HeadTrauma

Hey Folks! I just found this site and It seems to have great insight.

I am a licensed General Journeyman in OR and WA. I live about a hour east of Portland.

I'm 35. Started the trade back in Boulder, CO in 1998. I turned out in WA state.

I just have to say, I am seriously considering a new career path. At this point in my life I am just growing tired of working for a shop until the work is done and then looking for another job. I am eligible for my Supervisors License here in Oregon. This would allow me to become an indy Electrical Contr. However, the prep classes are way out of my league for being as under-employed as I am. Hell, I couldn't afford the test itself right now either. I know a lot of this has to do with living in such a small town. Pop of my town is about 6,500. I have been unable to really make a living. I mean, right now, I can't make diddly! Rent, the light bill! Seriously, hard times right here.

I have been reading these forums all damn day now. It's 5:30pm. It's a beautiful saturday spring day here and I haven't left the house! I am so distraught over this finding a job bs.......... So here I am. I finally decided I would make a go at reaching out to some fellow tradesmen who might understand my situation and kindly offer any words of wisdom. I am willing to relocate to Portland. It's hard right now since my son is only 3mos old and his Mom and I are not together. Although she lives here in town. Actually if things keep going the way they are, guess I will relocate to wherever I can find work. I am not collecting unemployment either. **** gets tight quick like that too.

Read the post about the Craigslist ads hiring electricians for $20/hr. Folks, I am ready to work for $15/hr if I can get 40hrs a week!!!!!!!!!!
No joke. I need work. My lights are gonna go out soon and it's not like I can pack up and move in with mom and dad or anything. Yes this is a sad, pathetic story but it's my story right now. I can't find work. I am VERY employable. I'm fit, athletic, agile, young (enough). I have a resume with what I think amounts to great well rounded skills in every facet of our work. Seriously, residential remodel, that is what pays the rent around here, commercial anything. Industrial controls and automation. Machine rewiring, heavy industrial, mine work, I have done quite a bit of a lot of it. Now don't get me wrong.

I'm no guru old-timer, but I have been working in the trade for the past 13 years. And no, I can't program a PLC, but I can sure wire one following a ladder logic schematic, I can put a commercial building together from the ground up too. From the service to the lighting raceway, to the tenant finish. My point is I can't figure out why I can never keep work in this trade. I feel I need to find something more sustainable.

In the meantime, anybody wanna put me to work? Can you guys give me some of your thoughts? Have you ever felt this way in this trade?
I am desperate. That doesn't help either. I don't want to be a part of this ridiculous wage drive-down that is going on but I fear I may. I keep getting small "sidejobs" here in town and make a cpl hundred bucks that it is so random. I need something I can count on and I feel like I have never been able to count on having work as an electrician.

Please Help!!!!!!

erics37

Where are you at now?

Portland is really the only place with anything significant going on.

I live on the Central Coast. Newport (my town) has been fortunate in landing the new Pacific Fleet NOAA headquarters. That, in addition to the OSU Marine Science Center and the Oregon Coast Aquarium, is creating a significant science and research community here. Newport is doing okay, Astoria usually does okay, but most of the rest of the Coast is barely scraping along.

Southern Oregon (Medford, Ashland, etc.) did pretty well in the housing boom but got hit really hard.

Same with central Oregon (Bend especially).

As far as the valley, Eugene's been doing okay. Corvallis does okay. Salem is a dump. PDX tends to have stuff happening and is probably your best bet if you're desperate enough.

__________________
- Eric

user4818

OK Miller.

HeadTrauma

ericS37.

I'm currently in Hood River. I'm looking hard in PDX now. Not finding much. Lots of maintenance technician's wanted it seems. I have been trying to be tenacious. I have gone into Portland twice last week just hustling job sites and front doors of shops. No luck yet. Visited the union hall too in Troutdale.

MDShunk

I dunno... a maintenance tech job isn't something to sneeze at. You can bide your time, with good pay and benefits, in a factory job. No so much change of scenery, which is the major drawback. I think I got 90% of my training in factory work. The job can be as challenging, and as educational, as you make it.

__________________
One reason not to give DIY advice:
Catch a man a fish and you can sell it to him.
Teach a man to fish and you’ve ruined a good business opportunity.

erics37

Not much change in scenery, no... but you do get to become extremely familiar with the premises wiring. Knowing a system inside and out never hurts

__________________
- Eric

MDShunk

Yes, you can become the resident expert in a year or less if you apply yourself, but that often translates into frantic 3 am phonecalls and call-in's at all hours. That's okay with me, and maybe you, but it's not cool with a lot of guys.

__________________
One reason not to give DIY advice:
Catch a man a fish and you can sell it to him.
Teach a man to fish and you’ve ruined a good business opportunity.

erics37

I'm too busy keeping my wife awake at 3 AM to be bothered to go into work.

__________________
- Eric