Offtopic: Job Market SUCKS!

[RemiAndKaren 0]

I'm obviously no Immigration expert, but arent you allowed to own a property even if you're on a TN-1 Visa?
I think that was the visa we were looking at when we almost moved from Toronto to Denver (along with several others from our company) and most people were looking at buying houses... I may be totally off-base here, but...
Remi
Muff 914

[RemiAndKaren 0]

http://www.topechelon.com/recruiters/contracting/tn1_visa.htm
Remi
Muff 914

[Strynx 0]

One of my good friend spent 2 yrs Pipe fitting in Algeria. He was negative when he went but that all changed when he came back. He made ALOT of $ in those 2yrs. Keep your doors open not that the Middle East is a good place right now but.....
" Excuse me while i Kiss the sky" J.H.

[trfenwyd 0]

I hear ya. I'm a PILOT trying to find work. Nobody is hiring. stupid economy!

[Aviatrr 0]

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I hear ya. I'm a PILOT trying to find work. Nobody is hiring. stupid economy!

There's plenty of pilot hiring going on right now....you just have to know where to look(not the airlines, obviously) and be qualified.. You have no idea how incredible the past few years have been in aviation, because you have never seen how bad it can be.. It's still a whole hell of a lot better now than it was 5-6 years ago.....and it wasn't bad back then, either..
Hell, I've had 3 job offers in the past 2 months, and I haven't even interviewed for 'em....just met the CP's of those companies out on the road.. Timing is everything..
Mike

[wceviper 0]

Yeah, I was out of work since july, before the sept 11 crap. I put my resume out about 100 times a week, got a few phone calls. Now I am consulting, its slow work, but more than EDD. I am in the computer tech field too, I have over 5years experiance. The biggest problem with MIS/IT is that we don't make the company money in a way that they notice. You have to bring it to their attention that all thier bills for phone services have drop 25%, and that there email system never goes down. In the MIS/IT industry there are 2 things that can happen.
1. Your systems go down alot and your always trying to fix them (Being very busy)
2. Eveything works great and you sit at your desk and run maintanance and look for better deals on stuff (Sitting at desk = not looking very busy) but when something goes wrong it gets fix ASAP
so for the most part, they don't relieze they need you until somthing goes down. Then they hire some entry level guy who doesn't know how the system is setup so he spends all his time trying to fix problems that don't exist (Looking busy again). Anyway, just my thoughts.
-Jason <-Still unemployeed for the most part, have jumped since sept 22. no money to spare. got that damn motorcycle payment instead.

[freeflir29 0]

"Eveything works great and you sit at your desk and run maintanance and look for better deals on stuff (Sitting at desk = not looking very busy) but when something goes wrong it gets fix ASAP"
That's why you have to break something every once in a while so you seem important!!!!
Que hermana pinocha gratis?-Clay

[Michele 1]

Morning, Grumpy-
I just got off the phone with my favorite lender, and he said that there is no reason you can't buy under a TN-1 Visa, except the general protocol for the funding of the loan is the conservative/traditional 20% down. I'll pm you with his name and number, and he'll give you all the info you could want. He can't do the loan, but he's willing to talk to you (and he's from Canada, as well!).
Let me know how it goes!
and...
Morning, Speedy! You haven't bought yet? I recall you talking abot buying way back in like August.
Just a few comments;

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complaining that no ones's buying houses right now

.
Sorry you thought I was complaining, and perhaps I was. It's hard to be totally upbeat and optimistic when you haven't had a check since August, and are worried about paying your rent and other bills. But you're right, this ain't Afghanistan!

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I'm one of those people out there right now, looking to lay down over $100K to buy a house

That is NOT the typical buyer, though, Speedy. Although I am thrilled for you that you can put down that kind of money, most people can't.

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And don't tell me there's no opportunity, everyone's saying that it's a seller's market!

"Seller's" market. Yes, it is. Which means it is harder for buyers to find equitably priced homes, and make the deal which fits them and their pockets. With Sellers pricing their homes right out of reach for most first time buyers, it is truly a Sellers market.
As for opportunities, last year at this time the market took it's cyclical drop (holiday buying generally does not include houses), and I still put three deals through escrow between Thanksgiving and New Year's eve. The market softens to the tune of about 30% (in terms of inventory) and about 10% as to pricing.
This year, I have seen a significant drop of inventory (about 45%) since September 11 (I get the monthly stats and have compared them to last year's stats), as well as a price freeze (no real drop in prices - perhaps about 3%). What seems to be happening is that the Sellers are still asking huge prices (in my market, /- $240 per sq. foot), and now, the inventory is sitting on the market instead of selling. Buyers are not buying, and sellers are deciding to not sell. This is my first hand experience, from within and without my company.

