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Hi guys,
I'm sorry to ask this and clog up your forum. I noticed there are lots of "should I move to ND for a oil job/How can I move to ND for a oil job?". I've tried to read as many of them as possible and the links you guys have suggested, but I still feel I need to ask this from people who live in the area.
Short version:
Early 30's with no kids, College educated with Business degree, Currently work at low wage job part-time, lots of student loans that I cant pay, live with parents, tried applying online with zero results for jobs in ND, I want a job with lots of overtime that has a future, want to get into the oil industry. Should I just quit my job and drive up there and try to find work and housing?
Long version:
I've been applying to positions online located in Williston and the surrounding communities for several months with only getting rejection emails and or "Thank you for applying we decided to go with a more qualified candidate." Positions I've applied for have included Administrative support, customer service, tellers at banks, some oil support services related to the rigs that are out there. I was hoping to get a interview and secure a job so that if I go up there I have a job and I can secure housing. I've tried Halliburton and a bunch of the other big oil companies and have not even been able to get an interview.
Currently I live on the other side of the United States near the West Coast/South West. So to drive up would mean to quit my current job and drive 1500 miles and hope I can find housing and a job.
My situation:
I'm in my early 30's now. I was doing well with employment until the 2008 housing crash. I lost my job and pretty much everything and I ended up enrolling in college (I was in my 20's at this point) and I graduated recently with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Unfortunately after going to countless job fairs, networking to the best of my ability, going to businesses in person and filling out endless job applications I've only managed to get employed in a low paying part-time job in retail two years after graduating college.I make about $15,000 a year right now working almost full-time hours. I also have a large chunk of student loans that I need to pay back, but I can't at my current income level. I've had to move back in with my parents to keep from going homeless/defaulting on my student loans.
Everyone keeps telling me I should go to North Dakota and get a job in the oil fields. I want to do that. I have a clean background, I go to work on time and everyday, I have a college educated background with years and years of work experience in retail/Fortune 500 companies. But I can't seem to get a job offer.
I've seen the postings for McDonalds/Wal-Mart/Menards pay $17 an hour but "housing is $2K a month for a one bedroom so its not worth it" threads. I am really hoping to be able to get into something that has the ability to grow into a well paying position with a company and not get stuck in a low wage retail/cashier position.
I'm not trying to sound like an entitled *******, but ideally I'd like to get a position where I could use my college degree that I worked very hard for and borrowed lots of money to get. If that's not an option that I will do what ever is needed as long as it pays well with overtime. So how to become a roughneck/oil hand or similar? I worry about finding housing to.
Should I quit my job and just drive up there? I've been trying for months to get something and I can't seem to get anywhere by applying online. I feel like im wasting my life away at my low wage job going deeper into to debt if I don't take the risk and move up there. I just want to know if this would be a way to get a better paying job/life.
Hi guys,
I'm sorry to ask this and clog up your forum. I noticed there are lots of "should I move to ND for a oil job/How can I move to ND for a oil job?". I've tried to read as many of them as possible and the links you guys have suggested, but I still feel I need to ask this from people who live in the area.
Short version:
Early 30's with no kids, College educated with Business degree, Currently work at low wage job part-time, lots of student loans that I cant pay, live with parents, tried applying online with zero results for jobs in ND, I want a job with lots of overtime that has a future, want to get into the oil industry. Should I just quit my job and drive up there and try to find work and housing?
Long version:
I've been applying to positions online located in Williston and the surrounding communities for several months with only getting rejection emails and or "Thank you for applying we decided to go with a more qualified candidate." Positions I've applied for have included Administrative support, customer service, tellers at banks, some oil support services related to the rigs that are out there. I was hoping to get a interview and secure a job so that if I go up there I have a job and I can secure housing. I've tried Halliburton and a bunch of the other big oil companies and have not even been able to get an interview.
Currently I live on the other side of the United States near the West Coast/South West. So to drive up would mean to quit my current job and drive 1500 miles and hope I can find housing and a job.
My situation:
I'm in my early 30's now. I was doing well with employment until the 2008 housing crash. I lost my job and pretty much everything and I ended up enrolling in college (I was in my 20's at this point) and I graduated recently with a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration. Unfortunately after going to countless job fairs, networking to the best of my ability, going to businesses in person and filling out endless job applications I've only managed to get employed in a low paying part-time job in retail two years after graduating college.I make about $15,000 a year right now working almost full-time hours. I also have a large chunk of student loans that I need to pay back, but I can't at my current income level. I've had to move back in with my parents to keep from going homeless/defaulting on my student loans.
Everyone keeps telling me I should go to North Dakota and get a job in the oil fields. I want to do that. I have a clean background, I go to work on time and everyday, I have a college educated background with years and years of work experience in retail/Fortune 500 companies. But I can't seem to get a job offer.
I've seen the postings for McDonalds/Wal-Mart/Menards pay $17 an hour but "housing is $2K a month for a one bedroom so its not worth it" threads. I am really hoping to be able to get into something that has the ability to grow into a well paying position with a company and not get stuck in a low wage retail/cashier position.
I'm not trying to sound like an entitled *******, but ideally I'd like to get a position where I could use my college degree that I worked very hard for and borrowed lots of money to get. If that's not an option that I will do what ever is needed as long as it pays well with overtime. So how to become a roughneck/oil hand or similar? I worry about finding housing to.
