Friend moved here, can't find a job anywhere, Help! (Phoenix: preschool, income)

[madmmac]

HMMM....

Find Arizona teaching jobs at SchoolSpring.com!

[EnicAZ]

Originally Posted by keninaz

Yes, 3 of my 4 kids and their spouses lost their jobs in this mess.
Most were out of work for a long time and when they got jobs they did not pay much.
People that were making $200K and more in real estate were begging for any job that would pay medical and the like.
My daughter and her husband and kids gave up and moved up state with us. They lived with us for 7 months while they found work and got established again and they are not making near what they made in Phoenix before she lost her good paying job in RE admin.
She was out of work for nearly 2 years and could not find a job making enough to pay child care for 1 child anywhere. The job she lost was $65K per year.
Anyone moving to AZ had better have a job lined up, it's tough out there.
Good Luck

I hear this a lot. I think anyone looking would learn a great by learning to plan ahead and not depending on guesswork when it comes to whether or not they will like their job. Finding out after is a painful and costly mistake after making a move.

I hope things turn out better for those that you know.

[PheenixJobless]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

teaching jobs really aren't that tough compared to the bulk of the country

it's just not the abundant situation it was a few years back where they were recruiting nation wide in a desparate attempt to fill teachers

I know a lot of people who have changed districts, found jobs or left the state (or planning to move) who are going to be replaced.

Just keep in mind that school ends at labor day out here and many teachers are looking at their contracts in April

The peson isn't looking for just a teaching job though. They are looking for ANY job. So far after 8 months, only part time gas station work.

[Ritchie_az]

Originally Posted by PheenixJobless

The peson isn't looking for just a teaching job though. They are looking for ANY job. So far after 8 months, only part time gas station work.

Like I said, over 30k net job growth for Phoenix over the last 18-months. Phoenix's unemployment rate fell (again) to 8.4% and is below the national unemployment rate. If the best your friend can find is "part time gas station work" than he or she is not trying nearly hard enough. That speaks way more about your friend then it does about the Phoenix job market.

Anyway, I look at your user name and the thread title, then the facts and data, and I say b.s.

Moster.com says there are 1,000 job openings posted on their website right now in Phoenix:
Find Jobs: Search millions of jobs now | Monster.com

azcentral.com (through Careerbuilder.com) shows 5,309 job openings in Phoenix right now:
azcentral.com - CareerBuilder - Jobs

If he can't land one of those, then he's a lost case. Sorry.

[PheenixJobless]

Originally Posted by EnicAZ

I hear this a lot. I think anyone looking would learn a great by learning to plan ahead and not depending on guesswork when it comes to whether or not they will like their job. Finding out after is a painful and costly mistake after making a move.

I hope things turn out better for those that you know.

Thanks. I appreciate your emotional sensitivity to my friend's sitution. For all the people who don't know about the 750,000+ jobless Phoenix people in the area, I wish they knew how hard it is for my friend. A few hotels hiring a few extra maids and desperate call centers are really far away from where he lives. The Phoenix area is so spread out, it just doesn't make sense to drive 30 miles one way for an $9.00 job to get screamed at all day.

[Bondurant]

Originally Posted by PheenixJobless

Thanks. I appreciate your emotional sensitivity to my friend's sitution. For all the people who don't know about the 750,000+ jobless Phoenix people in the area, I wish they knew how hard it is for my friend. A few hotels hiring a few extra maids and desperate call centers are really far away from where he lives. The Phoenix area is so spread out, it just doesn't make sense to drive 30 miles one way for an $9.00 job to get screamed at all day.

No but it's good to earn money regardless. Beggars cannot be choosers in these times. That's a fact, Jack. Take whatever is there until better can be found. This isn't rocket science. I'm trying to sound like an a-hole but when a job is offered and turned down "because I don't want to drive that far" or "I don't wanna do that" the egg is on their face and theirs alone.

Tell this kat to look into security, as I've already stated. He'll bank at least $10 per hour and the hardest part of the job is the boredom.

[TBCasino]

Originally Posted by Bondurant

He should look into security. That's what I've been doing since my arrival in Phoenix. It's not what I want to do but it pays the bills. The sites my company is with generally pay $10-12 per hour. If your background is clean and you can urinate in a cup and not test positive for drugs you can get hired. But if your friend is really in a bad jam he shouldn't turn down anything regardless of what degree he has. That degree is nothing but a useless piece of paper in this economy.