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even though it means selling my rig & giving up skydiving (for a while )!!!

It shouldn't mean selling your rig, and giving up skydiving for a while. If it does, your load ratio is out of whack. Look for a better loan. With 100K down, you should be able to not have to sell your rig for extra $$. Not going to get into financials, because that is not what I do best. But I would be willing to hook you up with a mortgage broker who can find you a better deal (and I don't get a damn thing for it, either!)
I suppose what I am trying to get at with this (typically) longwinded post is that the market does not favor buyers at this time. The only benefit at this point to buying (aside from taxes and general homeownership) is that you have a lower mortgage rate, which, in the end, compensates for the inflated sales prices. The interest rate cuts are not being passed in full to the mortgage market, though, so when the feds slice the prime lending rate 1/2%, the mortgage market responds by 1/16-1/8%, if at all.
Ciels-
Michele
"What of the dreams that never die? Turn to your left at the end of the sky".
~e e cummings~

[MyUserID 0]

I just hope it all works it self out by the time I graduate. We just had a career fair at my school. There was a crap load of large aerospace companies there, but hardly any were actually looking for co-ops, or even really hiring except for Lockheed Marting.

[TheMarshMan1 0]

Yeah, I'll probably end up being a flight instructor for the rest of my life the way things are going now....Good way to spend a $125,000 education. Oh well...I'll just work near a DZ and it'll be all good:-)

[jacksonwr 0]

I hear you, the market is really bad for IT people these days with some exceptions. I have been layed off since mid July with little activity. Hang in there and network, talk to people. Right now its not what you know but who you know that will get you that interview.
BTW, anyone out there that needs a IT project manager?
Randy Jackson

[airann 1]

[q]to tell you the truth, the market completely sucked ass before all this happened. [/q]
It is SO TRUE, I just got offered a job in Alaska for 60 days.
I am thinking.... thats cold.
The job market and job stability left us in early summer. I have no idea what happened. I was minding my own business when ....Yikes.... 20 years of experience... isnt worth much.
Everyone asks ... What can you do or What do you do...
Anything from wax the floors to get you thru an audit.
All I want is honest pay for a honest job. (Preferably not to far from my house)
Skydive~Friends~Happiness
AirAnn
http://www.AirAnn.com

[airann 1]

Heres the deal....
Off my site there is the SKYDIVERS NETWORK, (SkyNet)
and SKYDIVERS BUSINESS LISTINGS.
It kinda will work like this. . . . . . .
Skydivers in need of job list resume here or post what you do or whatever on the classifieds like list. (City and State)
Skydivers with businesses list the business so that skydivers will patronize YOUR business. OR that you can seek employees.
Skydivers work too, ya know.
With the wide variety of businesses we all have out there its a wonder we havent met somewhere?
AirAnn.com is non-profit.
Betcha didnt know that one. Its also a charity and 100% of every thing is for other people. Not me.
So the whole idea is to get the business of skydivers moving and get the skydivers into jobs - we can not afford to keep a DZ running if we cant jump ourselves or fed ourselves. (or in my case my dogs and the roof over their heads)
I had the idea long ago, but had I had it running in Sept.... we could have helped out a lot of people. (WE)
The drop zones were hurt, we where hurt, some of us where hurt before that like myself. - Job wise. I still havent recovered. Another of my jobs went out under last week.
email me with your ideas, and I will post it.
Also, if you are looking for a job, you can have your own email @AirAnn.com and have your responses forwared to your real email. So this way you are looking and you keep yourself quiet, if you want to. It can be anything within reason!
***Rocket Scientist @AirAnn.com or
ITDude@AirAnn.com
Rigger business
Mechanic
Electrician
***Rocket Scientist, (I actually know a real one, Yeah, he is weird. Ok..... Ok.... he is in my brothers Science Fiction club..... Yeah... That is the kinda thing you get with a high IQ and glasses.)
Anything4$@AirAnn.com
Skydive~Friends~Happiness
AirAnn
http://www.AirAnn.com

[SpeedRacer 1]

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With 100K down, you should be able to not have to sell your rig for extra $$.

