Considering a move to Wyoming (Cheyenne, Laramie: job market, living, heating bill)

[Drayb3]

Hey all, my girlfriend and I are considering a move to Wyoming, and we're wondering what the job market would be for two East Coasters like us!

Some background: I'm 23 and she's 24, both white, both conservative. I have a BA in criminal justice and sociology (double major), and a minor in history. I've been working in emergency management for about a year now. She has a BA in sculpture/womens' studies, and has just been working administrative assistant positions while doing her own art and selling it on the side.

What would the job market in Wyoming be for people like us/where should we look? I'm thinking maybe Cheyenne or Laramie?

Also, how difficult is it to get hired being from out of state. It would be a big move; we currently live in Center City Philadelphia, and we want to get away from the money-pit that is the East Coast!

We'd really appreciate any advice

[ElkHunter]

The first place I'd look is http://www.wyomingatwork.com That sight lists all the jobs available or listed with every job service office in the state. So you can do searches by city, county, state wide, wage, job type, etc... It will list all the jobs and when you click on one, it will show you the job description, wage, benefits, location.

As far as getting hired being from out of state, I've always found that Wyoming pretty much hires the best person for the job, regardless of where they are from.

Are you looking for any particular area? Mountains, prairie, trees, etc...?

[Brian_M]

Just for what it's worth, Lander is a town that's a bit more "artsy" than a lot of other places in Wyoming. Meaning there are a lot of self-employed artists of ALL kinds there, who are able to make a living by selling to other locals (most of the town is employed in some government fashion or another). And those Gov. jobs might be a the in-road for you too....

As for getting hired, I was in charge of hiring my replacement when I left Wyoming a bit over a year ago. We had applicants from all the surrounding states, and a couple from much further out. While we brought in 3 people for face to face interviews (from CO, WY and MT), it was because they were the 3 best options. We hired the guy from CO because he appeared to be the best fit for the position. If one of the guys from further out seemed to be a good fit, we would have asked them to come visit (travel on his dime) ~ so there's hope for you while looking from home. Just understand that a lot of jobs aren't listed online (or in easily found online places), so you're limited in that capacity.

Good luck with it though. I grew up in Wyoming and love it there, but it's just not the right fit for my wife.

[Drayb3]

Thanks for advice. I'll check out Lander too. We're really willing to move almost anywhere in the state, whether it's prairie, mountains....anything really.

It's good to hear that Wyoming is open to out of state applicants... it seems like far too often people just hire the local choice, even if there is a much more qualified out of state option.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by Drayb3

We're really willing to move almost anywhere in the state, whether it's prairie, mountains....anything really.

Have you heard about the wind????

[Drayb3]

Originally Posted by ElkHunter

Have you heard about the wind????

Lol, yes I have! Wind doesn't bother me, I know I could live with it. My girlfriend on the other hand...that might take some getting used to with her.

[ElkHunter]

Originally Posted by Drayb3

Lol, yes I have! Wind doesn't bother me, I know I could live with it. My girlfriend on the other hand...that might take some getting used to with her.

I always thought I could put up with the wind, then I moved to Hanna. Now I hate wind. haha

There are several places in the state where the wind is very mild. But there are areas that wind is a major factor.

A person can put up with wind better then their belongings. Ever had one side of your car sandblasted? How about major dust in the house? Heating bills reflect it when the wind blows unless you have really excellent window and door seals.

[Drayb3]

Interesting, I'd definitely take that into consideration. What areas have the least amount of harsh winds? My first car was definitely affected by wind and salt (I grew up in NJ near NYC and the shore). The salt ended up rusting the old car out. How strong do the gusts get? I read in a post here that trucks occasionally get toppled over due to the winds

[ElkHunter]

There are three area's that REALLY have wind.

I-25 around Chugwater.

I-80 going through the Arlington Wind Tunnel. Not actually a tunnel, but the winds seem to tunnel down to a particular area. That is between Laramie and Sinclair/Rawlins.

I-80 in the area of the Three Sisters. That is further West on I-80.

Area's of less wind. Sheridan, Buffalo, Ranchester, Dayton, Parkman. This area is nestled up against the Big Horn Mountains. Storms seem to come boiling over the top and they land about 15 miles East of Sheridan, or South East of Buffalo.

Somebody else will have to chime in on what's West of the Big Horns as I've spent very little time over there.

By the way. No salt on the roads around here. The windshield company's talked the state of Wyoming into use great big rocks to put on the highway. That way, when somebody passes you, you'll end up getting your windsheild replaced. My truck is a 1985 Ford. Original windsheild. The last car I had was a Lincoln Mk VIII. I had it 4 years and replaced 3 windshields.

[jody_wy]

and almost no wind with 3 national forest Star Valley