Should I quit my job and just drive up there? I've been trying for months to get something and I can't seem to get anywhere by applying online. I feel like im wasting my life away at my low wage job going deeper into to debt if I don't take the risk and move up there. I just want to know if this would be a way to get a better paying job/life.
Any suggestions?
Forget your business degree.
Can you stand up for 8 hours at a time?
If so forget Williston. Go to the Bobcat online and apply for an assembly line job. The wages start at 16 an hour and go up after the probationary period to 20. Right now, you can write your own check in overtime. It is inside work so you can avoid the worst of the weather.
John Deere is hiring in Fargo, and Cirrus is hiring in Grandforks, all assembly line jobs. I think, but don't know that the Cirrus job is 16 an hour but that number keeps sticking in my head. They are going to be building a cool personal jet.
I will note, housing in Grand Forks is a little tighter that in Fargo.
Once you get up here and get your feet on the ground, then you can make contacts in the oil fields, if you decide to go there.
If you have good color vision, the electric companies are crying for electrician apprentices. If you can become an electrician you can write your ticket and you can't be outsourced or replaced with undocumented labor.
Because housing is so tough to get, most oil related company's don't want to talk to people that don't already have housing. It is too risky for them to get somebody on the hook and then find out you can't find housing. Face to face is a much better option.
If you're in eastern North Dakota, you are much more likely to get a response. The employers know that you'll be much more likely to hack the weather. The aren't likely to respond if you're from Ariz, Nev, or Calif and they have to move you. Oil companies will normally only hire geologists, engineers, or highly specialized people from a distance.
As Qazulight mentioned, consider Fargo and Grand Forks, and get an assembly line job. They have a hard time with workers because they go west to find even higher pay. There companies if far NW Minn like Polaris, Arctic Cat, DigiKey, Cental Boiler that desperately need workers. Devils Lake even has a factory making dinnerware out of wheat straw that is needing people bad. Minot and Bismarck have a lot of jobs, but aren't considered directly in the oil patch.
Your business degree could come in handy someday, but you first need to be on the ground in eastern or central ND where housing isn't $2 k / month. The oil business were still be there in a year or two, but fill a position in eastern ND first.
Its not that they don't hire people from afar, but face facts. They have many many people applying every day. They really take a chance putting somebody on the hook that doesn't have a place to stay and is not present for all the little questions that can come up. They are looking at a rubber stamped resume that looks exactly like the other 1500 resumes in the 'in box'. A resume would really have to stand out or have some little notch that would make them take the chance.
On the other hand, they have a guy standing in front of them that can answer any question that comes up. He has already shown initiative by taking time out of his life to walk in the door. They can evaluate his/her physical stature, his demeaned, his willingness and so much more.
I was hiring an engineer one time for a fiber optics team. I literally had a stack of resumes on my desk that was over a foot tall when I came in one morning. In the middle of the stack was a resume that was printed on floresencent pink bond paper. I pulled it out of the middle of the stack, thinking this is one I gotta see. The cover letter had one simple little paragraph that said, "You would have to be a complete idiot, to not read and give me a fair appraisal.". He started the next Monday. His resume was no better or worse than the rest of the stack, but, his straight forward approach and the extra mile he went to make sure his resume was read, showed me he had the attitude to step out in front of others. Hired him and never regretted it.
Companies get flooded during the spring when the folks from warmer areas come flooding back. Positions are easier to secure when they flock south again.
I wouldn't suggest quitting your current job, but take a week or two of unpaid leave (or paid vacation/sick if you have any stored up) and go check it out.
Totally worth the shot. Thinking about doing something similar myself although I'll exhaust the online option first (long drive from Annapolis). I'm already in a trades job (even with a GI bill paid college education) so that might be a leg up, but if you can get anything in the $20/hr. range then absolutely take it.
If housing is provided then it's a no brainer, even if it's barracks-like conditions (no problem for me) which is fine for someone with no wife or kids. My other option is to wait until I have exactly a year of experience, which should place me right at the start of late fall going into winter! Nice time for a move 'eh?
Really I think the worst thing for us late twenty-somethings and early thirty-somethings to do is to stagnate. Part-time retail wages are not something someone in our age group with that level of education should be doing.
If you have good color vision, the electric companies are crying for electrician apprentices. If you can become an electrician you can write your ticket and you can't be outsourced or replaced with undocumented labor.
Cheers
Qazulight
Sweet, that's what I'm doing right now: electric work. I'd say right now my company (out of Annapolis, MD) does 50% new residential construction, 25% remodels/renovations, 10% commercial buildings (all existing retrofits so far) and 15% service calls.
But I only have 6 months experience. Not sure if I should look now or wait another six. Maybe I'll jump on some online stuff. I do like my company, they take really good care of us, but at the end of the day I'm in it to win it ($$$$).
Actually I've come to know a guy from another company (met at the supply shop because it's not like we work with other electricians, but I do know a few dozen plumbers and a dozen hvac crews for example) who is color-blind but can hack it because the wires are distinct enough shades (they are). The only thing this guy can't do is wire telephone jacks, but those are very infrequent nowadays, maybe once a month I've done 1 or 2 in a house and it's usually just replacing old work with a new cover.
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