JOBS/WORK/EMPLOYMENT....what a chore to find work. (Houston: contractor, to live)

[BLuke69]

I am orginally from San Antonio. I moved to Houston over a year ago to 'start fresh' and find work there. I won't say I lived a sheltered life, but at my age, I can put this as another experience under my belt.
I understand that not being able to find work in Houston is due largely to massive competition in a city that has about 2-3 times the population to that of San Antonio.

My original plan was to move to Austin but when I met someone through Facebook via mutual friends, I told him my plans of starting fresh and he suggested to move to Houston since it was a bigger city. Bigger doesn't always mean better but the adventure factor was exciting. I moved there, stayed with him and we ended up marrying each other. So that was ACES in my book.

After he had a falling out in Houston with HIS employer, he tried looking, as well, for another job in Houston. He has a degree in Aviation Mgmt and couldn't find ANYTHING. So now he has to start all over again and possibly in another field. We're both in our 40's with grown kids and it's tough to decide the best road to take in our job/career search.

We decided to move back to San Antonio (he, for the first time) and give it a whirl. We've been close to landing something. Just not chosen as THE candidate to get hired. It's been over a year since I've worked and it's just getting harder with no recent experience I think. Depends, I guess. I miss Houston, don't get me wrong. It's beautiful there but just too much traffic and concrete jungle unless you're lucky to live by the coast.

SO...I know this is a call center city. Been there, done that. Don't want to do that anymore. My patience wears thin on phones and sitting for long periods of time. It's not for me, anymore. I'm looking into admin work as I have done in the past.

Does anyone have any USEFUL information on tricks and ways to better search for work besides taking the Craigslist, Monster, CB, Indeed ways? My brain is about fried at this point and trying to use my lifelines if I have any.

I'm new to this forum. I've come across it Googling stuffs and thought this would be a good way to get some info.

Thanks, ya'll.

Mrs. Luke

[sapphire]

Have you thought about working for a temp agency? I know several people who have gotten good jobs this way. You usually start out making a little less but once the company gets to know you and decides to bring you on board, they bump up your pay. Good luck, I'm going to go back to work some day ( I've been off for 3 years ) and at my age I'm also a little concerned about the gap on my resume.

[L210]

Welcome To The City of San Antonio Human Resources Department
Welcome to Bexar County Human Resources
https://www.usajobs.gov/
https://wit.twc.state.tx.us/WORKINTE...kiecheckflag=1
View Current Job Listings at San Antonio Housing Authority - San Antonio Housing Authority Jobs

[steve807]

Keep looking, I'm sure you will connect before long.

Things are much worse after you turn 50 years old: You will be lucky to get interviewed for anything after 50 if you are one of the "unprotected" demographics. And that is true no matter your experience or contacts in you field of expertise.

A tip I can offer: recruiters almost exclusively roam LinkedIn, CB, and Monster once they have a job order from an employer. Then they check Facebook to evaluate tattoos and piercings among other things.

[ashbeeigh]

Assuming you are younger, consider joining The San Antonio Young Professionals Group. It would be a great networking opportunity for you. San Antonio Chapter | Texas Young Professionals

[Philosophizer]

It's about to be a whole lot more if oil keeps droppin'

[CyVaquero]

My wife used several temp agencies to look for office admin work and landed the first one in a couple weeks. She didn't really enjoy the environment and when combined with the commute she vacated it pretty quick. Took about another month before she was placed again with different company on a contract with a large aerospace industry company located near Lackland.

Pay here is, as a whole, is lower than market averages. She's making a little less than she did doing much the same thing in northwestern NM for Pepsi Bottling despite having just completed an A.A.S. Although there are employers/jobs around town that do pay above market norms, you just have to look.

The only tip I can give is for your SO to be sure to check industry centric job sites and find out who does the subcontracting for the big companies in town. I'm in IT and found my position on Dice.com though it was through a subcontractor so I had no idea who the actual employer was until we started talking.