Career crisis!!

[Roert42]

Part of the problem, at least around here, is the pay. Why would I go work in your loud, dirty, factory crawling around on the floor for $13 an hour, when I can go work at the Wawa making sandwiches in the air conditioning for the same amount.

I did a lot of job searching last spring, and every where that was hiring wanted the world for free. 5-7 years minimum experience working industrial maintenance, $15, third shift, bring your own tools.

 

[Uncle Gump]

Thank the government... $15 minimum wage is going to ruin the small business owners. Most entry level people aren't worth $5 or $6 an hour. Also the supplemental unemployment pay... the extension on rent and mortgage forgiveness... it all adds up to people not needing to bring home a paycheck.

In our small town... the competition to one of the pizzerias has had an electronic marquee sign out front that scrolls Closed due to lack of employees... please visit us online to fill out and application. It's been scrolling for about 4 months.

We're really in trouble this time...

 

[Shran]

I saw a help wanted ad for experienced welders yesterday - they want to hire starting at $16-$18/hour, 10 hour days and benefits AFTER one year of employment. I had a real laff at that one...

I am trying to hire for a tech sector job in Sioux Falls at $18/hour with full benefits and SD state retirement from day one and I can't even get anyone to apply. It's crazy. Very chill environment, easy job, set your own schedule and nobody wants it.

 

[RustyShackleford94]

If you want to jump ship now is the time. I got laid off when covid hit and within a month i found a job that paid substantially more (like 5 figures/year more) and benifits after 30 days because everyone wanted to sit at home and collect unemployment. When the gooberment cuts the bums off the market will flood and itll be a horrible time to job hunt.

Also the people link in town got struck by lightening this morning and burnt down. They wont know what to do on September 7th lol

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

I saw a help wanted ad for experienced welders yesterday - they want to hire starting at $16-$18/hour, 10 hour days and benefits AFTER one year of employment. I had a real laff at that one...

Yup, I saw that a lot in my job search. At one point I decided to look for welding just because I can and a lot of other jobs were being stupid on requirements. Could not believe how many welding jobs were listed as wanting you to be certified or capable of passing the test with experience, benefits after 30/60/90+ days, 10 hour shifts or working nights, pay starting at $10-16/hr. Mind you this was with the gas and oil boom around here where experienced welders were working for them making $50-90/hr. Seems a little concerning when you’re offering the same or less money for a skilled position than a burger flipper.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

I saw a help wanted ad for experienced welders yesterday - they want to hire starting at $16-$18/hour, 10 hour days and benefits AFTER one year of employment. I had a real laff at that one...

I am trying to hire for a tech sector job in Sioux Falls at $18/hour with full benefits and SD state retirement from day one and I can't even get anyone to apply. It's crazy. Very chill environment, easy job, set your own schedule and nobody wants it.

Would you consider an employee who works remotely from a few hundred miles away?

 

[Chapap]

I’ll throw in public sector construction (roads and bridges n such). It’s a different vibe than private construction so I hear. Companies don’t worry about haggling with suppliers or competitors all that much. The price is what it is and if the work gets done, they get paid. All the maintenance work his heavy machinery and mostly diesel. Might have to start at labor, but upward movement is easy if you show up and work. Decent help is sure hard to get and everyone is hurting for bodies. It’d be a tough decision to start at the bottom tho, but it’s a thought.

 

[Dirtman]

 

[Shran]

Would you consider an employee who works remotely from a few hundred miles away?

Wish we could, 95% of the work is in person with customers at their location.

 

[1990RangerinSK]

Wish we could, 95% of the work is in person with customers at their location.

Fair enough.

 

[racsan]

Last night we went to one of our favorite places to eat, a small bar with a stage in a small neighboring town, fri night is the filet mignon special night, anyhow we got there a little late and there was plenty of parking, 2 signs on the door said why (1) needing help, cooks & servers.(2) temporary closed. (no exact reason , but sign # 1 makes it obvious. Where im at things have picked back up enough that they need to bring back 2nd shift, they upped starting wage to $14/hr and still quite a few walk after 1 day. Im back on nights until enough can be trained to have a replacement for me and 1 other. Only 4 of us on nights right now, considering the turnover I don’t expect to be back on days for awhile. They did give me a $1 shift differential to go back to 2nd, not that I really had a choice (senority you know) . Im not completely upset about it, its easier to get appointments during the day and Ive been needing to get some heath issues took care of. Im king of expecting things to “crash” again, time will tell.
And in other funny news, the woman who replaced me as morning baker at D.D. is now working where I am, so far she has been there a month, not sure she will last but one never knows. If im not on much for awhile its cause Im trying to catch up on sleep.

 

[Rowdy Fitzgerald]

Here’s my .02, Go to school and learn a trade. HVAC like stated earlier, Fireman, Law Enforcement, something that there is a high demand for, with bennies and retirement. Taking a couple bucks less home, but getting a matched 3-6% in a retirement and good healthcare make up for that couple bucks. Something else to think about, try to promote at the job you’re in now and be a supervisor. Things change a lot when you’re a supervisor.

 

[Curious Hound]

Rowdy has it exactly. This endless cycle of meaningless job changes is counterproductive. When you finally try to land a good job, the interviewer is going to wonder...

Why so many jobs in such a short period of time? Can I believe his reasons? Or is he a bad employee? Why can't he commit? Why should I take a chance on him? It looks like a waste of my time and resources.

When a decent company hires you, many people spend many hours getting you into the system. Interviews, testing, checking your references, getting benefits set up, sometimes uniforms and tools must be issued, then they have to train you to do the job. They don't want to go through all that when your work history says you're going to leave in a few days, weeks or months.

 

[Curious Hound]

If you meet age and health requirements, some time in the military may be a good choice. Get paid while learning a skill or trade. Great way to break a pattern.

 

[Daniel Black]

I haven't posted back in a while. I ended up working at the oil change place til the end of January while I patiently searched for a career, not a job, I could retire from. Since February 1st I've worked at a Milk factory. I don't think milk will ever go away. I was reluctant to work in a factory since I really enjoy being outside. Nothing I liked more than going in the garage and throwing the bay doors open on a summer morning. I'm adjusting though. My Dad is getting ready to retire from the same factory in a few years and he was the same age as me when he started there. Plus I know a lot of the people there from my Dads or working on their cars. I'm being trained as a Blow Mold mechanic. It's much the same as working on a car now that I'm learning what the parts are, what they do and how to troubleshoot. There's a large group of older people that I've always fit in better with than young people. There are 6 people set to retire this year and I think 8 next year so it's definitely an older demographic. Just with starting pay I make more in 40 hours than I did in 55 changing oil. After my 90 days I have the potential for $60-70K. I've never even broke 30K in a year so it's an astronomical amount of money to me and my family. We'd been talking about my wife going back to work since the baby turned one but now hopefully she won't have too. I'm pretty upbeat about the future. Especially with the weather getting warmer. We might actually be able to afford to buy a home now liked we've planned for the past 5 years. It helps that my supervisor and trainer are through and through Ford guys so we enjoy rassing the GM guys at work.