Relocating possibilities?

[frkelly74]

If a jack of all trades wanted to go where the opportunities were good to find gainful employment, I wonder where he might go. Any hot leads out there?

[Bret4207]

Not northern NY. I believe the lowest unemployment rates are out in the Dakotas on that big oil deposit.

[FISH4BUGS]

The live free or die state. Gun friendly and beautiful environment. Oceans, mountains, wilderness, fishing, hunting, lakes, nice people.
Low unemployment.
No sales or income tax. Real estate taxes a bit high but hey....aren't they all?
Come on down!...........

[rbertalotto]

South Dakota..............Extremely low unemployment. Looking for workers in many fields. Amazing good hunting for everything state wide.

Extremely low cost of living

VERY, VERY, VERY Hunter / guns friendly

Fantastic people.

Blazing hot in the summer and unbelievably cold in the winter.

Pheasant the size of turkeys.

Deer, Antelope, Prairie Dogs, Turkey, Elk, etc.............

A "Sportsman's Paradise"

[Guesser]

Wyoming & North Dakota are very engaged with energy extraction, help wanted in both states. The problem is housing, severe shortage in the active areas. Good outdoor activities in both states. I live in Montana and we have all the same possibilities but we also have a burgeoning population of tree huggers(radical) and EPA/Endangered Species lovers and a Governor that should be a K street liberal lobbyist.

[old turtle]

Do not relocate to Florida. We now have too many people (most from the liberal states) and high unemployment. It was great 40 years ago.

[Harter66]

In Nevada the mines come and go, tourism is way down, jobs are feast or famine to go w/open mines and the seasonal surges. We do offer great hunting w/some form of every critter in No.America except moose or reindeer. Our gun laws are only screwed up in 1 county, the rest of the state is open carry.78% of the state is public lands w/only about 25% of that is restricted.

[DLCTEX]

Texas has created jobs, is gun friendly, no state income tax, right to work, plenty of hunting opportunities but usually have to lease, lots of fishing opportunities.

[GRUMPA]

In my location you might as well hang up the job situation altogether. This is a poor county, anything that's county related you have to be related to someone (nepotism). My daughter moved up from Phoenix because she couldn't find any real work, she found one here at min. wage and is darn happy she has that. Despite the fact she has to drive the 56mi round trip.

It doesn't matter what you know up here it's WHO you know.

[ErikO]

St Louis may get better when the English electric van company opens its factory here but until then I would not come here without a job offer. That's why I came here. :)

MO is not a bad state; good hunting, excellent gun laws (lack thereof, really).

[mroliver77]

I grew up in Ohio. Actually live in the home place. It has always been somewhat of o police state but growing older, better informed and more laws,TAXES, rules and enforcers. I could leave IF there was a place that was better IMO.

I like being free, doing my thing and hurting nobody. I'll be the first there when somebody needs a hand. I don't always mow my lawn and might have a junk vehicle or three in the yard and chickens on the porch. You might hear lots of gunfire from my place and a large boom or two. It don't bother me if your lawn is a masterpiece or a junkyard. I burn wood for heat. Leave me pretty much alone and dont tax me to death and I will take care of the rest.

Is there a place that I fit in?

Jay

[Harter66]

Jay,
you would fit right in as an outta town desert rat out here!

[GRUMPA]

You'll fit right in here, at least here you're literally in the sticks. And we have chickens of our own that would come in the house if I let the wife get away with it.

Jay check out my homepage (click on my name) I got pictures in their, you'll know first hand what I mean.

[MT Gianni]

Jack of all trades are a tough fit in the market place and IMO will continue to be. Employers want those with certifications of one employable trade. A lot of spillover is fine and if you are a licensed Electrician and a licensed plumber that is great too. Unfortunately no certifications frequently leaves you the job of the handyman at Motel 6. If you are young enough I would pick one that you enjoy and do all I could to get a certificate. You can then write your ticket almost anywhere.

[mroliver77]

We used to have lots of jobs for a Jack of all trades like me. There were many small businesses that needed a fellow whose knowledge crossed over many trades. One does not need to be licensed to do a lot of things here. That is changing. The economy has killed off so many jobs!

I guess being busy I have not really looked around in a while. The face of our area has sure changed! I really need to do some thinking and studying about where I am going.

Grumpa,
looks like I sure might fit in around your place! No grass!.
Jay

[Wayne Smith]

Anywhere there are lots of old folks that can't do their own fix-it projects. You will have to be willing to build a business, however, in most places. Around here there are several Handyman companies offering light construction work.

[cobroller]

Joplin, MO area is booming while rebuilding from the tornado. Of course, the working conditions are terrible.

[Rockydog]

Wisconsin had 1/2 of the number of new jobs in the whole country last month (8500). Not booming here by far but it seems jobs are becoming available for those with a solid work ethic. Lots of community based trap ranges and gun clubs. Fair amount of public land. If you know Michigan weather you know WI weather. SW part of the state, while beautiful has a poorer economy. RD

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

If a jack of all trades wanted to go where the opportunities were good to find gainful employment, I wonder where he might go. Any hot leads out there?

