Just alittle background the company I worked for sold out to a larger outfit. With 125 workers so far seven are hired on. I applied there and dropped mass resumes to every outfit I could find in the area. I've only got one reply back and it sounds like I'll be mowing lawns more then doing any sort of equipment operations. I'm wondering is what people will do ten years from now? My resume is great. Growing up I was a dairy farm brat worked the fields put in my 60 hours a week while going to school. Out of high school I joined the marine corp to get operating experience and became a desert rat building roads at breakneck speed. Out of the service I operated for local company I knew since I was a knee high and did everything they asked. Finish Dozing, not bitching running the scraper/dozer when down a man, run special labor project like gabion baskets when we got a flood project. I want to be clear here I'm not bragging about my skill set or even whining on a online forum. I'm just wondering if I'm not working construction in my prime and find some other sort of work who becomes the future foremans and operators? I'm just baffled when I think of this because even though I'm young at thirty I dont see very many young guys as operators. This market is ****.
dude, the market is for xxxx. have a beer and try to relax.
pdmcgowan, you can take solace in the fact that it the same all over. I am primarily a hog farmer in Canada, and the last 4 years have been a total and complete disaster for me and mine. Somehow we are still going, we're bankrupt, we just haven't accepted it yet. Everyone i talk to (i ask every business person I meet) says the same thing. Gotta find something else to do cuz what they're doing isn't working anymore. It's the same all over. What i have figured out is the reason why the old guys just dont seem to give a crap anymore. Its cuz they have seen it all before. It's cuz they have learned that getting ahead is a fantasy, no matter how hard you work. At some point your expectations decline to match your income, and you finally find peace. Grab a beer and focus on the other things that make you happy.
Get used to it this is a different recession than we have ever had before. This is the biggest transfer of wealth in the history of the world from the west to the Middle East and Asia. We will never see booms like the 60's again. Stick a fork in the West we are done and debt laden with many people just lazy with kids even lazier.
I've been practicing the relaxing and brews for to long already . I'm suppose to be in a recession proof town and we our full to the gills in out of state contractors. I still dont think people understand how crappy it is out there. People seem to be complacent to "slow" market or even neive to the situation people our in. I seen it first hand the last few years before we shut our doors. I'm networking up the wahoo and forcing myself into offices but I cant blame them there isnt available positions. Anyways I'm volunteering my time with family and friends keeping busy. Best email I've got so far is about the construction boom in North Dakota. I bet all the locals would love another out of stater :tong.
^ That's what construction guys got to do in a recession, though. Hit the road. Hopefully you're not like me with two babies to watch for. I don't know if it'll work as I hear its slow all over. Last job I heard of was KBR in Iraq. Big money=big risk. Good luck and enjoy life because it could be worse.
I can feel the eyes rolling already, but it would be sweet if we were all placing high tension power lines to wind generators and grading out fields for solar arrays. Let India and China choke on coal dust as we move ahead with new technology. Isn't one definition of insanity doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results? The West will be done if we can't wake up and try something new. I write this as I look at several oil pumps sitting motionless, is the Tooth Fairy going to hide more oil under us? Not trying to hijack this thread for an eco-rant, I just wish we could focus our productivity on America's infrastructure instead of tearing down my local Kmart to build a Super Walmart. They both sell the same underwear!
All comes down to cost at the moment.
Thinking that most of us are willing to change "types" of jobs that we're doing, if only the municipalities would start getting their act together and allow a few things in their variences..... In my county they just voted to shut down or curtail new construction on wind turbines and solar arrays. I'm sure at this point many would welcome a job leveling a pad for a turbine, but our county just won't hear of it.
