Troubling Paradigm From Mainers (Mexico: apartment complex, for rent, condo)

[IHeartMaine]

Maine is a funny place as there are not a lot of "manufactured" human experiences here. You really have to just live it.......and the overall experience of living in Maine just builds over time. If you want a constant whirl of people, traffic, noise, lights, etc........then Maine isn't for you. While most other states are built for consumerism and metro living..........Maine is an anomaly......more organic and still hanging on to the antique theory of community building and intimate human interaction.

[Rime]

My experience:

Portland ('09-'11) - restaurant jobs are widely available but extremely competitive - there is a large "lifer" restaurant community who nab the best gigs. Get out of the downtown/Old Port though and you'll have more luck. Yes, you can sell yourself on personality as this industry is still very much face-to-face. Other jobs however, the 9-5 corporate type, are the standard anonymous fill out a resume on a computer thing. You can go to Bonney Staffing and get something pretty easily/quickly to pay the bills, and sometimes those temp positions land you a permanent offer. I worked for Hannaford/Delhaize corporate through them for a while and it wasn't bad - no benefits but good people and regular pay/hours. These days I hear Portland is booming though so there should be more options.

Rural Maine (current) - it's all about who you know. I got the job I did because I bought the house of a friend of the employer and he knew my father-in-law. Connections are extremely important. Most people still want to see a resume but will also give you a chance to meet in person. There is a bias to locals - because job opportunities are limited, they tend to go to those who are invested in the community vs transients. A regular 9-5 with benefits is rare but not impossible - most abundant in health care and education as previously mentioned. If you have a number of practical skills and can cross over roles this is great - i.e. bookkeeper/admin/marketer/customer service/IT. You wear a lot of hats.

I actually think it's easier to get a job once you're here - again, it's the perception that you're not just passing through on a whim. So I might downplay the nomadism some.

If you have some $$ saved up as a cushion you can live very cheaply if you're creative and not too picky.

As to the general commentary... we're a younger couple (early 30s). We moved (back) here because my husband was born in Maine. He's started a new business with his father. The community seems pretty supportive of it (aside from some initial NIMBY out-of-staters). We see a few other young people with small businesses also - convenience stores, farms, etc. It's not easy living but you can have a house, an ATV, a newer truck, and put your kids through state school as long as you're frugal and somewhat handy (i.e. DIYer).

Like all things, it comes down to priorities.... and what you're willing to sacrifice for them.

[Northern Maine Land Man]

I met a guy this week. He is a Mainer who left and worked running a construction crew in Wyoming and South Dakota for four years. He put up large steel buildings for the oil fields. He came back because he wants some stability for his family. He is a licensed electrician and owns a skidder. He cuts wood for other landowners. I'm going to have him do some small electric jobs for me. He is booked solid until the middle of September and I have a job for him this fall building a 40 by 60 foot metal building. I get nothing out of this. I just know people and want the guy to succeed and the landowner to get a good metal building. Our economic system works on informal relationships and word of mouth referrals. You can't arrive, go inside and wait for the world to come to you. I refer you to my "status" line up there below my handle; "Advocate for rural Maine". I have been doing that for four decades.

[Rime]

"Our economic system works on informal relationships and word of mouth referrals."

This - I was looking for a place to kennel our dogs, and someone told me about a family in town that boards. You wouldn't know it if you relied on the phone book, Internet, etc. though - they're not even listed in the yellow pages, everyone just knows they're the dog kennel.

[corgis]

Originally Posted by Rime

"Our economic system works on informal relationships and word of mouth referrals."

This - I was looking for a place to kennel our dogs, and someone told me about a family in town that boards. You wouldn't know it if you relied on the phone book, Internet, etc. though - they're not even listed in the yellow pages, everyone just knows they're the dog kennel.

That's what it's like in our small town in Eastern Maine.

[woxyroxme]

I would gladly move back to Eastport if I could get a job there, but will likely have to wait until I retire to move back, wife and I are currently trying to save as much as we can so we can retire early.

[Submariner]

Originally Posted by woxyroxme

I would gladly move back to Eastport if I could get a job there, but will likely have to wait until I retire to move back, wife and I are currently trying to save as much as we can so we can retire early.

There are many retirees migrating to Maine.

Join us when you can.

[dramamama6685]

Originally Posted by Submariner

There are many retirees migrating to Maine.

Join us when you can.

We will. Until then vacations every other year His wife mayor may not be stalking job postings just in case.

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by maineguy8888

This portrayal may be a bit too bleak, imho.

I don't know. I think it's pretty close to the truth for my area (Central Maine) anyway. I base this on what I see from friends/neighbors/coworkers and those I come in contact with at my job.

I do believe that this quote is pretty spot on.

"It's a great place to live and opportunities do exist, but it can be tough if you come here expecting things to come together without patience, flexibility, and persistence."

One thing I've noticed in some very rural areas, are the number of tractor trailers parked in the yard.

We seem to have a lot of independent trucker drivers among us.

It's a good state to be in if you have a practical job like that (or other trades that people will always need). But for the most part, IMHO, the largest employers in Central Maine (that pay a living wage) are in the healthcare arena.

[cebdark]

Originally Posted by DesM

Totally not interested in driving a truck, thanks!

For the record, I'm neither running away from anything nor assuming Maine will solve problems. I can't speak for others but I don't have any problems, and/or my reasons have nothing to do with problems either way. I have a handful of reasons for looking into it, but the main reason falls squarely on the simple fact I'm a grown up and can live wherever I want to live and Maine has been sounding good "on paper" in all ways except the harsh winter. I'm not utterly opposed to it but it's not high on my list of plusses. Also not looking to spend any winters in and RV but was looking for year round parks so I wouldn't have to up and move after 2 weeks. I don't own an RV, just looking into it.

I'm a nomadic sort and have a penchant for needing new places and new experiences, so when I get bored living somewhere I'll pick somewhere else and check it out. This would give some people hives if they're the sort who flip out at the first whiff of change or think existing in one spot til you drop dead is "stability and security". That's not the definition as far as I'm concerned. That's stagnation and death. I thrive on change, embrace novelty and like to see and experience new things.

All my old friends decided "getting married" and "raising families" and "keeping up with the Joneses" and buying one house to live in forever was what "life" was all about. To me, all those things are fates worse than death.

There's too much real estate and 7+ billion people on this planet...and I'm only going to be here once so I want experience

That said, what I've realized holds true on this forum as any other one, is something that I learned many years ago:

No matter the question or topic when you ask a group of people for feedback and/or advice, it breaks down about like so, using 10 as an example:

three of ten people you ask will encourage you to go for it,
three of ten people you ask will be full of doom and gloom and discourage you,
three of ten people you ask have no opinion so derail the topic to other irrelevant things just,
and the last one doesn't give sh*t what you do ;-p

I've been reading through CD forum for days and I found a couple other places and the above is basically how it plays out when people ask about living in Maine. I really wanted to know if it's as charming as it's hyped or if charm is a talking point and the rest of it sucks :P The half dozen theme parks are pulling hard.

Best way to find out is gonna be the hard way, I suppose...show up and see what happens!

Thanks for the comments though!

Good luck to you whatever you decide.