Discouraged (Houston, Austin, El Paso: sales, daycare, job market)

[Msdrea29]

I relocated to El Paso in June. My husband is in the military and because I visited in April (he was in AIT), I pretty much knew what to expect. I have a college degree in Environmental Health Science and I gave up my job as a Scientist to move here. I am not looking for a job in the Environmental field because I have a 4-year-old daughter and I am not longer able to travel, but I would like to find something to do. We were initially told that we would be stationed in Kentucky. I went online and found a job and was called with an offer. And, I would have been able to afford a nanny with the salary, also. I noted that many of the jobs here state that you have to be bilingual in order to gain employment. I have tried to reason with the fact that most people here are Mexicans, and this is the reason why. However, the military is constantly sending families here and the employment demand is way behind the supply. I know numerous wives who are either not employed or employed with terribly low wages. If they are having these kinds of problems now, I hate to see what will happen over the next few years as they bring in more troops and their families. I have searched for jobs in hospitals, with the state, with private agencies, etc. I have even showed up for an interview and was told, "I assumed you knew we were looking for someone who is bilingual." Well, if the ad doesn't state it , it's not an assumption. I would like for other military spouses or anyone who has found it difficult to gain employment after moving here. Any points on where I should look.

[clashman]

El Paso's job market is terrible. The only way to find a decent job is to network and get to know people. It's a very frustrating market. The term "underemployed" is used quite frequently around here, meaning people take jobs that are lower pay and less challenging than their qualifications. I have a masters degree and face the same problem. My advice is to remain patient and try and network as much as possible.

The language thing is so frustrating and annoying. Nothing can be done about that except trying to learn the Spanish, which I refuse to do. Good luck and stay positive.

[Muhnay]

Wow, hey everyone.. look.. See I was not being s raciest slob, Only telling people like it really is. Here is Proof. Now the next time Muhnay tells you about El Paso, listen to him, he is not lieing, just telling it like it is, hard and true.

Ok now that I got my pat on the back outta the way.. I'm sorry to hear your having a rough time of it. I am good friends with the CPO office on Post, They tell me that 300 more jobs are coming with in the next couple years. Thats not gonna be enough to handle the 60K troops coming to the area with families. Your best bet is to find something on post if you can.. can you tell more about what you do, or want to do, I know plenty of people here.. I can talk about it with them and see if they know anything about jobs in your field. Don't expect your pay level in El Paso, I was making great money in Mississippi in my field but here just above minimum wage.

[southernbliss]

We will be in el paso by dec.07 and I am scared I am already looking for work,have heard bad things about the job market and I need to work. I also have a problem with being told I need to learn spanish.

[texasborn]

Discouraged is one of many feelings I felt when, like you, my husband's position brought us to El Paso. I, too, am college educated, and had worked in the private sector all my life (in Houston), and am NOT Spanish speaking. Needless to say, that prevented me from private sector employment. It took me 3 years to secure the position I currently have (federal government) which did NOT require that I speak Spanish. This is the employment sector I would suggest you pursue.

Prior to leaving the area we had been living, I pro-actively sent out numerous resumes. Unlike other cities, employers in El Paso did not even acknowledge my application and or interest. The last ditch effort on my part was to apply for a sales position at the only major department store in El Paso and was summarily turned down (at that point, I would have accepted ANYTHING; I needed a job). I finally got the job I currently hold; but, it was a discouraging process.

I had often thought of seeking out a support group for people like me and the employment situation I was experiencing. Needless to say, this experience (not being able to find employment due to not speaking Spanish) extends to other aspects of living in El Paso. Hopefully, with your husband being in the military, you will have the support that I did not. I have heard the military is a family; seek out it's comfort and support.

This obviously has affected my overall opinion of the area, and it unfortunately is not a positive one. I wish you luck in your efforts to secure employment. But, if you do not absolutely have to work, take this opportunity to enjoy your daughter. These are tender years and it may turn out to be a blessing. I wish you the best.

[Muhnay]

I tried to give you some rep there texasborn, but it would not let me.. =( Thats a good post.

[NicoleJ]

there's a few problems w/ finding a federal job though. Unless you're on base, chances are the job will require you to be bilingual. The school districts and colleges are pretty much the only employers that don't always require it.
Also, when searching for a federal job in El Paso, remember that it's HARD to find one. You will be competing w/ regular civilians, other spouses, retired military, those who can claim some form of handicap, etc. That's one of the major reasons we just recently moved from EP to Virginia - my dh had been trying to get out of his GS-4 position for damn near 3 years. NOTHING. He started applying for other places and in less than a month was offered 4 different positions.
A mother from my daughter's school just got her master's and is only a GS - 3!!!! El Paso's horrible market extends to the government sector also.

