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In a new recruiting campaign to be rolled out in May, the North Dakota Economic Development Foundation is aiming to fill more than 20,000 jobs -- ranging from truck drivers and oilfield workers to receptionists and food servers.
I worked up there three years for about five months and I can say this:
1) Most people who are going up there have no marketable skills , so they are going to find the job prospects to be bleak.
2) Even if you do have skills, it would be advisable to buy a used RV and plan on staying at a campground until you find an apartment (forget a house unless you manage to find a older person who will it to you after they die. Then I would advise you to sell t, take the money and get out as quickly as possible). Landlords have become very unpleasant up there and they can evict you for almost any reason. With no RV, you will find yourself homeless within days.
3) The work is hard, but tolerable. It isn't the brutal back-breaking labor that some have made it out to be; but if you have never had a outdoor and physical job, you might find that it is very hard.
4) If you are broke, unless you know someone up there, don't bother going. There are no cheap places to stay and the cost of everything is outrageous. You'll find yourself leaving almost as soon as you arrive
5) On your days off, go to Bismarck (3 hours), Billings (3hours+) or Regina, SK ( 3.5 hours) just to get away. There is very little to do in Williston and staying around the area will often simply get you into trouble.
I stayed for five months and I would have stayed much longer had I not obtained a better paying job closer to home. If I had lost that, I would have returned to ND as for a skilled person, the amounts of money which can be made are staggering. For an unskilled person, the "booms" in Texas or West Virginia might be better choices with better weather.
I had a feeling what you described was happening. The problem with the boom isn't the jobs that are created, but the lack of housing and the local area taking advantage of new money by jacking things beyond inflation. As I and many others have said, this is a short term boom as the needs are construction, manual labor, or very basic services. Long term career prospects are for what you said people with skills.
Also I will say this is you are stuck in North Dakota. It's out in the middle of nowhere, the winters are bad, but you do go where there this work. But I say you need to be mindful of what the work is, and what your surroundings are. As it's one thing if you were working in a small town in the Dakotas, and it's another thing when you have nowhere to live due to a shortage of housing along with price gouging making it hard to survive.
I had a feeling what you described was happening. The problem with the boom isn't the jobs that are created, but the lack of housing and the local area taking advantage of new money by jacking things beyond inflation. As I and many others have said, this is a short term boom as the needs are construction, manual labor, or very basic services. Long term career prospects are for what you said people with skills.
Also I will say this is you are stuck in North Dakota. It's out in the middle of nowhere, the winters are bad, but you do go where there this work. But I say you need to be mindful of what the work is, and what your surroundings are. As it's one thing if you were working in a small town in the Dakotas, and it's another thing when you have nowhere to live due to a shortage of housing along with price gouging making it hard to survive.
I think that is the problem people don't get on here. They just think because you are jobless and can't find something by you, this is an option. It isn't. If you aren't into freezing cold and long days or have a CDL, it will be hard to benefit from the boom as many jobs are trucking related.
Oh, get over yourself already and stop with the spewing of nonsense.
Yes, plenty of Americans - and people in general- can't work 12 hours a day on an oil rig for perfectly valid health reasons. Also, plenty of Americans are not interested in living in tent cities by day and hoping they don't freeze to death in the winter. They also aren't interested in paying New York City level rents for a tiny apartment in North Dakota, a concept that defeats any purpose of going there to make any money since the high prices and lack of housing will eat up most of that gain. Most of the people in question are not stupid enough to buy into nonsense about "infinite jobs for everyone in the oil field" and they are smart enough to not take on work they cannot physically handle or move someplace with no housing and an absurd cost of living for what you get.
So, what's next? A post from you singing the praises of illegals again since they are willing to work for pennies on the dollar under the table? Maybe we should all do that - I'm sure it'll work out great!
