I understand the current employer paradigm. Now, I see job openings literally everywhere I go. Having been a successful general manager for McD in rural Wyoming twenty years ago, I don’t think the cellphone pandemic can be overcome, and wouldn’t even try to do the same thing today. Older Americans understand work ethics. Unfortunately, that seems to be the ONLY generation with that ability.
From another angle, this Sunday marks the three year anniversary of the accident that disabled me permanently. At 58 years old, I was not, and even now, am not ready to be forced into retirement. It sucks REALLY bad. I see the jobs in this little podunk 6000 person town, that I would have killed for, even 10 years ago. I just can’t work at all because of my injuries. I’ve never not worked...in 45 years. It’s killing me...so many very good jobs even here, most that pay well...and I’m outside looking in.
examples:
a) the local post office (which my daughter works at, just finishing her first year there) is the worst situation I’ve ever heard. There are normally 6 city carriers for this town. One just retired, after FORTY years there. One just had surgery two weeks ago. She can case mail, but can’t carry. Another has been sick since last week. The T-6 (rotates between 5 routes, giving each carrier one day off) positions is just filled. Right now, 3 carriers are each carrying two full routes. I have never even heard of things this bad...
I’d apply at the post office to be a city carrier in a heartbeat, if I could. This town is a thousand times safer than the town I carried in back in Alabama.
b) I worked in state corrections/LEO for almost nine years. The state max prison facility is two miles away from my front door. There are almost 25 open positions for correctional officers. This facility has not been fully staffed for officers for years. Admin positions, food service, and nearly every other area within this facility has open positions. Why? Middle of nowhere, yet on a major interstate. Some of the best hunting and fishing in the nation can be found here in Wyoming. But shopping entails a six to eight hour round trip in any direction. Basics can be found in two grocery stores here in town. Both of these factor in to the decision to accept long term employment here.
My training when I started in Corrections was here at the max. It’s not really that bad, but because of Wyoming’s struggling economy, corrections is the only state agency that offers promotions and raises... for OFFICERS.
c) Burlington Northern Santa Fe. Railroad jobs, rail support jobs, of every kind. Been a dream of mine all the way back to being a young kid. Now that I live in a town that offers jobs on the rails, I can’t do it. Just...damn. They pay really good, with great benefits. Between here and Utah, the trains pass multiple mountain passes, requiring several helper engines, in the middle, and at the end, where cabooses used to be. Lots of trucks with rail setups, to run the length of the rails before the 9,000 ton trains make the journey. Like trains? Come to town.
Train riders have to build the train, check connections and air lines, and similar tasks. One of the requirements is that you have to be able to walk up to five miles a day. This would be along side the train, on the coarse rocks, uneven path. Great for a young man...hell, I used to do ten to twelve miles a day on my own city route in Birmingham, but that was over 20 years ago.
D) other great jobs here within a ten mile radius include every kind of position at the Sinclair Refinery. Many heavy equipment operators, electrical, plumbing, security, you name it. PacificCorp (power grid job), federal jobs (BLM - bureau of land management), tons of truck driver jobs, three truck stops within 15 miles, police, fire, analysts, banks, literally dozens of jobs.
Still, six fast food restaurants, five upscale classy restaurants, five convenience stores, teaching positions, city jobs. ALL of these with multiple job openings.
My limitations focus on returning to my own programming/multimedia skills, and I’m a week away from go time, and I’m excited to be RIGHT HERE.
6,000 population, middle of nowhere, and more than a hundred good paying jobs. Two hour drives in four directions to BIGGER towns, with maybe the same amount of jobs.
Bigger cities, four to six hours away. 100,000 population or more. Crime rates dozens of times worse. Rent/housing two to three times more. Fast food? Eat it sure...work there? Oh HELL no!
The crashing economy? Depends on where you live, it seems.
I did my time in fast food. Never again...
There. Are. Options.
Don’t depend on the news to tell you the truth. Don’t let politicians steer your boat. Decide what you want, and make the decision to act...then, just follow through.
The economy does suck, and in the big picture, will continue to suck. But, there are always better places to be, anytime, anywhere...
Electricity? Wyoming has coal, oil, gas, methane, you name it. Go with the hunting, fishing, camping? Who needs electricity?
P.S. I forgot to mention the 12 hotels, 2 KOA campgrounds, and the WyoRoads (state road construction, nearly year round plowing — damn near!!!), the multiple wrecker services, diesel repair shops, forestry, wardens, multiple state parks and two national parks in the state, and a ton more.
