Rural jobs (Bozeman, Havre, Red Lodge: how much, home, teaching jobs)

[SouthernStar]

Hi guys! I need some info on jobs in some of the smaller towns. I don't want to say too much about where I'm looking because I don't want everyone else to run there . And when I say small, I mean really small. We don't want to commute to a big city. So, what would be some good skills to obtain to find local employment? I have a business degree but hate the field, so I am in nursing school right now. My husband is in the military and his skills do not transfer to the civilian world AT ALL. But he does have the opportunity to go to school for a short amount of time before we leave on the military's dime . I am going to TRY to get a job at a small hospital, but do you think I will have to wait a long time before an opening comes up? Some of these hospitals have less than 100 people working there. My husband is a hard worker and likes to be outdoors, he would wither away sitting behind a desk. Any suggestions?

Thanks!

[truckingbronco]

How small is small? The only reason I ask is because MT has a different definition of "small town" than most areas. For example; a town of 60,000 is often considered a city and a town of 8,000 isn't considered small or large. In regards to employment, if you're finishing nursing school in MT you shouldn't have a problem as both the schools have pretty high placement rates.

Has your husband considered the Forest Service? He could get on this summer as a firefighter. It's hard work but it pays well and he will be outside constantly. Also, I know several people who have been able to turn a couple summer/fall stints with the Forest Service into full time jobs. Plus, since he's military, he stands a better chance of getting hired over a civilian.

Best of luck.

[SouthernStar]

Thanks truckingbronco!

Small as in 1 to 3 thousand people.
He actually did look at the Forest service and would LOVE to do that. We thought that they might give locals first dibs, though. Are those jobs only in the western part of the state? We're looking more at central and eastern Montana. We'll have to look into that again.

He has search and rescue and flight experience, if that helps you guys point us in the right direction.

Oh, and I'm finishing nursing school in a different state. Will that make a difference?

[bigtrees]

If you're looking at the eastern part of the state, you should feel safe in posting the cities that your thinking about. Eastern Montana has been losing population (not gaining) in the last several years and everyone's not running to that direction. That'd help answer your question a lot better.

Yes, the forest service jobs are generally in the western part of the state and hard to get nowadays since the timber industry has declined. The Forest Service has cut the number of positions they have in Western Montana and many people consider it to be a dream job so it's hard to land one.

As far as nursing, you'll want to look in places that hire nurses (hospitals). Many towns in Eastern Montana don't have hospitals, and then nursing jobs are much more limited (maybe one or two doctor's offices or a retirement home). Red Lodge has a hospital. Not sure about the other places.

Be ready for cold and windy winters! And not too much snow - there's some in the eastern part of the state but not like the western part. It does blow around a lot though and can drift pretty high.

[SouthernStar]

We're looking at the hi-line area and the area around Fort Peck Dam. We're not completely sold on a certain town because a lot will be based on job opportunities, and we might completely change our minds when we visit. We are considering Havre, although it is a bit larger than what we were going for. I can't understand why people don't like the north central and eastern parts of the state, though. That's good for me I guess!!

My husband does have a good job prospect, but he was wondering what other skills he could pick up before we move that might be helpful in case he needs extra work or can't get a job for a while. It never hurts to have skills.

I've heard about it being windy. My first instinct is to brush it off but I imagine you wouldn't mention it if it weren't somewhat of a big deal. How does it interfere with everyday life? And how cold is cold? We're military so we've moved a lot and I'm used to adapting, but it would be good for me to have specifics so I can REALLY be sure. We have kids so I don't want to be stuck indoors all winter. How much snow exactly? I'm not moving to Montana for the mountains or the snow, but I don't mind living with either. I like prairies and wide open spaces.

[Timberwolf232]

Originally Posted by SouthernStar

Thanks truckingbronco!

Small as in 1 to 3 thousand people.
He actually did look at the Forest service and would LOVE to do that. We thought that they might give locals first dibs, though. Are those jobs only in the western part of the state? We're looking more at central and eastern Montana. We'll have to look into that again.

