Can the Job Market in Pueblo Be Any Worse? (metro area, area)

[80skeys]

to the original poster: any luck with your job search?

[goyanks57]

Originally Posted by 80skeys

to the original poster: any luck with your job search?

None whatsoever. I will keep you posted in this thread though.

Thanks for asking.

[goyanks57]

Just a quick update:

Still no luck whatsoever in finding a job. I had one interview in April at a small electronics retailer, and the position I interviewed for was for 15 hours per week, and paid minimum wage plus commissions. I didn't hear anything back from the interviewer.

My mom works in a grocery store, and a couple of weeks ago, they had 3 positions come open at another store. She talked to the right people and got me set up for an interview. The interview went well and I thought that I was going to get hired, but today, the manager at that store called my mom and told her that he decided to hire 3 other people who had prior experience working in a grocery store.

GUHHHH!

If I had gotten hired it would have been as a courtesy clerk (Bagging groceries, rounding up shopping carts, etc.). Not sure how much prior experience would be needed for me to do such a difficult job (sarcasm), but when I can't get hired for a simple job like that, even after I was referred by a 15-year employee (my mom), it makes me feel really discouraged.

[Mike from back east]

Originally Posted by goyanks57

Just a quick update: ... My mom works in a grocery store, and a couple of weeks ago, they had 3 positions come open at another store. She talked to the right people and got me set up for an interview. The interview went well and I thought that I was going to get hired, but today, the manager at that store called my mom and told her that he decided to hire 3 other people who had prior experience working in a grocery store. ... If I had gotten hired it would have been as a courtesy clerk (Bagging groceries, rounding up shopping carts, etc.). Not sure how much prior experience would be needed for me to do such a difficult job (sarcasm), but when I can't get hired for a simple job like that, even after I was referred by a 15-year employee (my mom), it makes me feel really discouraged.

Based on my 30+ years working for the Army, allow me to translate the bolded part: He hired pretty females. Seen it many times. I could've papered my walls with the rejection slips I got from some Defense agencies, always a male hiring a female. We had a term for that in the Civil Service: Harem Building.

[CAVA1990]

Here are some suggestions:

1. Tell everyone you know that you are looking for a job. Most jobs, including everyone I've ever held, are obtained through family or friends.
2. Go to every store and restaurant in town and ask if they're hiring. Particularly small business owners who find the idea of placing a help wanted ad, reviewing resumes, and setting up interviews a big pain in the touche will often sacrifice "Mr. Right" for "Mr. Right Now".
3. Look at job postings on Craigslist.
4. Think about seasonal opportunities. Can you swim? There are probably pool management companies looking for lifeguards and pool maintenance people who will hire and train you. My college student son does this and gets paid to sit by a pool all day getting a suntan.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by goyanks57

Just a quick update:

Still no luck whatsoever in finding a job. I had one interview in April at a small electronics retailer, and the position I interviewed for was for 15 hours per week, and paid minimum wage plus commissions. I didn't hear anything back from the interviewer.

My mom works in a grocery store, and a couple of weeks ago, they had 3 positions come open at another store. She talked to the right people and got me set up for an interview. The interview went well and I thought that I was going to get hired, but today, the manager at that store called my mom and told her that he decided to hire 3 other people who had prior experience working in a grocery store.

GUHHHH!

If I had gotten hired it would have been as a courtesy clerk (Bagging groceries, rounding up shopping carts, etc.). Not sure how much prior experience would be needed for me to do such a difficult job (sarcasm), but when I can't get hired for a simple job like that, even after I was referred by a 15-year employee (my mom), it makes me feel really discouraged.

If you are willing to live in employee or short term housing, although it's getting late towards summer, you might want to look in Summit County, Vail or Aspen as the resorts and hotels plus restaurants and various touristy activities hire for the summer. Quite a few are college students on summer break.

Vail Resorts I know has quite a few summer jobs open right now.

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by wanneroo

If you are willing to live in employee or short term housing, although it's getting late towards summer, you might want to look in Summit County, Vail or Aspen as the resorts and hotels plus restaurants and various touristy activities hire for the summer. Quite a few are college students on summer break.

Vail Resorts I know has quite a few summer jobs open right now.

Are they still bringing kids in from Eastern Europe to fill those jobs? I hope that with the poor economy the government had put an end to issuing visas for them. I'm sure the local kids would be happy now to do them.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Are they still bringing kids in from Eastern Europe to fill those jobs? I hope that with the poor economy the government had put an end to issuing visas for them. I'm sure the local kids would be happy now to do them.

A lot of that pulled back but certainly it's still on. The problem with these resorts is they don't have a huge base of local year round population and of those they want full time work, so resorts will always have to bring in outside seasonal help.

My old employer last year had their H-2B visa quota cut and they did manage to get more Americans but many did not work out and I think what I last heard they were able to get a rise in numbers for next year.

Many are on valid student work visas and working holiday visas on their own without employer involvement.

The thing is with the resorts is that when the season is on, you can work your butt off, even in this economy, and make some money. In the off season however obviously a lot of that dries up.

Personally I'd rather be handing out golf carts or helping tourists on horseback rides in Beaver Creek, than sitting on my butt in Pueblo watching TV.

[CAVA1990]

Bringing workers in from overseas depresses wages. I don't see much difference in hiring Eastern Europeans on work visas versus Mexicans who sneak in illegally. The impact on the local workers is about the same.

[wanneroo]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

Bringing workers in from overseas depresses wages. I don't see much difference in hiring Eastern Europeans on work visas versus Mexicans who sneak in illegally. The impact on the local workers is about the same.

No not at all, they can't find local workers regardless of pay. Vail for instance only has a year round population of 3000, many of which are older wealthy homeowners. Within the town limits of Vail, there are far more jobs that exist that can be met by locals. There are more jobs than people.

I know because I was involved in hiring for a major company in Vail/Beaver Creek. For local Americans or any American, once they completed one winter season, we offered full time positions with good wages with yearly pay increases plus the ability to earn gratuities, end of winter bonus, paid vacation, paid sick pay, excellent health and dental insurance, 401K, flexible scheduling. Sure we hired what we could but still needed an extra 150 people for winter and that could not be found locally.

Any foreigner on a visa got paid the same as the Americans.

The thing with these resorts is if you want to work there is work available. What turns people off is that it is demand based revolving around seasons, not so much 9-5 work and most people want to work M-F, 9-5. They can't get their head around working 80 hours during summer and winter and then slacking off in spring and fall.