Then who is supposed to support you the rest of your days because you are too good to seek work when obviously lower types are managing? I pointed out a couple that I personally know who are making very good money and plan to keep working there probably until they retire and they will have much better social security checks every month than those who figured it's better to look down their noses at boom town opportunities.
Higher paychecks the last few years before retirement can make a big difference in what someone will retire on. This couple also has no housing costs, that is just money in the bank.
Then who is supposed to support you the rest of your days because you are too good to seek work when obviously lower types are managing? I pointed out a couple that I personally know who are making very good money and plan to keep working there probably until they retire and they will have much better social security checks every month than those who figured it's better to look down their noses at boom town opportunities.
Higher paychecks the last few years before retirement can make a big difference in what someone will retire on. This couple also has no housing costs, that is just money in the bank.
Good for that one couple.
I'm sure books could be written about all the people who went to North Dakota and met with nothing but failure or worse.
I am tired of wasting my breath explaining reality to people who: refuse to acknowledge the job shortage, ignore the actual situation in North Dakota (such as the lack of housing and the specialized nature of the work), and who think that a handful of stories with happy endings somehow invalidate all the facts and all the people whose lives have not gone well. Believe whatever you want, but that doesn't make it true.
I'm sure books could be written about all the people who went to North Dakota and met with nothing but failure or worse.
I am tired of wasting my breath explaining reality to people who: refuse to acknowledge the job shortage, ignore the actual situation in North Dakota (such as the lack of housing and the specialized nature of the work), and who think that a handful of stories with happy endings somehow invalidate all the facts and all the people whose lives have not gone well. Believe whatever you want, but that doesn't make it true.
Bright spot of employment news for women in Williston, ND: Well, I've been reading up on it and there is a tremendous shortage of women! So, if you're a stripper or a prostitute, there's $$$ to be made! (I hope that's "illegal alieny" enough for certain bootstrappers on this thread! LOL!)
On the other hand, if you're a woman husband hunting ... I bet the men aren't so choosy as they would be in another area with a more normal ratio ... so if you AREN'T a gorgeous supermodel, heiress, and top earning brain surgeon with NO KIDS all rolled into one package (aka the typical bare minimum standard most bald fat men with beer bellies and unremarkable careers think they deserve) ... get out there and find yer man! LOL!
I'm sure books could be written about all the people who went to North Dakota and met with nothing but failure or worse.
I am tired of wasting my breath explaining reality to people who: refuse to acknowledge the job shortage, ignore the actual situation in North Dakota (such as the lack of housing and the specialized nature of the work), and who think that a handful of stories with happy endings somehow invalidate all the facts and all the people whose lives have not gone well. Believe whatever you want, but that doesn't make it true.
There is no such thing as a free lunch. We all have options, choices, opportunities coupled with risks... Surely some folks have turned their lives around by heading up to ND in the past. Some for the better and perhaps some for the worst. One thing is for certain... If you weren't willing to roll the dice, you can't complain that you didn't win.
If I were a bit younger, and had no job prospects at home, I would be doing everything in my power to head to a place like ND, which promises abundant jobs at nearly every skill level, and with high pay. Not too many places are offering that in this country. Sure, the picture is painted a bit too rosy, but that's the way it always is.
I'm sure books could be written about all the people who went to North Dakota and met with nothing but failure or worse.
I am tired of wasting my breath explaining reality to people who: refuse to acknowledge the job shortage, ignore the actual situation in North Dakota (such as the lack of housing and the specialized nature of the work), and who think that a handful of stories with happy endings somehow invalidate all the facts and all the people whose lives have not gone well. Believe whatever you want, but that doesn't make it true.
I remain skeptical, because you haven't been there either. You are just choosing to emphasize the negative stories to suit your own view of the world, as other choose to emphasize the positive ones. The truth lies in between, as it always does.
The reason people bring up ND is not because it is the promised land of lasting career employment, it is because there is opportunity there, opportunity in an otherwise tough job market. With opportunities come challenges, as I've said before. Not everyone is cut out for it.
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