[Msdrea29]

I really appreciate your honesty. As for Muhnay, I think people are confusing frustration for rascism. I make sure to check the federal job listings periodically and apply for every job that I am qualified for. Once you have had the kind of training that I have had it's hard to not find a job. My company did emergency response whenever a chemical plant exploded or a tanker carrying hazardous materials overturned. I have worked as a project manager for a lead remediation project. I did oversight for the EPA. But, with any environmental job, you must travel. Because El Paso, is so close to the border, most environmental issues are in Mexico and are handled by US private sector companies. It's easier to gain access and far fewer rules and regulations than the stringent ones the EPA deem necessary here in the US. Then there would be the issue of writing a report in Spanish, which I can't do. In addition to this, I have experience with counseling children and adults who have behavioral issues and developmental disabilities. It's very easy to work in the Human service field in North Carolina, but here they pretty much want you to have a degree in Social Science.

I have given teaching a thought and out of desperation, I have changed my major from Master of Science in Health Education to Master of Arts in Science Education. This messes up my future plans of moving back to Atlanta and working for the Center for Disease Control as a Health Educator. And, like Clashman, up until this point I have refused to learn Spanish. I would rather put all of my efforts towards my education. I know other military moms who have to resort to working for ACS and making $7.50 an hour. My husband is only an E-4 and I get unemployment from my last job and they said with this I will have to pay $354.00/month. I would literally have to work 2 weeks to pay for daycare.

I took my daughter to register for pre-K and I got yelled at because I checked yes beside the question that asked if I would like for my child to be bilingual. I was told that this was only for spanish speaking children. I am as far away from any racist as I can be, but out of concern for my child, I feel a sudden need for her to be bilingual. If in 2007, I can't find a job, I can only imagine how bad things will be for her when she finishes college. I considered going back on the East Coast, but when I was looking for state jobs there, I suprisingly found the same thing. I was born and raised in a very small town near Myrtle Beach, SC and I was shocked when most jobs in that area required you to speak English and Spanish. So, I am concerned. Before moving here, I lived in Atlanta, GA. My daughter has attended private school since she was 18 months and there they taught Spanish. I really can't understand how they can justify not teaching Spanish in early childhood. They claim it's to trasform all Spanish speaking children to English. But, by the 5th grade, students can chose to learn Spanish. The English speakers are really behind.

This is all so new to me. It's easier on my husand because he has a job and he is from the Virgin Islands. Half of the people there speak Spanish, so he can manage a little. They offer conversational spanish on post if you can get into the classes. But, if I plan to get a job, I had better be prepared to write it also.

[KimK]

Public schools in El Paso do not teach Spanish as it brings no money in from the state. The theory in Austin is that we all speak Spanish so they are not going to provide money for that subject. Hence, we do not have it. I moved my child to private school for many reasons but that is a sore point to me. The children here who do speak Spanish speak Spanglish which is not really a language. So, they are not really being fully informed about that language in an educational setting either. I want my child to speak more than one language as I see that it would help her in her lifetime no matter where she lives.

As for the job, I work for a national company and I telecommute. So, I never had to look for a job. Larger to me than the issue of Spanish is the treatment of people here in the workplace. Specifically, small employers here are not real good about treating women equally in the workplace. I do not think it is something I could abide quietly. You might look more to a large private company who does work here. Also, there are a lot of niche opportunities here especially if you want to be your own boss. Services you would think we have, we do not.

As for counseling, while many people here probably need it-they do not use it. Culturally it is not something they seek. So, their problems all seem to boil down to a lack of money and not a lack of decision making ability, dysfunctional family units, etc.

[Muhnay]

They dont teach Spanish here.. Are you F'in kidding KIMK. Do you even live in El Paso? My Kids are in the El Paso School District, and they dont have a choice but to learn Spanish. If half of each class is not taught in Spanich they have mandatory Spanish classes.. so I have no clue where you got that idea KIMK. I for one would like my children to learn something other than Spanish and make people who speak it learn English. Why do we continue to cater to a people who refuses to meld into our society? Change to them or nothing it would seem.

I took my daughter to register for pre-K and I got yelled at because I checked yes beside the question that asked if I would like for my child to be bilingual. I was told that this was only for spanish speaking children.

Say what? This only proves what I said above. No comformity on their part. And had someone yelled at me about that, I think I may have come unglued. Was this on post, and if so, give me their name, I'll have someones ass over that. I will go straight to the head of their department and get action on that.

Well anyways.. Good luck on your job hunt.. I hope you find something rewarding that pays well enough for you and your family.