Need some "Wyoming" advice (apartment, to rent, teaching jobs)

[cpage1987]

Hi everyone. A friend and I are planning a move to Wyoming in the future. We both have college experience but felt our calling isn't there. We are looking to find jobs in Law Enforcement and be seasonal workers at one of the Parks in the hopes of one day becoming a Park Ranger. I was wondering where is a good location in Wyoming to accomplish these things?

We also both very much enjoy camping and hiking(anything outdoors) and would like an area with an abundance of that sorta thing, preferably with mountains. In addition, we will be trying to rent a place(preferably apartment) and are looking for a relatively cheap place to get set up. Thank you very much ahead of time.

[wyoquilter]

The only thing I can think of, is check to see what is available as far as law enforcement openings in towns around Yellowstone and also check what is available for park employee openings in Yellowstone. There are towns in Idaho, MT and WY that would give you all the outdoor activities that you like and are very close to Yellowstone and they may also have openings in their law enforcement agencies.

[Wyomiles]

search here.

USDA Forest Service

[jazzlover]

I've posted this elsewhere, but I will repeat. First, jobs with the Park Service or Forest Service--seasonal or permanent--can be hard to get. A lot of people have the same dream you do--so the competition is fierce. I think things may have changed some with the Forest Service and Park Service, but, historically, working permanently for them has meant getting transferred a lot. Moving up the "food chain" usually is predicated on accepting a transfer--often many states away from one's last assignment. A few Forest Service employees that I know have been transferred through at least 5 or 6 states during their career--a couple of them getting to "enjoy" stints in Denver or DC as part of the deal.

Second, law enforcement--depending on credentials--can be easier, but know that in Wyoming (and most rural areas of all the Rocky Mountain states) there is often an unspoken bias toward hiring long-time residents or natives into those positions. (The same also holds true for teaching jobs, and other local business and government jobs.) Part of the reason for that is that the person hiring often knows the family of the applicant, or already knows the applicant him or herself. The hiring person may also believe that a "local" is more likely to better interact with the local population, or is more likely to stay in the community than someone relocating there from elsewhere. Unlike many areas of the country, stable jobs in local and county government are actually coveted--people hired into them tend to stay for a long time.

Having worked around that environment in both Colorado and Wyoming, I found what I have stated above to be pretty much universally true in the rural areas of both states--friends who have worked in Montana, New Mexico, and other Rocky Mountain states pretty much relate the same experience. People may editorialize that this kind of "good ol' boy" system of hiring, etc. isn't necessarily right, but that doesn't change the fact that it is so. People need to know how the deck may be "stacked" going in.

I absolutely would not advise relocating unless you already have a firm job commitment in hand.