Was it worth moving? (Lander, Midwest: income, income tax, living in)

[MrBeefy]

Originally Posted by BennyPhoenix

Why are you making only $12 per hour?
Mechanics out where I am, Southern Calif, start at double that.
You might want to look at more places than Wyo. Experienced mechanics are in demand and opportunities are available that provide health ins and other benefits.

The reason wages in SoCal are so high is to pay the taxes to the state that pays for all the welfare, healthcare for illegals, and the plethora of completely useless state govt programs.

[Froggie Legs]

Originally Posted by zipporacing

another thing that bugs me a little is that i have sent my resume out 97 times and i have never heard a thing back???i know there is jobs,but whats going on? anywho,later jimmy

Just a question, but have you had your resume' looked over by a professional? The reason I ask is because I recently had a class in resume' writing and my own was suffering some glaring lacks and needing a total overhaul from when I used it as a nurse. Perhaps having someone with resume knowledge look over yours and have it critiqued might be a good thing? They say that a good (or not good) resume' can make or break if the employer even calls.

just a thought.. good luck!

[tallgirl]

Hi, I moved from Michigan to WY in '97 and have never regretted it. I go back to MI to visit atleast once a year (lots of family there) and all I can stand of south east michigan is about 2 weeks, tops. It's too crowded, the people are rude, the drivers are rude. I can't stand the place any more and that is where I grew up. I could not even begin to imagine raising my children there.

The only things I miss about Michigan are my family, Ludington, Hamlin Lake and Lake Michigan. I could probably stand to live up north or in the U.P.

Looks like you've lived in the U.P. If you tolerated that well, then you can tolerate Wyoming. Gillette is rather ugly (sorry gillette folks, but compared to N. Michigan, Gillette is UGLY). I know people that work in mines in Gillette and commute from Buffalo. There are also mines near Sheridan.

[I_Want_Snow]

Zipporacing: I am here bored a work and figured I would try and spruce up your resume a little. You may or may not like it, but I figured I would give it a shot. One thing you may want to do is ask both your current employers for a letter of recommendation, or maybe even a past employer.

Also you may want to put together 2 or 3 different versions and just change your objective. I see on one you are talking about working on heavy duty equipment and cars, then you have under your additional information you are pursuing your CDL and interested in being a mine truck loader/operator. Some employers might not feel comfortable hiring you if they know you want to work in other fields also. They might be worried that if they hire you as a mechanic that you will leave if a Mine truck job opens up that pays more. That' s just my opinion though.I would just try and keep those separate and just make sure to send the right resume to the right company.

Also you have down for your duties you "maintain" a fleet of semi's/trailers and a fleet of rental equipment. I would try and get a few bullet points in there as what exactly you did to maintain. Just expand it more. The reason I say that is because most employers will scan a resume for less than 10 seconds. If "key" words don't stick out, then the employer will look right past it.

Here is what I did. I put some of your skill first that way it will be some of the first words the employer sees. Then they go on to your experience.
__________________________________________________ _____________
Name
Address
Phone and email

Objective: Find full time employment as a Maintenance/Repair Technician working on either Heavy duty equipment or Automobiles.

or

Objective: Find full time employment as a Mine truck operator/loader

SKILLS
• Hardworking family oriented individual with a great attitude and very strong worth ethic. I love what I do and it is my passion. I am a fast learner that welcomes challenges and new experiences.
• Self motivated individual who can work alone with little or no supervision but who can also mesh well with a team.
• Currently pursuing getting my class A CDL.
• (x amount) of years experience with troubleshooting, repairing, and maintaining Hydraulic systems in small equipment
• Troubleshooting and repairing 12, 24, 48, and 72 Volt Electrical Systems
• Repair, troubleshoot, and maintain most makes and models of automobiles along with rebuilding of engines
• Experience in body repair and painting of equipment
• 3+ years experience operating a road grader

EXPERIENCE
Fox Excavating- Brimley, MI
Mechanic/Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanic
4/2006 - Current
• Perform oil changes for (make models)
• Inspection and replacement of hoses
• Inspection and replacement of lights and electrical systems

Material Handling Source- Sault Ste.Marie, MI
Mechanic/Mobile Heavy Equipment Mechanic
10/2004 - Current
• 5+ years experience with Impco LP systems
• Rebuilding of engines in (equipment makes models)
• Maintain fleet of Mini-excavators, Skidsteers, and forklifts
• Maintain, service, and troubleshoot customers Backhoes, Manlifts, and Selco Bailers.
• Able to troubleshoot, maintain, and repair most small equipment

