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Pensacola Escambia County, Santa Rosa County
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Old 10-10-2017, 04:19 PM
 
8 posts, read 14,226 times
Reputation: 10

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Hello all. First of all, yes I know Cantaloupe is spelled with an "A" and not an "E", so with that out of the way, on to my questions...

I've been researching the Panhandle for quite some time now, all of Florida in fact. I'm in the process of moving there but what has me very nervous is the job market. I've spent time in Florida, the Panhandle, the Miami area and keys more than anywhere else and more than once so I know what it's like. I absolutely love the Panhandle. I love the "beach town" feel, the atmosphere, the vibe, the shopping, the culture, the "everything is near the coast." I am an avid and passionate scuba diver, fly fisherman and love boating, kayaking, paddle boarding and everything and anything to do with the water. I'm also a major beach bum and just love being at the beach and the beach lifestyle. I've really fallen in love with the area, yet...

Everything I read online discourages people from moving to the Panhandle. From the picture the internet has painted, the Panhandle (Pensacola to PCB) is nothing but a bunch of rednecks, crime, people trying to kill you, retired people, single moms, trashy people, unemployed people, monsters, kids without jobs and people trying desperately to leave, which is odd because whenever I've been there people seem pretty laid back and friendly. Also, according to the internet, unless I'm in the military or an independently wealthy millionaire I can forget ever working anywhere other than a hotel or dive bar and ever making more than about 26k a year. Ouch.

I'm trying to get an honest opinion on things, because I certainly don't want to screw myself over. A little about me... I love beaches, I love beach towns, as I said, I love diving, I love warm weather. I do NOT love dark beaches, dark water, super cold areas (a little chilly is okay) or being more than about 15 minutes from the ocean. Unfortunately, as of right now I do not have a degree. I'm 30 years old and my experience is in customer service, transportation and logistics. I was a truck driver for awhile which I absolutely hate due to the long hours, #$%$ driving and the fact that it never goes anywhere but down the street over and over again. I have some management experience, some experience in routing and dispatching and some administrative experience. I know my resume is not the greatest but it's definitely not the worst and I HAVE done some stuff in life. I figured there had to be something for my job wise in the area where I could make enough to at some point buy a little home in the area, settle down, travel a bit in life, enjoy some hobbies and y'know, live the dream, but what I'm seeing online is highly discouraging all that in said area.

I have no interest in the Tampa area due to the fact that the diving there sucks. I did consider the Miami area, which has great diving and the keys nearby, but to live in a area where I won't get shot at on a daily basis, it's probably going to be out of my budget. I'm sure the job market there is broader and greater, but is it really going to be impossible to find any decent work in the Panhandle? We already have a place lined up in Panama City Beach. I've loved it there when I've been there and was hoping to find some work either in the port, with a warehouse, shipping company, trucking company, dispatching or routing trash trucks or buses? Who knows??? I'm honestly coming here for some advice and appreciate any given.

Thank you much!
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Old 10-11-2017, 08:58 AM
 
Location: Fort Payne Alabama
2,558 posts, read 2,863,894 times
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Current unemployment rate in Bay County Florida is 4%, Full employment. There are plenty of jobs that are going unfilled. In some cases the pay and benefits on these unfilled jobs leaves quite a bit to be desired and some of these firms are operating in the past and complaining "No one wants to work" but decent jobs are out there and there is plenty of construction going on with new jobs being added everyday.
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Old 10-11-2017, 11:18 AM
 
Location: South Florida
5,014 posts, read 7,390,739 times
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OP I remember you posting something similar about a year ago.
Not much has changed since then, as far as advice.
Go on the online job boards and see what's out there.
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Old 10-11-2017, 02:25 PM
 
8 posts, read 14,226 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by GreggT View Post
Current unemployment rate in Bay County Florida is 4%, Full employment. There are plenty of jobs that are going unfilled. In some cases the pay and benefits on these unfilled jobs leaves quite a bit to be desired and some of these firms are operating in the past and complaining "No one wants to work" but decent jobs are out there and there is plenty of construction going on with new jobs being added everyday.
Ahh! That's good to hear, so new jobs are being added and there ARE jobs there. But are there jobs in the areas I mentioned? I looked online to not much avail, I see stuff that requires degrees and very specialized training. I see there's a HUGE distribution center both inland slightly and at the port, but was told by some one you have to "know some one" to get on there.

Thanks for any suggestions.
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Old 10-11-2017, 04:02 PM
 
1,845 posts, read 3,694,752 times
Reputation: 2475
Quote:
Originally Posted by WhyDoCanteloupeHelicopter View Post
From the picture the internet has painted, the Panhandle (Pensacola to PCB) is nothing but a bunch of rednecks, crime, people trying to kill you, retired people, single moms, trashy people, unemployed people, monsters, kids without jobs and people trying desperately to leave.

