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Anyone out there in GIS? I'm trying to learn as much as I can but don't have much of place to start. I'm stranded for the second major time in careers and probably going to have to try something new (already have BA and MA in history). GIS was suggested in a thread I posted about environmental science-type degrees and jobs, and it at least has job prospects (environmental seemed more up in the air). Aside from my degrees I've been all over (accounting/data entry, defense contracting/radiation safety, and last was oilfield/radiation safety). Only thing is I'm basically tethered to S. Texas. Job search isn't going well and I'm near taking my old job back but I'll be out of town for extended periods. It will hopefully allow me to pursue a new degree though. Just can't pick something that bombs. Any thoughts are much appreciated.
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Apr 2, 2017 22:52
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Yeah going for your masters because you have nothing else going isn't always the best decision. Maybe get that first job in your field before committing to more debt? My wife got her MS in accountancy and it proved valuable but she was already working in the field. Accounting folks seem to be in pretty high demand these days, but you might have to be prepared to move. Just general thoughts.
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Jun 18, 2017 23:00
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It's probably good to have something to show during those "gaps", so I think learning job stuff would help (not to list but to have ready as an explanation). You could always do some volunteer work too to show you stayed busy/productive, I guess. I've had tons of trouble finding work in the past but AFAIK the catch was never downtime after one job ended and the next began. Most places seem more concerned that you're worth a drat and not a shitheel.
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Jun 29, 2017 19:59
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Is an MBA still a worthwhile thing to pursue? It seems like everyone and their mom had or was going for one a few years back. I'm still aimlessly poking in the dark trying to find a viable direction to go from where I am currently. I'm doing a bit more project management than previously, so figured some kind of overlap, and I could probably get my work to pay for part of the MBA.
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Aug 7, 2017 18:23
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Guinness posted:If someone else is paying for it and it aligns with the direction you want to go (i.e., upper management), arguably yes. I don't have any real people management experience (certainly not formally) so I have no clue if this would even be a good fit for me. Keep trying to brainstorm, just haven't hit on anything that makes good sense. LuiCypher posted:Ph.D.s in other fields are generally funded as well. The rule of thumb is that if you don't get your Ph.D. funded, it's a very polite 'no' from the university/invitation to apply again next year with better experience or when they have more money to go around. Paying for your Ph.D seems like the height of lunacy given how long it takes you out of the employment market. My Liberal Arts MA (PhD track) was funded plus a stipend and I still felt like it was a bad time. I can't imagine having debt on top of all that.
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Aug 7, 2017 19:16
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Thanks for the info. Best guess I had was totally general. Back to the drawing board, I guess.
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Aug 8, 2017 18:41
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Are there 40-hour courses that might be worthwhile for project management? Regardless of where I end up, I figure that can't be a bad thing to pick up.
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Aug 9, 2017 01:07
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Kudaros posted:Yeah I got my bachelors during the recession. Had originally planned on grad school anyway, but looked at the job market and it seemed like grad school was the only choice! I'm still in this mindset "there are no jobs" on some levels. Depending on what field you're in (and I don't think this applies to you in particular), this was true then and is true now, grad school and the recession seem to do some solid conditioning to that end.
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Sep 23, 2017 17:01
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Anyone out there have any experience with Technical Writing? Seems like largely contract work so not super stable but decent demand, at least?
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Sep 27, 2017 21:34
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KillHour posted:I've done it. It's easy money if you know what you're doing. Boring though. I'm not sure on the demand, but the times I've done it were companies coming to me asking me if I could do it. I imagine it would be pretty easy to find work if I actually went looking for it. Do you have any degree or anything for it? I never seemed to get any consideration trying from the outside. What role were you in when you were asked? I was a bit worried about the boring part, and likely there's not much of anywhere to go with it.
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Oct 1, 2017 22:08
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Re: rendezvouspoo Seems like a no-brainer to take the new offer, plus you’re still close enough to come back if family/homesickness or something else is a concern. This is from someone who could move every few years without issue, but I don’t see any real drawbacks (if that’s what you’re asking).
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Feb 6, 2018 17:29
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rendevouspoo posted:The relocation doesn't bother us at all. The main concern is the initial financial impact between me moving there and renting while the wife and kids stay back until the end of school year. Sorry if I missed that in your original post. Your biggest help here will be to sit down and budget your expenses and get everything lined out (and then stick to it). Make sure you can cover both, with that sort of money it should be easily workable (even the signing bonus will cover rent for a while). Plan to be making weekend trips home, I cook at home and take good with me and live pretty simply while working, it’s tougher on wife at home alone with kids but it’s manageable.
