I've never seen the economy this slow before

[WOWZY]

I had told you guys that I had the job going to Germany, but a few days ago that company cancelled hiring for that position because of the tragedy last week.



I've never found it so hard to find a job. There are zero Electro-Mechanical Maintenance jobs out there. I've been outa work for 3 months tomorrow and just don't understand how there can be no jobs out there.



I've even tried for other jobs but don't have the experience that they want. Production Maintenance is all I've done for the last 10years. I have thought about OTR truck driving but there again I don't have the experience.



Something better come up quick because my savings is all but gone and the repo man will be calling to get everything I own including the Cummins.

 

[socal_rattler]

Wowzy,



I feel your pain. I will be out of a job this time next week, and I haven't had any luck finding anything after looking for 2-3 months now. I have found that there are jobs, but there are so many competing for them, that the employers can be very picky and cheap



Good luck to both of us... we'll need it.

 

[Bob Wagner]

if you think its bad now...

reminds me of an old BTO song <b>"you ain't seen nothing yet"</b>

 

[Happy Camper]

I truely feel for you fellows. I was fortunate being born in 1935 and having the good fortune of progressing in the work force without a college education and having the good luck of never being in want of a job for more than a week.



I have always said " looking for a job is the hardest job of all".



I hope something breaks loose for you guys and I also hope the thousands being laid off now will be back on the job soon.

 

[Doc Tinker]

The late 70s were tough. I knew lots of guys who were laid off from GM during that time. As a mechanic, jobs for me have always been easy to get. I always justified earning a little less than my auto plant buddies, knowing that I'd never be out of work, when they sometimes are. Unfortionately I am unable to work any longer as a mechanic and that sense of security is gone. Now all I can do is hang on tight and go with the flow.



I'm glad now that I spent the extra money to put Mrs Doc through nursing school. Now she has the job security and can carry on as the bread winner, if needs be.



Doc

 

[QRTRHRS]

My stepson got laid off after working for Corning about six months or so. Had moved his family and everything. I feel bad for him but my wife and I, what with being employed by the same company have our own problems. With cutbacks and work schedule changes, we lost 30% of our income not counting the OT. Our union contract stipulates that the company offer buyouts such as they are when they layoff X amount of people and go back X amount of years of service. So, we have people retiring early, people getting laid off with perhaps a dozen years of service and possibly going to 21 or 22 yrs. People with 25 years are being downgraded to lower paying positions. We should be okay barring the plant closing. Our farm won't support us to the extent of the money my wife would lose between takehome and pension so she can't go with 34 years of service. She's 54 so it's a long way to SS.



For Wowsy, I can tell you some of what you are up against. Our plant service people who maintain the HVAC, etc. have been cut. Much of that has been automated via computer. Works fine, ha, until lightning knocks everything out. Like many manufacturers, our orders are way down. What with people sitting around, maint is being laid off. Those left are of course expected to pick up the slack. Perhaps the coming war will kick the economy in the butt. Even so, it will take time to trickle down.



As far as trucking, having been into that 20 years ago, I still keep a loose ear on that venue. I notice that there are still a fair number of jobs wanting to be filled. But, you always have to bear in mind that in general, last in, first out. Sooner or later, shipping will slack relative to production. If you do want to go that route, find someone who will train you. Don't pay for it yourself if you can help it.



Sorry I don't have the answers.

 

[Lhotka]

I'd be prepared for it to get a bit worse before it gets better. Hope your stock market investments are long term. Hopefully things are getting close to bottoming out.

 

[WOWZY]

I remember that 3months before I got cut, there were industrial mechanic jobs in the papers by the dozens. Now I'm lucky if I see 1 or 2 a week and they don't pay but half of what I was making. I still send my resumes to all of them but now I know what the term "overqualified" means. I never thought you could be overqualified for Industrial Maintenance.

 

[HDH]

Electro-Mechanical?

What sort Of work are you in?. Does it Relate to Protective Relays?

SCADA?

The Reason I ask is that the State Of California Is looking for Electro-Mechanical techs to work for the Department Of Water Resources on the California Aqueduct, Starting Pay is around $30hr.

I hope this helps.

Send me a Personal Message if you are Intrested. I can Fax the Paper work to you.

Doug.

 

[Jeff H]

If I get laid off. I think diesel mechanics school will be where I'll be headed. I'm with the computer industry right now. We have been in a long slump for several years now. The market in the U. S. is saturated with computers. If we could get forign countries to buy computers things would be different. But computers are to expensive for most forign countries. Too bad nobody is in the business of selling used computers to forign countries.

 

[Power Wagon]

I got laid off the diesel injection business, and am getting into the computer business... go figure



There IS a shortage of good mechanics out there, however. I wasn't a diesel mechanic, just a pump technician. But, over my lifetime, I've done more learning about mechanics and engines than most mechanics.



Information Technology is the future. Even if the PC business falters, information is the key to the future - no ifs ands or buts. I'ts always good to have a trade or useful low-tech skill, though.



Which reminds me... Anyone seen a bunch of jobs for a cat skinner lately?



Doc Tinker is looking.











Ok ok, enough bad humor...



A "Cat skinner" is slang for the driver of a crawler that is used for skidding logs. I"ve put many an hour on the seat of one of those doing just that...

 

[QRTRHRS]

Back to the top!

Well the shoe finally came down today. After months of uncertainty, my employer is exiting opto electronics manufacturing/research and reducing/consolidating IC fab into one location. We have at the latest perhaps until Sept of 03' depending on the position. 4000 people out and most of us are to old to be wanted and to young to retire. Plus my wife also works here.



Yeah well, I worked before I came here, guess if nothing else, I will get my CDL and go back to driving.

 

[K_Arts]

I feel ya in a big way WOWZY. When I was laid off, I went 6 months before I could find work. Thank goodness I ended up being able to stay in the computer world.



I really do wish you guys the best in finding work. Just keep your chin held high and keep moving on.



Kev

 

[E7mack96]

I need a Driver

If anyone here wants to look at being a driver, let me know...

 

[emarsh]

Since sept 11, our business has been slow, so much in fact that we only work 4 days a week now. Yes it is true that the stock market and the general economy is slow and this contributes to the problem. We started handling Ram diesel 4 inch exhaust kits just to try to diversify our business. I hope that soon members that have already purchased these kits will post that they are satisfied with the product and we can sell a few more. We been in business for 13 years now, but I am fearful for how slow it will get this winter, if it is this slow now, I might have to get a second job. PLEASE pray that the economy picks up, so many family owned businesses depend on the general publics support to survive.

 

[mdlowry]

I'm in the semiconductor industry. Any problems with the tech sector and we feel it first. The company did three layoffs last year, along with several shutdowns (without pay).

I got some company wide e-mail the other day. Another shutdown, and although they didn't come out and say it, it looks like more layoffs too.

Anyone need a former Navy electronics tech?

I guess not. Too many already out of work, and it seems not very many places are hiring.

I guess I'll go look through those old posts about diesel techs.

 

[Whitmore]

If you have gas experience

Out here in Wyoming there is a great call for you , the state is the fastest growing natural gas supplier in the union and we are just getting into the boom of it, there is alot of gas in the ground waiting for processing and delivery, mechanics, operators and technitions. The odd thing is we are not getting alot of people moving in, seams that we still get by though. ... ... ..... Kevin

 

[GSchlegel]

I've been out of work for a year now. Its bad. I spend hours each day on the internet, reading papers, contacting people. No go yet. My job is looking for a job.



Sorry about the rambling, its frustrating.



Gene