~24K-30K/year job in Sarasota... realistic to find??

[outsider1]

Sunrico90,
Thanks for inquiring! Well, I'm keeping a daily watch for all the new job postings in retail, service, banking and related categories in south Sarasota where I plan to live.

I would say that the number of such postings is about 60% of the similar ones in NW suburban Chicago where I currently live. I think that it's a fairly good sign, considering that population of Sarasota is significantly less than here, and that my current location is a renowned economic powerhouse. Also considering an economic and demographic make up of Sarasota's southside, I would venture to say that the number of local applicants for such jobs would also be less.

It appears that due to the high cost of living in the area, these aforementioned jobs usually pay between $9.50 and $13 per hour. At this point I highly doubt that I would immediately be able to find a permanent full-time. But landing a couple of part-times that average about $11/hour seems like a more or less reasonable expectation. Most of those jobs are concentrated within a 3 mile radius of where I plan to live, and getting to some of them can be as easy as crossing a street on foot.

By the way, thanks for your suggestion about investigating Tampa's IT job market in your prior post. I actually tried doing that a few months before. A company(HSCB now, but in my days it was Household International - a name synonymous with notorious predatory lending) has a division in Brandon and Tampa. But because of the economic situation they are not hiring even for a handful of positions(none of them match my skills though) they're posting. I've contacted some of the folks(even a few that transferred from Chicago) that I worked with 5 years ago. Even the most optimistic(and when I say "optimistic" that fellow is an Optimist with a capital "O"!) of them painted a very gloomy picture of finding professional employment in Bay area these days. Also, considering a gap in my resume, I expect that those employers, who are looking to invest in a professional, would be at least somewhat suspicious and hesitant at best.
Besides, I tried driving from Sarasota to Tampa. Definitely not my piece of cake. I like the beauty, safety and quality of life in the area between Sarasota and Venice, and despite my age I share some perceptions, opinions and aspirations with the older retired folks that seem to be a predominate contingent in the area. So I hope to be able to stay within those comfortable boundries as much as possible.

[sunrico90]

Best of luck and keep us posted on your job hunting.

[PG77]

Hey, go to this link and check out the jobs on here. There is a company on here called FIMC (abbreviated). I used to work for them when I lived there and they always seem to need people. Look between the salary range of $25-30,000. I bet you could get a job there for sure. Good luck!

Bradenton/Sarasota Jobs Employment Career Database Search

[outsider1]

PG77, thank you, that's a gem of a website! Looking at it was quite a confidence booster for me. It actually lists more of the reasonably attainable jobs than careerbuilder, monster, hotjobs and snag-a-job put together.
FIMC - is it Financial Insurance Management Corp in downtown on Main? Looks like they're indeed looking for people in that salary range, since they added 5 postings during the past week. And despite my rather humble skills, I think that I can probably do fairly well in at least 4 of those positions. Well, even though I'm still not in the area, I'll try to contact them right away and just see what happens. Thanks again for a very helpful info!

[PG77]

Originally Posted by outsider1

PG77, thank you, that's a gem of a website! Looking at it was quite a confidence booster for me. It actually lists more of the reasonably attainable jobs than careerbuilder, monster, hotjobs and snag-a-job put together.
FIMC - is it Financial Insurance Management Corp in downtown on Main? Looks like they're indeed looking for people in that salary range, since they added 5 postings during the past week. And despite my rather humble skills, I think that I can probably do fairly well in at least 4 of those positions. Well, even though I'm still not in the area, I'll try to contact them right away and just see what happens. Thanks again for a very helpful info!

You're welcome! Yes, that is the company. It is on Main Street in downtown Sarasota. Great location. I know they need Enrollment Specialists and Claims Specialists for sure. Good luck!

[PG77]

Oh, yeah, check out this company. It is located on University Parkway outside of Sarasota. You might be able to get a really good job here with a salary that is more in line with your experience.

FCCI Insurance Group - Protecting Business, Property and People