No Jobs In Portland (Salem, Beaverton: job market, college, income)

[bean805]

Hi ive lived in Portland for 3 months now and havent been able to find any work. I am looking j for an average job nothing special restuarant/retail work. My friend went to an interview for a restuarant job in Portland the other day and was told he was picked for an interview out of 500 resumes. I have heard jobs start opening up in summer does any one know. Also does anyone know about the job market in Austin TX I am considering a possible relocation if I dont find anything soon thanx----triz

[BLAZER PROPHET]

There's a lot of jobs out there. I'm having a hard time getting resumes for a clerical opening I have. I also saw a help wanted sign at the new Flying Pie Pizzaria on McLoughlin and I've seen other help wated signs around.

[Minervah]

I apologize for repeating myself but yes, it is has and probably always will be difficult to get a job in this town in most fields. It really helps to know someone who can "get you in the door" which is how I got most of my jobs but it takes a long time to build up that kind of networking.

The pay isn't too paid at most places but it doesn't match the cost of living for your average J. If you have lots of money to live on while job hunting you may be okay. It's sometimes a good idea to start with a temp agency although a retired friend of mine who has been working for one for many years tells me now it's more difficult for her to get assignments because she is competing with college grads and in the summertime, students on summer vacation. Also she thinks there are fewer temp jobs available.

Still I would recommend that route because companies like the one I work for and is one of Portland's largest employers hires lots of temps. Sometimes the temp job turns into a permanent position. Sometimes the temp will go on for a couple of years. They do this so they don't have to pay higher wages or supply benefits.

Other towns may have this problem to but it is definitely a problem in Portland.

[Venusian_Artist]

Originally Posted by bean805

Hi ive lived in Portland for 3 months now and havent been able to find any work. I am looking j for an average job nothing special restuarant/retail work. My friend went to an interview for a restuarant job in Portland the other day and was told he was picked for an interview out of 500 resumes. I have heard jobs start opening up in summer does any one know. Also does anyone know about the job market in Austin TX I am considering a possible relocation if I dont find anything soon thanx----triz

If you're looking in the restaurant and/or retail sectors, then lie on your resume to get an interview. It's one thing to embelish if you're going for a medical position or Senior IT job. But if it's service sector, just put down what you think will get you hired and wing it from there.

No sense in losing out to people who are more qualified on paper, but not as functionally intelligent. Recruiters, unless they actually work in the field, are notoriously dumb. They look for resume qualifications over real substance. Tell them what they want to hear, get the job, and impress the pants off them.

My first corporate job, I did just that. And since my boss was one hot feminista, it worked out quite well. She wore skirts, though.

[bobmulk]

I lost my job in Salem on 3/7. On 3/21 I interviewed for a job in Tigard and learned later that day that I got it. I start tomorrow 3/31. Jobs are out there.

[GB1]

Hi, Triz -

I scrammed in January because of the job situation (a good move). The job situation in Austin, from what I hear from friends, is a lot more open, or at least more reflective of the national reality these days. It's probably not great anywhere, but Portland is indeed a special case.

Restaurant/retail should be better, particularly if you're not looking in hipster-professional areas like the Pearl, Hawthorne, etc. Have you tried applying out on SE 82nd, or in Hillsboro/Beaverton?

As a data point: I got an email this weekend from a friend who said her office (in downtown PDX) fired two employees recently, and then turned around and offered one of them a temp position doing the same job from which she'd been fired. The woman, discouraged at her prospects, ended up taking her old job as a temp, at lower pay without benefits.

Good luck to you. But if you decide to move on - Portland is nice, but there are other nice places as well.

[HiggsBoson]

As always the job market can be good or bad depending on your experience, education, what industry you are in, your connections, etc.

I got a great job offer to relocate to Portland, so from my point of view, the job market in Portland is good

[cheric03]

I live in Austin and I can tell you the job market is not terrific here. My father worked for Dell for almost 10 years, survived all of the post-9/11 layoffs, until recently when he was laid off. It took him 4 months to find a job, and he was quite persistent. Dell also just announced a 900+ layoff yesterday.

Like others have said, it depends on your situation and line of work. I have friends from all walks of life, and many of them, myself included, have been laid off at least once since 9/11. I was without employment for 7 months once; many of the jobs I competed for took hundreds of applications.

My bf currently owns a business that is reliant on people's expendable income, and the fact is that he has lost a lot of business due to the lack of that. I think the job market here is as bad as the rest of the country. Two of our friends are moving to Portland (one of them is from there) due to their ability to obtain positions there that they couldn't here, so they're moving partly just for that reason. Hope that helps.

[tranzenic]

Originally Posted by bean805

Hi ive lived in Portland for 3 months now and havent been able to find any work. I am looking j for an average job nothing special restuarant/retail work. My friend went to an interview for a restuarant job in Portland the other day and was told he was picked for an interview out of 500 resumes. I have heard jobs start opening up in summer does any one know. Also does anyone know about the job market in Austin TX I am considering a possible relocation if I dont find anything soon thanx----triz

Job market are bad everywhere, my friend. I'm not from Portland so I don't know the inside story but relocation for job is definitely not a good move right now in the States. Companies are already laying off this first quarter, and probably more to come in the next quarters. So if you're in area where living is not too bad, hang there, don't move. That's my 2 cents.

[kgiacchino]

Rubicon International is a small education technology firm in downtown Portland. If you have interest or experience in education or technology, I know they are hiring. They are also seeking summer interns.