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If you haven't seen me around in the other forums, a little bit of background on me... I'm a college student currently, a woman, and I'm going to graduate soon. As you can see by my location I'm not too far away. I do like living in the Southwest, but the heat in Arizona is just too much. I think New Mexico would provide me with all the things I love about where I live now, but cooler weather. So I am considering looking into New Mexico for relocation, specifically Northern New Mexico since I am about 98% sure Southern New Mexico would be just like here.
I was wondering what the general economy of New Mexico is and how it's doing. Is it competitive there for college graduates or people in general for employment? What are the main industries? Major employers? What do you think New Mexico will be like in the future (economically)?
My prospective field will be a lot of "out-in-the-field" work and some office work as well. It spreads across a variety of industries... Agricultural, mining, manufacturing, energy, water, R&D, and construction are the main ones that I see job postings for in general. So far I'm not specialized to any industry so I can go either way. Really any industry that has workers who are more likely to get injured on the job there would be a position for me, so it usually ties to blue collar rather than white collar work. If you have any knowledge on these industries in New Mexico specifically, I would love to hear about it!
The biggest industries in New Mexico are Government, Healthcare and Petroleum. Many of the jobs are highly technical or specialized. Only Healthcare is currently a growth industry. Government may pick up if a Republican is elected President (more defense spending). Petroleum is shedding jobs with oil + natural gas prices going down.
For fieldwork combined with office work, you might look into the BLM or state forestry or energy, minerals & natural resources.
I'd also consider southern NM to be a substantial change in terms of heat from even Tucson.
Las Cruces gets colder winters, more snow, and will have lower year-round temperatures, though the difference is not as stark as with northern NM.
May also consider in your field Copper country, which includes parts of Arizona that are cooler than Tucson. Copper is a boom-and-bust industry but seems to be doing pretty well these days.
NM's extractive industries include coal (NW side of the state), oil & gas (both NW and SE sides of the state), potash (SE side), copper (SW side but all but gone), and, believe it or not, CO2 (NE, NW, SE sides of the state).
The biggest industries in New Mexico are Government, Healthcare and Petroleum. Many of the jobs are highly technical or specialized. Only Healthcare is currently a growth industry. Government may pick up if a Republican is elected President (more defense spending). Petroleum is shedding jobs with oil + natural gas prices going down.
For fieldwork combined with office work, you might look into the BLM or state forestry or energy, minerals & natural resources.
Thank you for the information!
Healthcare actually does employ in my field but it's generally one position per hospital (and usually only hospitals, not clinics). I haven't really seen any positions though for healthcare on job websites but sometimes they show up. So I try not to rely on looking at health care, even though "health" is technically in the field's name. Government does as well in regulatory positions, but the pay appears dismal from what I've seen. And it's even more dismal pay in Arizona (since government jobs post salary ranges), so I'm looking for private sector mostly.
Energy and natural resources are huge for my field. Not sure about BLM or forestry I would have to look at it, but I will look.
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Originally Posted by Zoidberg
I'd also consider southern NM to be a substantial change in terms of heat from even Tucson.
Las Cruces gets colder winters, more snow, and will have lower year-round temperatures, though the difference is not as stark as with northern NM.
May also consider in your field Copper country, which includes parts of Arizona that are cooler than Tucson. Copper is a boom-and-bust industry but seems to be doing pretty well these days.
NM's extractive industries include coal (NW side of the state), oil & gas (both NW and SE sides of the state), potash (SE side), copper (SW side but all but gone), and, believe it or not, CO2 (NE, NW, SE sides of the state).
Does it? I guess I would have to look into Las Cruces, honestly I haven't really researched it. I really enjoy cold weather and that's why I was looking at ABQ.
Yes copper is pretty good here. One of the 5 C's of Arizona (five industries of the state). Lots of mining done in the Eastern half in general, though some is on the Western side. Some of it is near Prescott, Payson, and Flagstaff which are yes much cooler areas. Jobs in these areas though are very hard to come by (at least above minimum wage jobs), and COL is outrageous. These places are also very small and I'd prefer a larger city to live in. Not that they are not options for me as I will look there, but I'm not labelling them as viable options for employment. I find more jobs in the small towns of Southeastern Arizona, like Benson and Bisbee, than I do up there.
Thank you for your information! I will look at these industries and see what they are up to over there!
I do believe New Mexico will be a good fit for me regardless. I love living here except it's too hot for me to enjoy. I would like to find a place that doesn't reliably reach triple digits, especially from April-September give or take. It would be even better if it didn't reach even the 90s but I am flexible on that.
Hard ta beat Federal jobs for benefits. Boeing benefits were excellent and their pay was good but not excellent. And the last time I looked one can qualify for pension benefits by "vesting" there - by working 10 years or more. I recall my 20 years at Boeing in Everett, WA, with fondness. I recall paying nothing for dental benefits - I had what they call their "Prepaid Provider" insurance. Costs nothing out of your check per month and it's based on the notion that preventive medicine works. I blew that theory straight outta the water. The Office Manager of the dentist's office I went to in Mukilteo, WA, told me she complained to Boeing and my insurance so long and so hard that they started making us pay for our dental benefits.
Before I left in 2003 it was about $150 for a standard crown that the patient had ta pay.
Federal positions are hard to get. I see jobs for the Department of Labor a lot, but I am not sure if I am qualified just yet. I will probably have an easier time with private sector considering I have no "real" job experience yet, besides a couple internships in an unrelated area.
My wife started at the bottom as a part time employee. On day one she was told she would be working 60 hour weeks with of course overtime pay.
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Originally Posted by :-D
but I am not sure if I am qualified just yet
Good delay tactic. Now is the time to try out...
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Originally Posted by :-D
will probably have an easier time with private sector considering I have no "real" job experience yet
My wife had zero experience.
Her last assignment was a transfer from Germantown, MD to Albuquerque, NM, for a promotion and a paid move...
Five locations (which she asked for), various prommotions, learned various job skills, $40,000+ paid towards her college, $25,000 cash to take an early retirement.
But I fully understand some people's reluctance to work for the Government.
Federal positions are hard to get. I see jobs for the Department of Labor a lot, but I am not sure if I am qualified just yet. I will probably have an easier time with private sector considering I have no "real" job experience yet, besides a couple internships in an unrelated area.
Everyone has to start somewhere. Don't expect that perfect job right out of the gates of college. When I graduated from College in 1996, I moved to NM and started in IT work at, IIRC, $8 per hour. Since, then I have worked hard, worked for 4 companies and have been promoted a dozen times. I am currently a Lead Software analyst for one of the states largest employers and the top of the pay scale. Work, work...and keep on moving.
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