Ken Graham Trucking- (Address)
Mechanic/Repair Technician- 2002/2004
• Maintain, troubleshoot, and repair fleet of Semi trucks and trailers
• Perform oil changes (makes models)
• Inspection, diagnosis, and replacement of airlines and hoses
• Inspection, diagnosis, and repair brake systems
• Body repair and paint
• Responsible for for all repairs on Semi's except engine and transmission

[zipporacing]

i will agree that my resume needs some help. i will be doing that today as soon as i have about 4 more cups of coffee
thanks alot with the resume i-want-snow! i like the way you set that up.. buy the way you do have to much time on your hands at work.i have never had to make one before,never had a need for it. the job im at now all i did was stop by the shop and asked if they were still looking for help,my boss asked if i can rebuild a engine and if i could be there at 8 the next day ! i have been there 5 years now...i never even filled out a app.

my wife is still a little worried about this whole wyoming thing,and i dont blame her one bit,i am tired of just getting BY,i dont care how hard i have to work or how many hours i have to work, i just want to make a decent living(more than $24k a year) . i see jobs at special K (K-MART) that pay more than i make..somthing is wrong with that picture. sorry had to vent for a minute.
anyways if anyone wants to get ahold of me my wifes IM is jacob041903@yahoo.com its allways on.
thanks you guys and girls for all your help,jimmy

[I_Want_Snow]

Zippo:

No problem I am glad I can help. I do a bunch of contract I.T. work so I am redoing my resume about 3-5 times a year if not more so I get a lot of practice.

Let me know if you need anymore help and I will be glad to assist you.

[septocaine_queen]

Originally Posted by tallgirl

Looks like you've lived in the U.P. If you tolerated that well, then you can tolerate Wyoming. Gillette is rather ugly (sorry gillette folks, but compared to N. Michigan, Gillette is UGLY). I know people that work in mines in Gillette and commute from Buffalo. There are also mines near Sheridan.

I have lived in some of the most beautiful places in CA (San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley, San Diego) and I am moving to Gillette. IMO I can always see those beautiful places on my travels spending the hard earned money I made in Gillette. Beauty is overrated when you are struggling financially with high taxes and overcrowded roads.

[tekape]

Originally Posted by septocaine_queen

I have lived in some of the most beautiful places in CA (San Francisco Bay Area, Napa Valley, San Diego) and I am moving to Gillette. IMO I can always see those beautiful places on my travels spending the hard earned money I made in Gillette. Beauty is overrated when you are struggling financially with high taxes and overcrowded roads.

though what you say is true, she is correct in stating that Gillette is "ugly" as far as scenery. not to say it isn't a great town....just lacks what some of the other places have to offer (Sheridan/Buffalo, Hulett, Jackson, Lander, etc). I don't think she was trying to be negative, just being upfront/honest about the "appeal" of the area.

But you're right, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

[georgiainwyo]

Originally Posted by tekape

though what you say is true, she is correct in stating that Gillette is "ugly" as far as scenery. not to say it isn't a great town....just lacks what some of the other places have to offer (Sheridan/Buffalo, Hulett, Jackson, Lander, etc). I don't think she was trying to be negative, just being upfront/honest about the "appeal" of the area.

But you're right, beauty is in the eye of the beholder!

You are right about beauty being in the eye of the beholder. We recently moved to Gillette from Montana and before we moved here everyone said "why would you move THERE?????, it's so UGLY and FLAT!". We don't think it's ugly at all and it does have hills....it's not that flat. Making twice the money we made in Montana, we can now enjoy the beauty of a lot of areas all around us....the Big Horns, Black Hills, and even further out to other states, etc. What good did the beauty of a place do us when we were barely making ends meet and could do little more than stay at home and watch tv!? And in my opinion, Gillette is much prettier than it was even a few years ago. The city has put a lot of money and work into making the town more desireable.

Yep, to each his own....and I choose Gillette!

(P.S. The people here are great, too! The inner beauty is something that can't be measured by the eye!)

[BennyPhoenix]

The Business areas of Gillette are very unattractive. IMO they look like a large truckstop. But outside of those areas, where people actually live, there is a beauty unique to much of that part of the state. Rolling hills, views for a hundred miles.