WHOA! I didn't mean I have a $100K! I meant I'm applying for a mortgage of $100K!!! And I'll be lucky if I can scrape together a 4% downpayment!
Damn, if I already had that kind of money, I'd have a hell of a lot more jumps than I do now!Speed Racer
The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind
-Bogart

[SpeedRacer 1]

Sorry if my earlier post (re. buying a house)was confusing. I was pretty wasted last night when I posted that.
(Damn, that seems to happen a lot!)
Speed Racer
The problem with the world is that everyone is a few drinks behind
-Bogart

[JDBoston 0]

There are probably lots of people out there on the forum who know a lot more about mortgages than me, but what I found out worked well when I bought a place as a young person with not a lot of money was: call about 20 small local/regional banks (more eager to get business = lower rates and less bureaucracy) for quotes, and find one that would do a package like this: 5% down, 15% fixed rate loan from another bank, and 80% adjustable rate loan from them. The 15% fixed loan plus 5% down lets them treat it like 20% down and therefore waive PMI (mortgage insurance which is non tax deductible and thus a waste of money). Also you should get zero points and get them to make the closing costs go away in exchange for a slight interest rate hit. That way you lay out less cash up front.
Of course, a lot of them also have first time homebuyer programs especially for loans under a certain $ amount (typically under $100-$150K), which have lower rates and better terms. And one very specific piece of advice: do not use Chase Manhattan for any part of your mortgage, ever.
Good luck!
Joe

[flyingferret 0]

Hey Kev,
I wish I was in your shoes. The keyword in your case? Experience. Everyone wants it. Yes, I know that IT is still big, and everyone is interested in network and database security. But unless you went to a hell of a school (I will sign up) you dont learn that stuff in school. You might get some basics, yeah, I can setup TCP/IP access lists, and do some 'neat' looking SQL stuff. But no way, can I say yeah I will be your DBA or Network Security Specialist. Because to get that experience you ahve to work with the stuff. And with all the layoffs lately, everyone does not have to hire entry level. They can go straight to people with experience. So, you are in luck. I am not. I would love to work under someone like you and get the experience. But I cannot find a company anywhere with the same idea.
By the way I have 2 years experience in Help Desk/On-site support for desktop and LANs. And I still am not getting any bites. Merrick, thanks for the advice, my career services department doing its best, but most companies either are not hiring or just interviewing for future openings. The few that are offer ridiculously salaries (24K for a network tech in College Station) or about 75% travel, something my 'domestic supervisor' would likely disapprove of.
Thanks for the feedback guys.
Malachi

[GrumpySmurf 0]

Man, if I had known such a small comment would start some much interest - I would have filled in the blanks.
TN-1's are the result of NAFTA between Canada and the US, to fill short fall of (mostly) technical folk. It's sort of a reciprocity agreement - if you got a Bachelors Degree (or an Associates Degree with some years experience), are a US or Canuck citizen (such as me) and can fill a job from a prescribed list - you can enter the US (or Canada for one year) to work for a particualr company that sponsors you - oh yeah, and it costs $50 US. The visa is technically renewable indefinitely - but at the descretion of Immigration personal at the border crossing (if you're a Canuck and thinking of this, try entering from Vancouver Intr Airport rather than Ottawa airport - I've been through both, and I swear some the folk at Ottawa Airport got some serious issues that they could use therapy for - and that was before 09/11), so after 1 or 2 renewals for any given company - you better have a H-1B, cuz they may not let you back in - mine is supposed to show up this month (I'm not holding my breath).
Here's the catch - it's temporary, so you cannot take any action that would signify that you intend to stay longer than a year - such as apply directly for a 'Green Card'/Immigrant visa or purchase a home (again this is at the discretion of Immigration) or marry a US citizen (without having applied for a fiancee visa) - otherwise when it comes time for them to review your renewal application - boot, out you go - at least this is my understanding.
So if you are a Canuck with a Comp Sci degree and want to go to the US (or a Yank and want to go to Canada) to work, it's pretty easy, you need $50 US, a copy of your transcripts and diploma, a letter of sponsorship from your soon to be employer and you are off to the races with a TN-1 (there is a TN-2 for Mexican nationals, but that is a whole other story) - and no need for a lawyer.
Oh, I gotta agree, the job market sucks. :(

[gemini 0]

Richard where have you been? When you coming back to Spaceland?
Gemini
Co Van My Tuong Huu Dong Nam A