want to leave ny (Grand Junction, Vail: job openings, transfer to, buy) - Colorado (CO) - City-Data Forum

Savage86 · 05-03-2010, 02:26 PM

Hi I'm a single 24 yr old male that lives in upstate ny. The future up here isnt looking that great. I did construction for 5 yrs and had some complications with money and my boss... we have all been there im sure. The thing is i am currently at my old farm job i had in high school. This is not the future i was hoping for. I am pretty much at rock bottom now. I only have enough money saved to get me where ever it is im going. I really dont care where i go i dont really have any ties keeping me here. Im 24 single dont have a family and theres no future in farming. The economy sucks up here theres no money so no one is building up here. I just want to get away and start a new life somewhere. If anyone can give me any advice id really appreciate it. Im pretty handy at alot of things, but wherever it is i go i kinda need some quick work so i can have some money to live on. I dont want to sound like a vagrant or whatever they are called but i need to leave and somewhere out there the grass has got to be greener. I know leaving with nothing will be hard but other people have done it and things turned out good for them. I know the odds of landing an amazing job are slim to none but i just want a place to start over and make a decent living to start a new future...

Mike from back east · 05-03-2010, 03:31 PM

Probably the best economy right now is in TX and in ND, both states are pumping the hell out of oil and need workers.

jazzlover · 05-03-2010, 03:46 PM

Chasing rainbows in the middle of very serious economic difficulties is not a very good plan, in my opinion. Some people manage to do it successfully--just like a very, very few people who buy lottery tickets actually win the lottery.

I would make a couple of observations: You say in your post that you have just enough money saved to get to Colorado. Then what? This forum is rife with people--people who have worked here in Colorado and live here--who have been out of work for months or a year or more. Construction is near dead here, too--there are thousands of unemployed construction workers here. For entry level jobs, you will be competing with lots of out-of-work people who likely have more experience than you, or you may be competing with the many immigrants here--some legal, many not--who are after the same jobs. I would also note that you DO have a job where you are, disagreeable as it may be. That is better than many people can say right now. So, you have a job and a little money right now. Come to Colorado and you will likely have no job and no money--that doesn't sound like a very good tradeoff right now. Plus, you will likely be far away from whatever support group (friends, etc.) that you have where you are. Starting a new life in a new place with no job, no friends, and dead broke is probably not the kind of "fresh start" that you will remember fondly. The simplest advice is do not go anywhere these days where you do not already have a job in hand. That doesn't sound fun, easy, or expedient, but today's economic situation does not lend itself to trying to do the very difficult with nothing.

DOUBLE H · 05-04-2010, 08:12 AM

Savage86, how ya doing?

Good advice by both Mike and Jazz here. Regarding North Dakota; some of my neighbors moved up to North Dakota for oil field work. Halliburton, Schaumberg, Weatherford, and other energy firms had huge layoffs a year ago at this time, those guys have drawn out all the unemployment benefits they could. The economy over here is dormant, and some of those guys finally gave up and moved north. Those companies put them to work up there, not sure which towns though. Check out City Data's North Dakota forum and see what the talk is up there.

While I'm not sure what is cranking out the economy in the Austin-San Antonio area, the area's economy is doing real well, though.

Regarding Jazz's comments on the construction situation, in my area of the state construction is sitting at a stop light. 1920 bankruptcies were filed in January of this area alone. Very little building is going on and the construction firms have had to get involved in inside remodeling to keep what employees they have busy.

I kind of relate to your position; being 24, single, in a work position you hate. A lot of us have been there and done that. It's just that things are still pretty rough right now.

wanneroo · 05-04-2010, 08:40 AM

Well the US Army might be a good start.

People are people and if they have problems in one place they usually have them elsewhere. It's like one guy I know of. He moves all over but can't stop impregnating women so he has a whole bunch of kids and screaming meemie ex girlfriend/ex wives around the country. It's like that old saying, everywhere you go there you are.

Mostly it sounds like you are at a loss to me so my recommendation is to identify what you like to do in life and make that your job. To get an "amazing" job you'll need some skills that are worth $$ hence the need to focus right now on one thing and learn those skills, even if you struggle for a few years(we all do or most of us anyways).

Now having left Colorado and living not far from upstate NY, I really can say for sure, the situation isn't any better in Colorado. The grass sure isn't greener.

If you are looking for adventure and willing to do any kind of work, I'd recommend going to one of the big ski towns in Colorado like Vail or Breckenridge.