Get creative, "its only after losing everything that you are free to have anything." We have had a rough couple of years, but I have no where else to go, this is all I've got, so I've had to figure it out. There is still money out there, you just really gotta get out there and find it. IMO Things are in flux right now, and though they are generally terrible, there are a lot of strange opportunities out there too, you just have to look in different places than in years past. When things are booming, no one will listen, no one will give you a chance. Everyone thinks the party will never end, when it does, you get a chance to make your mark... Just my opinion
Alittle update since my orginal post. I got hired onto a local construction doing mainly underground. Funny thing is I'm closely working with my old employers finishing out punchlists for older jobs. I'm getting all the hours I want(besides raindays ). I'm ground grunting it and find it refreshing to be honest. Hourly pay is alittle higher and working enviroment is a 180 for the better. I guess my orginal rant is based off the regional company buying us out and mainly hiring the leg proppers. None of the good foremans got real offers and they didnt even courtesy call many others. In all this change is for the better and I'm no longer resenting the situation. Things are looking alot better for me but I'm not going to take it for granted. Now if I can get my old man a job .
Watglen has got it right. At some point your expectations decline to match your income and you finally find peace. Wow.... gives you something to think about. One thing seems certain is that America will never be the same and we are quickly turning Statist. Some people see it coming others haven't a clue. Your not going to like this country much when Obama gets done destroying it. Kap
Alot of the people at Industrial Builders Inc. are from MN.
Still loving my new job. This weekend we decided to work saturday to sunday to start some downtown jobs during low traffic. So I went from working underground, to groundpounding with the reclaimer, cracksealing/sealcoating ,to today parking lot striping. I decided to pay for my yearly medical insurance premium in three months. So added in with other awesome deduction I'm taking home 35% of my check :usa.
I've been traveling now for over 2 years. for ten years I always had work within driving distance of home. As most have stated this country is in dire straits. the current policies and the Govt. solutions are no solution at all. There is work out there but I've had to chase it all over the country. I have worked in 8 different states and one job in another country. At long last I managed to be home to receive a call for a long term project 30 minutes from the house. it will be nice to sleep in my own bed and be with my family on a daily basis for hopefully the next year.
Wow ! Your one of the lucky ones ! I don't know why you had so much trouble finding a good high paying job, Obama said he was focusing on jobs like a laser beam...... Best of luck on your new job !
I went baling again this week and left behind a couple days of generic one day underground stuff. I like the change of pace I've been doing parking lot striping, erosion control, dirt work. This year I'm more of a utility guy then anything. Some of the mainline guys dont like it but I'm happy working. I'm not developing into one of the excavator/grader pros and just a guy that will produce.
Goofy enuff we just picked up another super from a company and doing alot of site work now. The other guy I'm working with is hating but its atleast work. I'm not sure if we're expanding or trying to find work. Anyways busy and learning by the seat of my pants.
Kinda getting into to problems with the new "super". He's bringing in alot of site jobs because he's also the bidder and asking us to pull complete arse backwards things. Couple huge issues I've had already is him pulling materials from questionable sources. We get loads of dirty class 2 road rock I can mold in my hand. We had to shutdown trucks for two hours today because the pit operator went to breakfast. Also we're throwing out plans pulling numbers out of his ass for base material and concrete/blacktop. 2" of blacktop for a road and no base underneath sidewalks/curbs. I guess he thinks I'm stupid because he showed me a example of one unbroken sidewalk without base material like it was proof. I guess my fairytale job turned into another leg propper ****fest. The last few days we had a mutiny and just started throwing basic standards for everything we've built. He compromised and sent us a **** ton reclaim. Without having a meltdown in the shop I'm not sure how to handle this guy. He clearly doesnt know much about the actual work aspect and is just running number at a desk hoping we pull it out for him. I'm kinda stuck between needing a job and keeping a name for myself. ointhead
A job is a job nowadays. Just wait it out.
Thanks sandnsnow I get this feeling from everyone I work as well. Just sucks this slimmy little **** is still in construction and I see others sitting on the sideline. Honestly I'm starting to feel bad for the blacktoppers and concrete guys behind us picking up slack.
I spoke to early on this and should of just held my tongue. He's going to bat for me on renting equipment and I'm working hard dealing with **** material. Its just a normal transition of learning how to deal with people and jobs.
Like a idiot I rolled a sheepsfoot in a trench today. All I had to do was let the hoe guy keep working on the ramp for another min but I got alittle bit in a hurry. Was a "controlled" roll so wasnt to bad :beatsme. Really wish they stop bringing in all these foremans. I'm get really screwed on these jobs with four foremans proving there worth to the two workers.