A Poor College Grad and His Father... Can We Make it Work? (loans)

[EducatedandBroke]

Hello all!

I'm in a strange situation (maybe not so strange, the more I read about the job market). First let me state, this post is entirely about the oil boom and getting jobs in the oil fields (in my case) and trucking (in my father's case).

I'm a recent graduate from Penn State here in Pennsylvania. I've got a degree in psychology (I graduated with a 4.0 in the top 1% of my class!) but... it doesn't mean anything in this economy. I'm in a small city of 45,000 people with no jobs and nearly a hundred resumes that have been sent out with only one interview offer. That interview turned out to be for a pyramid scheme. I am fed up. Yadda yadda, promised a good job when I graduated, land of milk and honey, bad economy, you know the story. I have no job, no kids (not even a girlfriend). I have nothing to lose by giving this a shot, as far as I can tell.

My father is a truck driver. He's been driving cross-country for 10 years. He has his CDL, he's certified to move liquids and he can quickly re-validate his hazmat certification. He does not, and this is important: He does NOT own his own big rig. He is a company driver currently. If he were to get a job up there for an oil company, he would need to use one of their trucks (is this even possible?).

I'm trying to figure out an opportunity to make this situation work for both of us. We have almost no money saved and my loans are quickly approaching (December 7th is my first payment of $330).

I'm wondering how much opportunity there is for him to drive locally. He's in his 40's with all the above listed certifications and 10 years of experience. I'm 24 with a useless degree (or so it feels) and the willingness to put in many hours.

However, housing is clearly an issue. What do you guys think about making this situation work? Could he get a truck up there when he's hired? Could I stay in his truck as a place to live while I get a job working in the fields? Is this a good situation worth checking out?

Like I said, I personally have nothing to lose and am leaving nothing behind, but we only have about $1000 saved between us.

[fourwinds]

Marcellus in Pennsylvania is also hiring.

[Tundra dweller]

Start calling numbers.

north dakota transportation jobs classifieds - craigslist

Also register for the ND Job Service website. They will give you contact information on lots of driving jobs.



I've heard that these guys are great to work for. But I have no personal experience.

Badlands PowerFuels - Employment (http://powerfuels.com/index.php?display=employment - broken link)

[EducatedandBroke]

Originally Posted by fourwinds

Marcellus in Pennsylvania is also hiring.

I'll look into it a bit more. They're not paying as much on average (76k - 88k with overtime) but I suppose the cost of living is a lot lower and it's much easier to find housing (I assume). Plus, I'm already in the state!

I'll look into it some more.

[Bhaalspawn]

Originally Posted by EducatedandBroke

HI'm a recent graduate from Penn State here in Pennsylvania. I've got a degree in psychology (I graduated with a 4.0 in the top 1% of my class!) but... it doesn't mean anything in this economy.

Whatever you do, try not to beat yourself up for having a college degree and being unemployed or underemployed-and-involuntarily-out-of-your-field. Although most people are completely unaware of it, our nation has a tremendous oversupply of college graduates and has had an oversupply for many many years, long before the current recession. These articles may make you feel a little better:

Why Did 17 Million Students Go to College? - Innovations - The Chronicle of Higher Education

http://www.centerforcollegeaffordabi...o_Wal-Mart.pdf

We even have a large oversupply of people with science degrees, including PhDs and a massive oversupply of lawyers. The same could probably also be said for MBAs and just about all fields other than being a physician where the numbers of graduates is artificially limited.

Is America's Science Education Gap Caused By Career Planning Fears? - Miller-McCune

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/09/business/09law.htm?_r=2 (broken link)

Greenbaum: No more room at the bench

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Anyway, you and your Dad will probably be fine in terms of finding oil industry jobs if you go out there, but you'll have to figure out how to deal with the daunting housing situation. At least you'll have each other to work through it with. It would probably be easier for two people to save up the money needed to buy a mobile home (assuming you can find a lot for it) than one person alone.

[lisan23]

Originally Posted by EducatedandBroke

I'll look into it a bit more. They're not paying as much on average (76k - 88k with overtime) but I suppose the cost of living is a lot lower and it's much easier to find housing (I assume). Plus, I'm already in the state!

I'll look into it some more.

I think you should look at the Marcellus shale as well. It is closer to home, the cost of living is WAY cheaper, and you can find a place to live.

It may not pay quite as much, but the pay is still good and when you factor in your location and the cost of living this may really be the better option for you guys. Plus, getting a girlfriend once you get a job here in North Dakota is almost impossible. Your chances are much better in PA.

[eiafjam]

Hey educated and broke,

About 3 years ago I was laid off from a company that manufactures construction equipment in Asheville, NC. I sat on the ground in NC for a year and sent out 10 resumes a day @ 5 days a week (yes this was my full time job) for the entire year and out of that had 10 interviews the entire year. Out of the 10 interviews only 2 were in NC. After a year of this my wife and I decided to step out on faith and move across the country back to my home state of Wyoming. I have now been working in the CBM indstry for over a year now and the Mrs. is a paraprofessional at the local Jr. High school. I was on the ground in Wyoming for 5 monthes and had 15 interviews and 4 job offers in this time. Do not get me wrong, it has been tough. We were apart from each other for 6 very long monthes, she has never lived anywhere else but WNC, and she left all her friends and family to come with me. Before we did all this we did a little thing we like to call prayer. As things have fallen into place we realized that all our lives we had prayed but had never tested our faith. You can make it work but not without GOD's help and your faith that he will always be there to catch you when you step out from the abyss. We have always believed, but now we have faith. Try it it really works.