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Old 05-16-2017, 06:27 PM
 
8 posts, read 6,914 times
Reputation: 15

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I am an inexperienced 23 year old who has only graduated high school.
Yet I am able bodied and I am tired of having slacked these past 6 years since graduation.
I am asking in this forum because I live in the DFW and know that work is in demand and there are tons of jobs out there, yet I don't know where in the state. I just wanted to ask for suggestions on where to start looking. Construction, oil industry, or whatnot. I am very willing to get out there and have my own life already.
Thanks in advance.
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Old 05-16-2017, 07:45 PM
 
Location: Houston
5,614 posts, read 4,941,546 times
Reputation: 4553
Quote:
Originally Posted by brokeadventurer View Post
I am an inexperienced 23 year old who has only graduated high school.
Yet I am able bodied and I am tired of having slacked these past 6 years since graduation.
I am asking in this forum because I live in the DFW and know that work is in demand and there are tons of jobs out there, yet I don't know where in the state. I just wanted to ask for suggestions on where to start looking. Construction, oil industry, or whatnot. I am very willing to get out there and have my own life already.
Thanks in advance.
Most jobs that pay more than $12/hr are going to require some kind of education or certification beyond high school. That's pretty much anywhere in the state, especially since the fracking boom ended. A $12/hr job will require you to sleep in your car or have a roommate in a not-very-nice rental, or live with your parents. You might need to eschew a motor vehicle to save money, so you'd need to live where you can walk / bike / public transit to work.

Those $12/hr jobs are pretty much retail/restaurant, security guard, or basic labor. For the latter, you'll be competing against undocumented immigrant labor.

Bottom line, seriously look into more education or training, even if you have to take a low-wage job.
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Old 05-16-2017, 08:26 PM
 
34,619 posts, read 21,615,505 times
Reputation: 22232
Quote:
Originally Posted by brokeadventurer View Post
I am an inexperienced 23 year old who has only graduated high school.
Yet I am able bodied and I am tired of having slacked these past 6 years since graduation.
I am asking in this forum because I live in the DFW and know that work is in demand and there are tons of jobs out there, yet I don't know where in the state. I just wanted to ask for suggestions on where to start looking. Construction, oil industry, or whatnot. I am very willing to get out there and have my own life already.
Thanks in advance.
Are you a hard and reliable worker who will work outside?

If so, go to an engineering firm and get on a survey crew. You'll make decent money starting out, and if you do your job, you'll move up quickly and make pretty good money.
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Old 05-17-2017, 12:53 PM
 
509 posts, read 735,536 times
Reputation: 867
If I were you, I'd look in Midland/Odessa for a high paying oil field job. During the last boom, they had kids just out of high school making $70k/year driving trucks back and forth to drill sites. Skilled workers made much more. Next best bet (with much lower odds) is Eagle Ford shale area.


Another good route would be to look for work at one of the Gulf Coast refineries. That might involve some JUCO classes.


A tried and true path is enlisting in the military and getting trained in something that translates to a good civilian job later (some technical job).
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Old 05-17-2017, 01:08 PM
 
Location: Houston, TX (Bellaire)
4,900 posts, read 13,738,039 times
Reputation: 4191
Move to Midland/Odessa, they are starved for labor out there with all the Permian drilling.
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Old 05-17-2017, 06:17 PM
 
1,632 posts, read 3,327,162 times
Reputation: 2074
Quote:
Originally Posted by chris_ut View Post
Move to Midland/Odessa, they are starved for labor out there with all the Permian drilling.
This. Good paying jobs too.
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Old 05-18-2017, 02:45 PM
 
8,275 posts, read 7,947,458 times
Reputation: 12122
Find the closest Texas State Technical College and pick a program. TSTC is a great institution.
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Old 05-18-2017, 03:46 PM
 
Location: Denver, CO
2,858 posts, read 2,172,880 times
Reputation: 3032
Quote:
Originally Posted by chris_ut View Post
Move to Midland/Odessa, they are starved for labor out there with all the Permian drilling.
Isn't it hard to find affordable apartments there?
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Old 05-19-2017, 08:45 AM
 
Location: Mo City, TX
1,728 posts, read 3,443,437 times
Reputation: 2070
You kind of remind me of myself. After high school I kind of goofed around for about 3-4 years until working at Wally World scared me straight. Soon after enrolled in engineering school.
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Old 05-19-2017, 02:49 PM
 
509 posts, read 735,536 times
Reputation: 867
Quote:
Originally Posted by mkwensky View Post
Isn't it hard to find affordable apartments there?
Not like it used to be! At the peak of the last boom, people were living in hotels, man-camps and sometimes their cars. I know for a fact there are vacant apartments to be found out there today. They might not be what you'd consider affordable, however. Depends on how nice a place you want.
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