Just moved to St Louis by way of California. Quick question... (St. Louis: rent, job market)

[Carnahan]

Hey, some of you might remember me posting before about moving to St. Louis, well, I did. I'm here now. I found a place in the Dogtown area and its fantastic. The zoo, the museum, the local bars; they're all great, but I have one problem... Employment. Now, I know this is tough everywhere, but I have a feeling it may have something to do with me having some visible tattoos. I'm twenty-five and I have a healthy amount of experience in warehouse work, retail work, I spent a lot of time working for a company that re-painted and refurbished home, and I even have a little bit of bartending experience. And so far, nothing. Is there somewhere I should be trying or someone I should be talking to? I've tried craigslist, the RFT, and a few VERY unhelpful temp agencies. It just seems that a city with such a great university would have something more as far as temp work or job placement than what I've seen. I know this is a long shot, but if anyone has any ideas, it might make a huge difference, because I really want to stay here and my first rent is just around the corner.... Please help!

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by Carnahan

Hey, some of you might remember me posting before about moving to St. Louis, well, I did. I'm here now. I found a place in the Dogtown area and its fantastic. The zoo, the museum, the local bars; they're all great, but I have one problem... Employment. Now, I know this is tough everywhere, but I have a feeling it may have something to do with me having some visible tattoos. I'm twenty-five and I have a healthy amount of experience in warehouse work, retail work, I spent a lot of time working for a company that re-painted and refurbished home, and I even have a little bit of bartending experience. And so far, nothing. Is there somewhere I should be trying or someone I should be talking to? I've tried craigslist, the RFT, and a few VERY unhelpful temp agencies. It just seems that a city with such a great university would have something more as far as temp work or job placement than what I've seen. I know this is a long shot, but if anyone has any ideas, it might make a huge difference, because I really want to stay here and my first rent is just around the corner.... Please help!

My best guess, and I could be absolutely wrong, is that the tats are not helpful when it comes to job hunting.

We moved from CA last month and one of the first things I noticed was that the youth here in SW AR did not display tats and piercings; not even those working in coffee shops.

It ain't CA, Carnahan. Best of luck but you've landed in a fairly conservative zone with a far different social structure than "do your own thing" CA.

[DinsdalePirahna]

I'm a California transplant myself and an Award winning Art Director with a strong portfolio and experience. The only work I get is from my California clients.

While most of the people around here are very friendly you may find it very difficult to find work if you are not local.

I was looking full time gig around here and I am willing to work for 1/2 off what I was making in CA. More to meet people than to make a bank-load of cash.

Somewhere in almost every interview, you will be asked the question of "Where did you go to high school?" This is when the locals ferret out if you have a local pedigree, and you discover how parochial the area is.

[chrokee69]

But you know that is all around missouri, not just STL. Why come here, and try to find work. The Luminier is suppose to be hiring for a few things not sure what they are. The state is not hiring for they are laying off. Craigs list is to me a big scamer.

[stlcitygirl]

A lot of the local Universities are on hiring freezes because of the economy. What kind of job are you looking for?

[DinsdalePirahna]

When you go on job interviews, that usually means that a position is available.

try using the "about.indeed(DOT)com" site. It works pretty well in consolidating the offerings on many job boards.

[grubbyhubby]

The job market in STL is a wasteland right now. I'm " local" , have 12 years in my trade, and know a lot of ppl in the Union ( STL is a big union town) and I still can't find work. I've even been trying to get "underemployed" but can't. I've applied for everything from bagging groceries to moving furniture... zip.
Good luck.
BTW, you moved here from CA without a job lined up?

[Brickmama]

There is a lot of people applying for the same jobs and that it probably your main problem. Despite Missouri being slightly more conservative than liberal, STL City is very liberal so I dont think the tattoo's are the problem. Try looking on stltoday.com and other local sites. You also may want to apply for some state jobs.

BTW...I have never once been asked what high school I attended in a job interview. If it ever happened I would never consider working for that company. What company asked you this?

[IDASpaceman]

Best of luck folks, this is discouraging news...hopefully things will pick up in the Spring as my wife will be looking for work in the metro area as well (although more towards the IL side of the house).

I will be anxious to here when you all land something and where.

[STLMetro]

It seems to me that your tattoos might be part of the problem, but a small bit of it. The jobs that you are applying for seem to be on the manual labor side that do not require a lot of school and almost anyone can do. In economic downturns, these are the first jobs to go because of simple supply and demand. People with a more specialized job are harder to come by, which is why they are offered more money and tend to stay around longer during layoffs. So when jobs do appear for the work you are looking for, there is an oversupply of labor and folks can be VERY picky. Employers then look for anything to count you out, including your tattoos. At this stage in the game, I think you need to take the approach of minimizing anything that could take you out of consideration, i.e. long hair, messy appearance, tattoos, piercings, and bulk up on your interviewing skills and resume. At this time in the economy, the employer has the power...