He has search and rescue and flight experience, if that helps you guys point us in the right direction.

Oh, and I'm finishing nursing school in a different state. Will that make a difference?

The USFS is a federal agency and gives preference to veterans. If your husband has military experience it would increase his chances for sure. DM me if you have questions and I'd be glad to help if I can.

-TW-

[bigtrees]

I've never lived on the Montana Hi-line, but can give you some more information. The cold is genuinely cold, the coldest day I ever experienced was 32 below zero (no wind). You don't spend time outside when it's that cold! You'll be stuck inside for the most part all winter. You and your kids CAN go outside if you don't mind the cold and have the right winter gear but it takes a few years to get used to how cold it really is.

The winter nights are long, as it gets light around 8-9 am and gets dark 4-5pm so you don't have too many hours of daylight there in the winter. (You make up for it in the summer, it gets light around 4-5 am and gets dark around 10-11pm during the best part of the year!)

The biggest problem with Montana is jobs as you're alluding to. It's not specific skills that people need to have, it's the general lack of jobs at all and especially along the Hiline. There's just not a lot of work to do around those parts.

The best suggestion, and one that many people on this board have suggested, is to visit the area and see what you think. Eastern Montana is a lot different than most people have in mind especially when they have romantic images of living on the prairie, and very few outsiders stay for very long (which you read time and time again on this board). I'd suggest visiting it in the summer as well as the winter so you get an idea of what the seasons are like and to make sure that you'll enjoy it.

Good luck!

The wind is a constant and can get irritating after a while. It just blows and blows and blows. I'm not sure what it is like on the Hi-Line but did find the wind was pretty serious in Bozeman where I lived.

[SouthernStar]

Thanks for all the info, especially the hard facts about jobs and specifics about the weather. I'm a bit discouraged wondering if we'll ever find employment. I really hope so. Are teaching and medical jobs scarce too?

The summers sound awesome! In our part of Tennessee it gets dark around 4:30/5 in the winters. I hate that, but what can you do? Our summers make up for it, and they aren't NEARLY as long as yours! We will visit, probably several times, before we make our decision. We're used to moving and we know things are never exactly what they sound like. I just really hope we can make a home for ourselves there. I have zero intersest in being in (or even near, really) a city anymore. I've been in some of the best and some of the worst, and I'm done with it. I just want my life back. But sadly, that's where all the jobs are.

[jimj]

There's many teaching jobs, the reason is they don't pay squat. Many new teachers come here to get their first year in then leave for greener pastures. We have several friends who are teachers here and trust me they don't do it for the money!

[bluebird39]

As mentioned, government jobs may be a good match, and yes, military folks have a substantial upper edge in getting a job, especially veterans. In fact, it's almost impossible to hire anyone else if a veteran applies for a job and is qualified.

Here's the federal job listing website: USAJOBS - The Federal Government's Official Jobs Site

BTW, my husband works for the FS and I'm taking a temporary break from the medical field to be a SAHM. I hope we can return out West eventually. Most hospitals will jump at the chance to hire you as a temporary or on-call person. That's how I got my foot in the door at a 45 bed hosptial in Oregon many years ago. It may take a while to get benefits, especially if this economy stays bad, but you'll still get paid. If you're willing to work the shifts no one else wants (nights, week-ends, holidays), you'll have no problem getting a job. IMO, a small hospital is an excellent place to start a career, since you are exposed to everything. You have to be a "generalist", and often can get management experience very fast, whether you want it or not LOL.

Good luck.

Just wanted to add (not sure how old you are) that the way to get an on-call job at a hospital like that is to call the manager of the department you want to work in, and request a meeting when you visit, or a phone conference. Take a tour, if possible, and let them know you're willing to work on-call, temp, or whatever their term for it is. Most on-call jobs are filled that way, and are seldom posted on a website or newpaper. I'm afraid the government doesn't work that way, and best bet would be that website.