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Feb 6, 2018 17:38
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Was there a thread somewhere like A/T for government employees or the like? Had an interview today and was looking to pick some brains, but I’m not finding anything.
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Feb 8, 2018 21:15
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That’s the one, thanks. Looked for a good while and was never able to bring it (or even the right subforum) up, maybe I’m just bad at phone browsing.
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Feb 11, 2018 02:38
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Often people aren’t a perfect fit and companies, I think, make an allowance for that. Do you think it’s something you can learn? The impostor feeling is surprisingly common as I understand it, but if you’re willing and able to learn and adapt then no reason you should fear unless the culture was just that bad, in which case why entertain the offer?
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Feb 19, 2018 19:14
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I&E techs and electricians are in such high demand in the oil field you basically can’t not get hired. Guys before they graduate school have employers lined up with offers in-hand. FWIW.
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Oct 16, 2018 22:59
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So is it a bad idea when interviewing to answer the “why are you looking to change jobs?” Question with wanting to move home/be closer to family? I don’t want to lose any bargaining power, I’ll have little enough as is, I suspect.
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Jun 7, 2019 01:14
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Company contacted me for interview (phone), thought it went quite well and was ready to proceed then get stock denial email today. I don’t even have to have it and job searching loving blows.  gently caress’s sake
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Jun 13, 2019 22:22
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Don’t pigeonhole yourself in feeling you need to stick exactly (or even roughly) to your degree field (unless you went STEM or for something very particular, possibly). I’ve done better just getting in somewhere and proving myself than I ever did trying to stick nearer “degreed” skills.
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Jun 28, 2019 16:26
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Parrotine posted:So I could really use some good advice on career hunting that isnt 'do computer work/programming'. Where are you at and are you able to move? Oil field will hire anyone with a pulse and pays stupid money. COL is also dumb but you’d have a shot in hell, at least.
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Jul 19, 2019 20:35
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Parrotine posted:I live in an area of Texas called Spring, which is about a 30 minute drive north of the city of Houston. I actually grew up there so I know exactly where you mean. Each city will have pros/cons, and each has its own industry strengths. Houston does have a lot of oil and gas, Dallas seems to have a lot of transportation. I know there is some tech in Austin, San Antonio has a mix and more military. Medical seems big in all of them. West Texas is in oil boom pretty well right now and you can make 6 figures driving a truck I’m pretty sure. CoL is outrageous though, quality of life isn’t great and road safety is atrocious. Eagle Ford is coming back some but it won’t be as easy as Permian. Money would still be crazy though. So part depends on what industry you’re looking at, honestly if you’re going to stay hourly, no sense moving unless you have a definite plan with an industry/company you’re targeting, IMO. I had an offer for like a mail clerk at an oil company there while still in high school, so don’t discount those types of positions either. Wage may not be much higher but benefits should be.
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Jul 21, 2019 16:12
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poo poo I was pretty happy to make $14/hr after grad school.
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Jul 22, 2019 19:12
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spwrozek posted:Yikes. I hope that was 30 years ago. Nope, ~8. I chose...poorly. Should’ve spun the wheel again, I guess.
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Jul 22, 2019 19:55
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BeastOfExmoor posted:I'd have to double check, but I'm pretty sure that my wife's organization still hires masters level mental health employees at roughly that rate in a high cost of living area (Seattle). That's a union job too. Ouch. I did come out of grad school in ‘09 so that was an extra bummer (I appreciate the kindness there) but I know it’s a lot on me too, I got caught in the overqualified on education/underqualified on experience trap, and I can be confident if I play my cards wrong(er) I will be right back competing for those jobs. I was foolish enough to think I had 2-3 prospects recently and they all ghosted me (including one that called me!) Before I basically took my old job back, I had a single offer on a night job across town at $15/hr. Now all I have to do is commute 5 hours each way.
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Jul 22, 2019 20:45
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Haha that is super lovely. I’m lucky that I’m not stuck badly for a job right now but being home would be nice. Living away for prolonged periods in tiny dwellings is not as rosy as it might seem.
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Jul 22, 2019 22:31
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KYOON GRIFFEY JR posted:if you're mechanically inclined and in reasonably good physical shape you could get a job as a tech. not sure how much your brain injury would interfere with your ability to follow repair procedures and the like but tech is pretty stable, portable, and in demand. the downside is that shops are run like feudal counties on the bad side, a significant number of your colleagues may be far right jagoffs, and you'll be really dirty all the time. I think you’re allowed to ask about jagoff numbers during the interview. Encouraged, even!
