Some Texas Advise please (Houston, Dallas: house, find a job, maintenance)

[nomoreusmc]

I have always loved Texas and I think I have finally found a way to do it. So I need to find a job so I know where to start looking for a house. I can't move until May but I'd like to have everything ready to go so when the day comes....so I can get out of this hell hole I'm living in.

Qualifications-
Currently chief engineer for a cluster of 5 radio stations (12 years exp)
Medically retired US Marine
Expert custom powder coater
Owned 3 businesses
I have done high end electro-mechanical maintenance my whole life, everything from pinball machines to 100KW radio/TV transmitters

Personality-
very conservative
gun nut
love motorcycles
love to hunt/fish
family man (wife w/3 kids)

Other than my inherent nerdyness we are your typical family. We are white non-Spanish speakers if that makes a difference, which is really my only concern (not speaking spanish).

Well I've looked at all the threads around and I think this is all the commonly collected data. The only other thing is that I want to find a job that I can retire from. I'm in my 30's and I really want to find my last job, find my last house and live happy for the rest of my life. I just want a descent 4 bedroom house on 10 acres or so where I can shoot and reload and generally have a good safe time with guns. And not go broke doing it.

I have no problem working for the oil companies or working in a hazardous environment. Infact my backup plan is to go to north dakota and work for Hess, because a buddy of mine runs a crew up there. What do I need to know?

[doctorjef]

I think what you need to know is that the days of having any realistic hope of working one job for the rest of your life and retiring from it are over, gone, dead and done for. Apart from that, you sound a jolly good fit for Lubbock.

[nomoreusmc]

Originally Posted by doctorjef

I think what you need to know is that the days of having any realistic hope of working one job for the rest of your life and retiring from it are over, gone, dead and done for. Apart from that, you sound a jolly good fit for Lubbock.

You really think so? I hope it's not dead. When I find a job I like I tend to stay for a long time, and I hope for that at least. Thanks for the reply!

[joqua]

Originally Posted by nomoreusmc

You really think so? I hope it's not dead. When I find a job I like I tend to stay for a long time, and I hope for that at least. Thanks for the reply!

I tend to agree that if working for someone else, there is no longer any assurance of having a job until you decide to retire.

With your stated skills, I wonder why you're not in business for yourself? I found myself unemployed when I was in my 40s and my salvation was to sell my experience by working as a consultant. It required frequent travel to all sorts of places I wasn't that fond of going (mid-east, etc) but it turned out that getting laid off was the best thing that happened to me, in retrospect.

[nomoreusmc]

I tried that and spent my life savings with very little to show for it unfortunately. But there areas I'm in is struggling so hard for anything. Everything is just dieing here. (no one paid me)

[hoffdano]

Your skills seem well suited to a manufacturing environment. Yes petrochemical could work - which means Houston area. But you might also be a good fit for a semiconductor company that has a "fab" facility. Samsung, AMD, and Freescale all fab in the Austin area. Texas Instruments may still have fab in the Dallas area though I don't know for sure.

HP manufactures servers in the Houston area. And of course Dell is big in Round Rock.

I agree with earlier comments about a job to retire with. Could happen, but I wouldn't assume it is easy. So that suggests a city where if one company becomes a loser, you have choices.

Your non-work related interests could be satisfied almost anywhere in Texas.