Quote:
Originally Posted by WhyDoCanteloupeHelicopter View Post
Ahh! That's good to hear, so new jobs are being added and there ARE jobs there. But are there jobs in the areas I mentioned? I looked online to not much avail, I see stuff that requires degrees and very specialized training. I see there's a HUGE distribution center both inland slightly and at the port, but was told by some one you have to "know some one" to get on there.
Your second statement should confirm that the "picture" from the internet is wrong. All three major areas in the Panhandle (Pensacola, Destin/Niceville/FWB, and Panama City are home to multiple military bases, and those jobs supporting the bases can require specialized training (engineering, program development, program management etc) they also have transportation and logistics needs as well. It might just take looking in different places to find them. Pensacola and Panama City have ports which as you know would have more transportation needs. You might need to start at the bottom, but I think you could break into the "know someone" crowd once you get here and meet people. Have you tried Eastern Shipbuilding Group? They seem to be hiring all the time.
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Old 10-13-2017, 02:08 PM
 
8 posts, read 14,226 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by slduvall View Post
Your second statement should confirm that the "picture" from the internet is wrong. All three major areas in the Panhandle (Pensacola, Destin/Niceville/FWB, and Panama City are home to multiple military bases, and those jobs supporting the bases can require specialized training (engineering, program development, program management etc) they also have transportation and logistics needs as well. It might just take looking in different places to find them. Pensacola and Panama City have ports which as you know would have more transportation needs. You might need to start at the bottom, but I think you could break into the "know someone" crowd once you get here and meet people. Have you tried Eastern Shipbuilding Group? They seem to be hiring all the time.
That's kind of what I've been hoping. I know an area like this might not have the same amount of opportunities as some huge city like Miami or LA, but at the same time I know there must be stuff there that one can do to make a living, own a home, have some fun in life. I don't have a degree right now, but I'd like to either get one of some kind, maybe an associate's or vocational training at point. For now though, I need to start making a living.

My main points of thinking right now is either a job at some kind of distribution center or warehouse, something in shipping or transport. Are there not people doing logistics for things like bus routes, garbage trucks, etc? I know the jobs must be there, I'm just having difficulty finding any listings for them. I also hope that it's not such a tight nit community that without knowing some one I can't get on anywhere...

I looked into the Eastern Shipbuilding company... Wow, what an amazingly cool company. That seems like it would be a great place to work and a great place to work your way up a ladder. I wonder how hard it would be to get on there doing something above cleaning toilets without a degree? I'll certainly look further into it but if anyone has any advice or knowledge on it I'd be all ears!
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Old 10-13-2017, 02:20 PM
 
1,845 posts, read 3,694,752 times
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Well I would start with the Waste Management Company for garage routes, and the county schools for busses. There really aren't City buses in the FWb/PC areas, there are trolly's which I don't imagine need much logistics. You need to focus on the various companies in whatever city you want and then check out their pages. Don't just go to the job sites, I work in HR and a vast majority of jobs are NOT filled by ads, but as you expect by word of mouth, but this is a very transient area, so hiring from the "outside" is done often.
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Old 10-17-2017, 08:15 AM
 
Location: Floribama
18,929 posts, read 43,248,233 times
Reputation: 18727
You could try Air Products in Pace, they transport chemicals all around the area.

Honestly, you may have better luck finding a job over towards Mobile... it's close enough to Gulf Shores, Orange Beach, and Pensacola Beach to still enjoy the things you like to do.

There is a Walmart distribution center being built in Mobile...
http://www.al.com/news/mobile/index....center_on.html

There's also a big Ace Hardware distribution center in Loxley. And don't forget about the beverage companies like Coca-Cola and Budweiser, and there's Sara Lee bakery over in Mobile that distributes bread all over the place.

Last edited by southernnaturelover; 10-17-2017 at 08:26 AM..
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Old 10-17-2017, 02:31 PM
 
8 posts, read 14,226 times
Reputation: 10
Good advice, Slduvall. I've worked closely with HR and hiring departments before and have indeed seen people get hired just by politely inquiring on what's available and being persistent about it. I know I'll have to do some of that. I checked the Waste Management site and the closest jobs they have are in Freeport which is about 45 minutes away. The only jobs available are garbage route drivers which I "could" do but would rather not, I'd probably consider it more if it was actually in PCB as I know WM is a good company to grow with, or so I've been told. I'll try contacting the PC facility and see if they have anything.

@ Southern, I already have a lease and everything set up in PCB, so I'll have to make something in that area work. Besides, I would have to be in Pensacola itself at the very least to make commuting to Mobile even viable. That distribution center there seems like a good deal, sadly I'll be a bit too far away from it
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Old 10-17-2017, 04:51 PM
 
Location: Florida -
10,213 posts, read 14,745,546 times
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Of course, there are jobs all over Florida, including the Panhandle! But, 80-percent of the OP reads like a Personal ad, not a serious job search. The only job-relevant part seems to be:

"Unfortunately, as of right now I do not have a degree. I'm 30 years old and my experience is in customer service, transportation and logistics." ... and, "hoping to find some work either in the port, with a warehouse, shipping company, trucking company, dispatching or routing trash trucks or buses? or ???"

Have you identified companies in the Panhandle that have the type of jobs you are seeking?
-- or have you located companies in your area with branches in Florida ... and made some initial contacts? Finding jobs in Florida is just like finding jobs anywhere else (made much easier by the internet)! However, simply wondering from afar if there are/aren't jobs here is futile -- Even if there were a hundred real, relevant jobs available today, only those who exercise the initiative to find them and make the contacts (while the jobs are available) - will get them.
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