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Aug 4, 2019 21:02
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Bi-la kaifa posted:I like that idea. There'd be a couple hurdles, like getting my red seal and being able to drive again. But it pays very well here and comes with extended benefits and job security. The local tech school has apprenticeships available so I'm going to check that out. I should have mentioned the not being able to drive thing. The doc says my brain starts to shut down when it's overstimulated, and driving can be a trigger for that. But I don't know if that's going to go away or not. Maybe you could carpool to a job and/or not be the road tester. Just a thought. Mechanics are in demand everywhere, as far as I know.
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Aug 4, 2019 21:56
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moana posted:just make the sexiest wheel possible This will be someone’s epitaph now. Good info. Is fantasy still a poo poo show to try and get into?
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Aug 5, 2019 04:16
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moana posted:You talking about wizards and orcs or about sexy dragonkin who sex each other up? Because I know someone making a million a year and you can guess what kind she writes. The former. As to the latter, I’d rather not even guess.
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Aug 5, 2019 15:05
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KillHour posted:A million a year? gently caress, smut pays. SmutFuckers Incorporated
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Aug 5, 2019 18:13
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Or being salaried, really. I’m not sure who teaching is for, these days.
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Aug 14, 2019 19:34
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Yeah I don’t envy people in that line of work at all. I mean I’m still antisocial but I don’t even have a good excuse like that.
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Aug 14, 2019 22:22
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Sup MA history buddy. Best thing for me has been to get in somewhere and show them what you can do (which is at least work your rear end off). If you get with a manager who sees you have half a brain and are worth a drat, that could be your ticket to stability (and management). Doing a trade for a bit would give you subject matter expertise which is huge as a manager, IMO. Government still likes degrees too, if that’s worth anything.
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Aug 18, 2019 01:47
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As an employee of a large-ish company that sunk a ton of money into a misguided and wholly non-functioning platform that was supposed to link all systems, etc., ugh. What a drat disaster.
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Sep 5, 2019 16:02
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Betazoid posted:Apply for jobs in editorial! You may need to start as a lowly editorial assistant (pay is very bad), but I love editing. You can specialize in editing for legal, technical, contracting, government, educational, etc. PM me if you want to chat further. I've worked as a professional editor for a little more than 7 years now. I was never able to find a drat thing in this field, maybe technical writers but never could get a call back.
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Jul 30, 2020 02:14
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One thing I’ll say for sure: save as much as humanly possible and take advantage of any/all benefits your company offers while you can (including tuition reimbursement). Not knowing where you’re at, you could try to move to another oil “hot spot” (and of course be looking to get behind a desk since rig/field work takes a serious toll on your body, as you doubtless know). Start thinking on transferable skills (tools, mechanical, I&E) what’s your specialty/interest? Any schooling you might be able to do to expand/Hone with company money would be a big plus. Look at nearby cities, where y’all have family, etc. as opportunities there will help you transition more easily (IMO). Maybe sit down and do some budgeting, see what y’all can realistically live on (oil money really only exists in oil, it’s rare to see comparable salaries elsewhere, depending).
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Aug 2, 2020 22:14
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I work for a construction company in San Antonio (mostly concrete infrastructure), they have their own mining/aggregate company, Capitol Aggregates, you might check for their listings, etc. not sure where a position similar to yours might reside, but can’t hurt to look.
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Sep 24, 2020 12:24
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Cyril Sneer posted:Has anyone dealt with this sort of thing before? How do you bring something up like this to your boss without sounding whingy ("I'm above this work"), jealous, (how come HE gets to work on that) ,or, that you're directly criticizing their own management approach (titles, hierarchy, job roles and scope does actually matter)? Career Path Thread: I have worn many hates. To actually contribute, I don’t see any problem trying to sit down and ask for clarification/delineation of your job role/tasks. Go in armed with “my understanding is...” unless it’s physically spelled out somewhere. The best thing I’d think to recommend is to go in with solutions, not just a stack of problems. Tell them what you’re observing then propose changes and explain why it’d be better. I think you can do this without being too self-serving and even green management should be receptive to changes which increase efficiency and decrease stress (or any other pain points, as relevant).
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Oct 15, 2020 20:47
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I had a former boss spruce mine up (mostly just formatting) and it helped significantly. 1 for 12 isn’t actually too bad, depending, I’ve definitely had runs where I submitted dozens and got basically nothing.
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Jan 6, 2021 15:28
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