Need something else!

[beachmouse]

Non-technical white collar- does not require a 4 year degree in engineering, computer science, or grad level work in hard sciences.

My big problem is that I always seem to be up against some guy who spent the past 20 years in the military, and who wants the same allegedly entry level job that I'm up for, and veteran's preference is huge in these parts.

I've spent my last ten years trying to get my foot in the door somewhere that would be a good fit for my skill set. I'm not a status candidate, so there isn't much in the way of civil service base jobs I can even apply for. I don't have clearance, so I'm excluded from a lot of the contractor jobs that I would in all honesty be mind-blowingly good at.

Instead, it's the entry level IT job I blufed my way through even though I've never had a computer class in my life, the job that was supposed to finally be somewhat close to what I do well but turned out to involve an unethical boss, and the current placeholder job.

I've been telling Mr. Mouse lately that maybe what we should do is to sell the house and use the profits to send me to law school, and when I graduate, he could be a full time househusband. At first, it started out as a joke, but I'm starting to get more and more serious.

 

[SHELLY]

I've been telling Mr. Mouse lately that maybe what we should do is to sell the house and use the profits to send me to law school, and when I graduate, he could be a full time househusband. At first, it started out as a joke, but I'm starting to get more and more serious.

The joke being to "sell the house?" Good luck with that!

But seriously, an additional problem going forward is the number of former realtors, mortgage brokers, development sales staff, etc., being dumped into the mix (non-technical white collar workers) who've gotten used to above average wages for this area. Many of them are not needed now and even less will be needed once the RE markets on the panhandle return to "normal."

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[Jdarg]

I just looked on the Walton Sun classifieds- most jobs were healthcare related. It looks like a nursing degree is valuable here.

 

[beachmouse]

We bought pre-boom, and have one of those old-fashioned mortgages where a good chunk of the payment actually goes toward paying down the principal. Even with the fall in prices, and by agressively pricing to undercut what's on the market now, we'd still walk away with enough money to live modestly but comfortably for about 3.5 years from the net of the sale of the house.

 

[SHELLY]

We bought pre-boom, and have one of those old-fashioned mortgages where a good chunk of the payment actually goes toward paying down the principal. Even with the fall in prices, and by agressively pricing to undercut what's on the market now, we'd still walk away with enough money to live modestly but comfortably for about 3.5 years from the net of the sale of the house.

Bravo!

One in a row.



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[florida girl]

I'm in the same boat as elgordoboy. Are you saying that they are hiring foreign workers illegally and paying them less than minimum wage? Winn Dixie is way off my radar, but I do stop in at the Tom Thumb fairly regularly and have noticed some folks that might not be from here, but to say that they are hiring them and paying them less is flat out descrimination. So again I'll ask how they are saving money as no corporation would risk a lawsuit over several dollars an hour in pay?

The problem with the the Tom Thumb wage, which by the way, is probably one of the better places of employment, they offer 401k, insurance, etc., is that most of the jobs are about that same wage, (don't know about the healthcare jobs), and the housing costs to live in the same area of the job way exceeds the wage. They cannot afford to live in the same area as their job. Most have to drive from northern areas to get to work, and by the time they spend for gas, and vehicle expenses, God help them if they have a break down with their vehicle, and housing expense where ever they are living, it just doesn't make any sense. There is nothing left over, much less having to fight the traffic on 331. Foreign workers get housing provided, and our dollar is so undervalued, that the money they make here, is a gold mine compared to where they come from.

 

[elgordoboy]

MOVE ALONG FOLKS THERE IS NOTHING TO SEE HERE!! KEEP MOVING AND PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE MONKEY!

 

[scooterbug44]

Foreign workers get housing provided, and our dollar is so undervalued, that the money they make here, is a gold mine compared to where they come from.

I was under the impression that Sandestin was one of the few local businesses that provided worker housing - to both foreign and local workers. BTW, the dollar doesn't buy what it used to, especially in Europe.

Definitely agree that we need housing costs that are affordable based upon the average income and I don't know how people manage to pay their bills w/ their gas costs and commute time, but workers unable to afford to live where they work is a common problem in any resort/vacation area, not the fault of scapegoat foreign workers.

 

[ckhagen]

I have to say, I do agree with the frustration surrounding the lack of management type jobs. Salaried, management jobs with healthcare and advancement opportunities. We live it every day. My husband is very skilled in resort management, but the pay for those jobs is not enough to feed a family (much less house them!). It should be something he could find easily around here, but gave up after 18 solid months of looking and sending resumes with no offers higher than 28k a year. So, now he works nights, for tips. It puts an enormous strain on "family life". It's hard to eat dinner every night alone with two toddlers. He never gets to attend family events (who plans a family get together at 10am on a Tuesday morning?) and I can't even tell you how many times I've been asked "so, where's your husband?". My sister actually suggested my brother donate his old cell phone to me as part of the "single mother's with husbands charity". A joke of course, but unless they want to pop in for breakfast, my family won't see him for months at a time.

Paying for insurance is another issue. When working for tips... the summer is good, but you spend all that money trying to "catch up" from the abysmal finances during the off-season. If something breaks in our house in December, it will be at least May before we can fix it. It's just a vicious cycle. But, at least it works out to enough money to pay the bills, whereas the desk jobs just don't cut it. Jobs that would typically pay $40-50k in areas with a comparative CoL, have pay more in line with areas with much lower CoL.

It's not just here though, this type of situation is spreading as we become more and more a service oriented country.

 

[elgordoboy]

About 7 years ago I and a business associate were watching tv. A news report came on focusing on the plight of a tribe in Africa that had been suffering from a 40 year drought. I was getting caught up in the sadness of it all when I my associate shouted at the tv...MOVE!! I don't know why it had never occurred to me before, 40 years these people had been sitting in the same dry spot having water brought in and still suffering. I don't know if that truly would have been feasible but I know I have picked up stakes before and may do so again though I am going to try very hard to stay here. Florida is a difficult state in which to run a business. States must compete for the jobs that some say are lacking. Service businesses must be run in the area in which they service. If I were an automaker (or other producer) looking to expand I am going to do so in a state that puts a less onerous tax and insurance burden on me. I have to sell my product in areas other than Florida also and if I am paying more to produce my item due to higher taxes, insurance, etc.. then I am at a disadvantage to the company who makes the exact same item in GA, AL, or anywhere else. "They" can't pay more. "They" can't lower housing costs. Markets do that. I can't type more here go read a bit on free markets and stay away from communist manifestos. Sometimes it gets scary that's just the way it is. I posted elsewhere how much fun I have when peeps do this so here I go--I will not be posting in this thread again as I now consider the case closed.