Whenever I hear someone say "there are no jobs out there" I always say "there are no jobs you want out out there". Big difference.

What security company do you work for?

[Finger Laker]

I know someone who is looking for people to setup grocery displays, etc .... part time work, but pays over $10/hr

I know many people who picked up work at drug stores, grocery stores and other recently opened places

It sounds like he is either limiting what he is looking for or has a pride issue

Has he hit up numerous temp agencies? - with a college degree and some basic computer skills it's not hard to find fairly solid work that pays in excess of $10/hr ......... you may have to hit numerous ones, but if you have more talent than the pool at large you'll get work (my sister in law who landed a teaching job right out of school here in AZ and then moved back to WI to get married is working as someone who calls customers to follow up on recent work performed and pitch future work for a small family business .......... she hates it, but is still trying to network into a teaching job)

Temp work is a great option if you are looking to pass some time before jumping into the interview pool

If getting frustrated and looking for a change in line, there is opportunity out here as well .......... my company just hired 6 new people (2 assistants in training, 2 trainees for main positions and 2 experienced hires for main positions) ..... we also filled 3 spots from attrition, these employees were hired by a competitor who was also expanding ..... the main problem we've had is finding anyone experienced worth hiring, those 2 positions are transfers from out of state .... one of our trainees is from out of state as well

it's frustrating and not nearly as easy come as it was a while back ..... but there is work to do

[Ritchie_az]

Originally Posted by PheenixJobless

Thanks. I appreciate your emotional sensitivity to my friend's sitution. For all the people who don't know about the 750,000+ jobless Phoenix people in the area, I wish they knew how hard it is for my friend. A few hotels hiring a few extra maids and desperate call centers are really far away from where he lives. The Phoenix area is so spread out, it just doesn't make sense to drive 30 miles one way for an $9.00 job to get screamed at all day.

There are not 750,000 jobless in Phoenix even if you count all the children and retired. The number of actual unemployed in Phoenix metro is 178,400 according to the Bureau of Labor Statistic's website. That includes many that are not very qualified (limited education and/or work experience), some who are happily living off the government cheese, some who have "given up", some who are students, some who are semi-retired, etc. When you factor all that in, it's a much, much smaller number.

Nice try. Guess you didn't expect someone to actually check the facts.

Also, I'm one of those people when I found myself unemployed a number of years ago who drove "30 miles one way for an $9.00 job to get screamed at all day." You take what you can get. Beggers can't be choosers. You take it and keep applying, applying, applying until something better works out. Tell your friend to "man up" and take the job.

Why don't you suggest to your friend to apply for 50 of the over 5,000 job openings listed at azcentral.com. That's less than 1% of them. Then when he does that, report back if he was able to find employment. If he does, then he was helped. If not, he's got the other 99% to go....

[Ritchie_az]

Originally Posted by Finger Laker

I know someone who is looking for people to setup grocery displays, etc .... part time work, but pays over $10/hr

I know many people who picked up work at drug stores, grocery stores and other recently opened places

It sounds like he is either limiting what he is looking for or has a pride issue

Has he hit up numerous temp agencies? - with a college degree and some basic computer skills it's not hard to find fairly solid work that pays in excess of $10/hr ......... you may have to hit numerous ones, but if you have more talent than the pool at large you'll get work (my sister in law who landed a teaching job right out of school here in AZ and then moved back to WI to get married is working as someone who calls customers to follow up on recent work performed and pitch future work for a small family business .......... she hates it, but is still trying to network into a teaching job)

Temp work is a great option if you are looking to pass some time before jumping into the interview pool

If getting frustrated and looking for a change in line, there is opportunity out here as well .......... my company just hired 6 new people (2 assistants in training, 2 trainees for main positions and 2 experienced hires for main positions) ..... we also filled 3 spots from attrition, these employees were hired by a competitor who was also expanding ..... the main problem we've had is finding anyone experienced worth hiring, those 2 positions are transfers from out of state .... one of our trainees is from out of state as well

it's frustrating and not nearly as easy come as it was a while back ..... but there is work to do

Honestly, I think the OP is pulling our legs.