MN is probably better than MI, but not by much. Contacts, it's all about who you know. Good Luck,
Jon

[frkelly74]

There have been a couple comments about it being who you know that matters , not what you know. I know that this is a fact of life and that is why I posted this. There are quite a few here that I presume to feel that I know and I was thinking that maybe there was someone who knew someone who had a lead or need for an able jack. Maybe we are all in the same boat.

And the term Jack of all trades seems to have acquired a bad or at least neutral connotation. You say I am a jack of all trades and the personnel girl who looks like she is 12 thinks " Oh, no certification, and he looks so old, too bad".
My wife tells me that Jack of all trades really doesn't mean anything any more to most people, they have no idea what you do when you say that. I see that I need to put a finer point on describing my abilities.

[Three-Fifty-Seven]

Home maintenance?

Residential services?

Find an area that has a large retirement population . . .

[jameslovesjammie]

Minot ND is a fantastic place right now for a jack of all trades. Besides the huge oil boom going on, Minot had a massive flood this summer. 1/4 of the town was affected. 10,000 people's homes are currently needing renovation/demolition.

As mentioned earlier, housing is the issue up here. Bring a camper. We had a housing shortage before the flood. Now it's nearly impossible to get a place.

[DLCTEX]

You do not have to tell an officer you are carrying concealed in your car anymore in Texas since the State Supreme court ruled that the Castle Doctrine covers your car. That is what a State trooper told me anyway.

[garbear]

Around here is who you know. Jobs are hard to come by. houses are cheap. We just bought a 4 bedroom house on .99 acres for 67k. lucky for me wife grew up here and her family may have me a job locked up can't say what it is until it is official. I have been hauling hay in the summers during harvest and threw a temp agency anything to pay the bills which for use isn't a lot. . She has a good jog at the care center. A handy man doing light construction would do well here though.
Garbear

[358wcf]

Actual recent history here- My son in law and daughter just moved to the Houston area, (TEXAS, Y'all!)he- 2 months ago, she, last week--
Darren was unable to land anything in Calif in the law enforcement world, and got hired on in Texas within 10 days! Great job, affordable housing, nursing school for my daughter-- what's not to like (other than having them 2000 miles from home!)-
Don't even consider California. Even the illegal aliens have stopped coming here- THERE ARE NO JOBS--
Texas sure looks good from here, but my wife and I both have great jobs- BUT, when either of us has to find another job (heaven forbid) or we retire in a few years, it is ADIOS, Calif!

Chuck
358wcf [smilie=1:[smilie=1:[smilie=1:

[Down South]

Do you have any oilfield experience? I'm talking offshore production. If so PM me. I may have jobs available for technicians, electrical and mechanical. This will be working in the Gulf of Mexico either 7/7 or 14/14.

[Olevern]

for an able-bodied man willin to do hard labor there are many jobs open in the natural gas development field in north-central Pa. Many workers have relocated from other areas to work the gas fields here developing the Marcellus shale formation. Pay is good, hours are long, work is physically demanding.

[MT Gianni]

There have been a couple comments about it being who you know that matters , not what you know. I know that this is a fact of life and that is why I posted this. There are quite a few here that I presume to feel that I know and I was thinking that maybe there was someone who knew someone who had a lead or need for an able jack. Maybe we are all in the same boat.

And the term Jack of all trades seems to have acquired a bad or at least neutral connotation. You say I am a jack of all trades and the personnel girl who looks like she is 12 thinks " Oh, no certification, and he looks so old, too bad".
My wife tells me that Jack of all trades really doesn't mean anything any more to most people, they have no idea what you do when you say that. I see that I need to put a finer point on describing my abilities.

For me I always associate it with the way I heard the rest of the phrase "Master of none". After 41+ years of working [started for Dad at 16, I'm not counting the produce stands and vegetable garden @ 5 years old] employers really like hands that can do a lot of different things, but will not hire someone readily unless they are able to show long-term employable skills in a trade, certificates or not. This doesn't look well for the newly graduated.

[frkelly74]

I guess I will just print up some cards and hand them out to everyone I know. Most who have been to our house are impressed with my work. At least they say they are. And I have done work in many houses in the area without making too many people mad. I was licensed as a builder until last year when the EPA started to require special lead training and a $500 fee in order to be licensed. Since I haven't worked in construction since 2006 and therefore have not made money with my license I decided not to pay out that money. So painting and repairs under the radar it will have to be.

[frkelly74]

lets see

[frkelly74]

like this?

[Char-Gar]

Texas!!!!

[Freightman]

They just announced that we are going to build an new multi story hotel and a new Base ball stadium in downtown Amarillo, and will create 600 new jobs. My nephew just went to work at the nuclear weapons plant here with good benefits and they hire a lot of different trades he is a refrigeration specialist, then there is always Bell Helicopter they are building the Tilt- rotter aircraft. I was out in the SW part of town where they are laying new streets and utilities for a large sub division lots of jobs but it is HOT here and someone from your cool climate needs to get here in the winter to get use to it. we have been 40+ days above 100 since the first of June. And no rain since January, you gotta be tough to be a Texan.