a journalist. It's everyone else's fault they don't value your art. It will be everyone else's fault if your boyfriend becomes a commercial pilot and is schlepping for a regional carrier for 25k a year as first officer for 10 years before getting a shot at a mainline carrier. It is everyone else's fault we can't see how great you are because you got accepted to an out-of-state school and paid 2x the going rate for a degree that pays peanuts but CAN'T DO MATH!
The world pees in everyone's Wheaties most of the time, so you might put your pants on and get to work. Billings is one of the most economically affordable places in Montana with higher paying wages and lower priced real estate than the rest of the state. If you can't make it there, I'd recommend sulking in your parent's basement until you snap out of this.
Not to sound rude or anything I know my career is harder to get into I am more into the creative arts. I have multiple learning disabilities which makes it harder to get a job I have Attention Deficit Disorder and a mathematical learning disability which are not protected by disability laws. I am not the problem the United States is the problem they don't value the arts,humanities or social sciences as much as they value nursing,national energy ect. My fiance is becoming a commercial pilot so we don't have to live in Billings once he is done. Mary Lee you don't have to rude about what the millennial generation has to endure I am sorry I am not as privileged,snobby,rude and nobody researches the rental market that deeply. I took faith and trusted God to move and was screwed over by the newspaper because they cut down the workforce. I do not see typos right away because I have two learning disabilities and I have to install a program to make sure I don't accidentally miss punctuation or small typos. Not to be a mean person or anything I love my boyfriend he is low income and needs me here to pay the bills. I moved to support his dreams of becoming a pilot. It's not that I am not a smart person I researched areas of Billings and the rental companies slightly. I just had to move really fast and the job market in Billings is bad and they don't care about my degree because it is more specialized.
This comment about the U.S. not loving art is pure bullcrap. The U.S. has the highest paid actors and actresses in the entire WORLD. We also have most of the highest paid musicians in the WORLD. The U.S. spends more money on entertainment than anywhere else in the WORLD. So no, the U.S. isn't the problem. Art is a field that has traditionally not paid anything. Most artist's at the time of their death were dead broke. My wife has a friend that went to school for graphic design. She makes some of the most beautiful drawings I have ever seen. She spend 10 years living with her mom, earning less than 25k a year, freelancing. Most of her business came from small businesses that needed help thinking up logos. She learned how to tattoo and now she is making 60k a year as a tattoo artist.
This is what you need to think about, can the job you do, be outsourced to a third world country. If it can, then you can't compete. It is the reason that major companies like Disney are outsourcing their animation. Lets see, in the U.S. they have to pay more wages, insanely higher taxes, part of their employees health insurance, and matching SSA and Medicare taxes. Or then can use outside labor and pay non of that.
The reason that the medical field pays so much is because it is a necessity. You can't outsource doctors, or nurses. That job will be stable well into the future. However, many jobs, even engineering, is going to be outsourced. Robots and advanced computer systems are going to eliminate many more jobs. You need to find a career with a future, go back to school before you start a family, and secure your future.
My wife is about to go back to college for Nursing because her field is no longer viable. You either adapt, or become extinct.
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I relocated with my fiance because he is going to school at Rocky Mountain college for aviation. I do not understand why it is so hard to find a decent paying job here especially since I finished High school and have a degree.
It is almost like employers would rather hire job experienced high school drop outs that cant spell or remain professional. Along with all the problems associated with not having enough professional jobs for college graduates I can not wait to leave. I have not even been in Billings for a full year and their crime is comparable to Spokane due to all the robberies,drunk drivers and drug users. Renting is a nightmare because the property management companies overprice the homes and it is hard to pay rent when there are a lack of high paying jobs here. I am almost to the point of frustration and feel tempted to pack up my car tonight and drive all the way back to the Pacific Northwest to live rent free with my parents and get a higher paying job. I do not want to do that but this city is horrible when regarding how difficult it is to find affordable housing and places to bring your pet with you.