Good luck.

80skeys · 05-06-2010, 11:20 AM

I understand, identify with, and encourage you to look for greener pastures.

That said, I'd say Colorado is probably not the first place you should look right now. Reason being, most of Colorado has a low population with not many jobs available. In my neck of the woods (western Colorado) thousands of oil workers were laid off last year. This means there's thousands of unemployed people looking for work. Some of these people have left for elsewhere. Many have stayed and are still unemployed. So, you'd want to avoid Western colorado.

Im' sure there's other places in the U.S. that are better off. Keep looking.

Gleas · 05-26-2010, 12:36 AM

I am formerly from Colorado. I have applied to 3 jobs in the Oilfield industry there in GJ. As a driver. I am awaiting their reply. All three necessitate my having a T and X endorsement on my cdl. (Tanker & Hazmat). Two of the companies tell me that they are not planning to lay anyone off. One job is hauling CO2 tankers around W Colorado and South Wyoming to the gas wells. The other is hauling Crude oil in western Colorado and Utah. Both pay well. Are you telling me that even these jobs may not be around due to the economic instability? Frankly, I am surprised that these are available with all the layoffs that you mention there in the oil and gas industry.

jazzlover · 05-26-2010, 08:22 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gleas

I am formerly from Colorado. I have applied to 3 jobs in the Oilfield industry there in GJ. As a driver. I am awaiting their reply. All three necessitate my having a T and X endorsement on my cdl. (Tanker & Hazmat). Two of the companies tell me that they are not planning to lay anyone off. One job is hauling CO2 tankers around W Colorado and South Wyoming to the gas wells. The other is hauling Crude oil in western Colorado and Utah. Both pay well. Are you telling me that even these jobs may not be around due to the economic instability? Frankly, I am surprised that these are available with all the layoffs that you mention there in the oil and gas industry.

Well, I'll just say this: I have several friends whose grown children (in their 20's and 30's, and western Colorado natives) who work for the various oilfield service companies out of Grand Junction (and have for several years) that are strongly considering transfers or relocation out of Colorado because their jobs appear to be so unstable. Two have already left, now working in Pennsylvania and West Virginia. Another is pondering accepting a transfer to Texas. Another left the gas industry altogether, and now works in agribusiness in the Midwest. The ones remaining all have a "I wonder if I'm next to get laid off" outlook. Some of them, ironically, are working horrendous hours right now, because they basically are having to do the work of two employees because the companies are not confident enough about the future to hire additional people. So, the ones left get tons of overtime, but only have snippets of time each month to spend with their families. Some lifestyle, huh?

80skeys · 05-26-2010, 08:30 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gleas

I am formerly from Colorado. I have applied to 3 jobs in the Oilfield industry there in GJ. As a driver. I am awaiting their reply. All three necessitate my having a T and X endorsement on my cdl. (Tanker & Hazmat). Two of the companies tell me that they are not planning to lay anyone off. One job is hauling CO2 tankers around W Colorado and South Wyoming to the gas wells. The other is hauling Crude oil in western Colorado and Utah. Both pay well. Are you telling me that even these jobs may not be around due to the economic instability? Frankly, I am surprised that these are available with all the layoffs that you mention there in the oil and gas industry.

I hate to break it to you, but if there are any job openings in the oil industry, they're gonna give them to local people who are out of work. I just sold a truck to a guy here who needs it for a 3-month gig he got up at the oilfields in Parachute. He told me the only reason he got the job is because he knows the guy who does the hiring.

PokerMunkee · 05-26-2010, 08:47 AM

You should look at getting into gaming.

BJ dealers in Cripple Creek are making around $15-20/hr and dealers in Black Hawk are making over $30/hr. Good poker dealers are making $50-70k in CC, much more in BH. I know our casino is looking for dealers and training them for free at our private dealer school (craps, roulette, bj, etc). You will need a gaming license, which is $100 and must past background checks, mainly no back taxes and no criminal records.

You could also try this in Atlantic City and Foxwoods in CT. I know gaming is down at most places but casinos are always hiring. Once you get some connections, you can easilly make $70k+ in Vegas if you get in at a good casino. The trick is getting your foot in the door and Colorado casinos are a good place to do that.

Check out this article published a few days ago: http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_15130215

The largest casino in BH is Ameristar and they have over 40 job listings on their web site (www.ameristar.com).