[stosh]

My office has been financially stagnant for few years now as both my wife and I have lost pay due to salary cuts. My bonuses have been cut, no 401k contributions, no raises, etc... etc...

I absolutely love my job but it's gotten to the point where it's negatively effecting our lives.

Has anybody found a new job lately? What have you used to search? Any area's on the East Coast doing better than others?

 

[zdubyadubya]

skills? you can always come to the dark side and join the military industrial complex, lots of jobs and we even got good bonuses this year. DOD says hi!

 

[stosh]

skills? you can always come to the dark side and join the military industrial complex, lots of jobs and we even got good bonuses this year. DOD says hi!

My sister lives in Ellicot City. Well she did, she moved to the great Baltimore area recently.
I'm a project manager for an architecture firm, I know construction management, Autocad, building codes, Architecture design.... etc....

 

[syadasti]

Any area's on the East Coast doing better than others?

Upstate NY is pretty depressed but its the most growth ever for my mother's hometown due to fracking in nearby PA - I've never seen so much new construction up there. Its a short-term, f*ck the consequences boom and they are polluting the water table/poisoning the people/environment so its not really something to be supported until they do it sustainably without toxic cocktails with millions of gallons of local water and not a care for the dangerous materials they are bringing up from the rock formations deep below. This is basically sanctioned theft from these communities as polluting is passing the true cost of doing business to everyone else:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/28/nyregion/hydrofracking-gives-chemung-county-ny-economic-boost.html?pagewanted=all?src=tp&smid=fb-share

 

[BadDNA]

Ever done any IT project management? I have an opening in my group that wouldn't require any relocation but would require travel.

 

[jimmydean]

If only you did software, Stosh. Portland has an unemployment rate of 2.8% for software engineers. I got a 45% increase to move back and have gone up another 10% in the last year. I have not applied for a job since I moved, they all call me.

 

[stosh]

Ever done any IT project management? I have an opening in my group that wouldn't require any relocation but would require travel.

Nothing specific, just overall coordination with the guys installing it. Telling them where they can and can't run wire, coordinating their electrical needs, HVAC needs etc....

 

[stosh]

If only you did software, Stosh. Portland has an unemployment rate of 2.8% for software engineers. I got a 45% increase to move back and have gone up another 10% in the last year. I have not applied for a job since I moved, they all call me.

Yeah it's funny because I search for "project manager" or "architecture" and so many of those jobs come up.

 

[BadDNA]

Nothing specific, just overall coordination with the guys installing it. Telling them where they can and can't run wire, coordinating their electrical needs, HVAC needs etc....

Not really applicable here...

 

[stosh]

Not really applicable here...

Yeah that's what I figured. I really appreciate the offer though.

 

[TN]

found one the beginning of this year. i used the internet to find it.

 

[fortenndu]

You're lucky you still have a job. My dad and most of his architect friends have had to get rid of all their employees. Some of these guys had firms with 10-15 guys working for them and now they're down to just themselves and they're sharing projects with each other. If people do build things these days a lot of times they're going straight to a contractor and then questioning why their remodel looks like ****.

 

[ICEBALL585]

The job search is a tough thing. I've had my job for almost 10yrs now and I'm not in any danger of losing it but I'm always on the look out for something better. I just get tired of being part of corperate america and working in an office building.

 

[stosh]

You're lucky you still have a job. My dad and most of his architect friends have had to get rid of all their employees. Some of these guys had firms with 10-15 guys working for them and now they're down to just themselves and they're sharing projects with each other. If people do build things these days a lot of times they're going straight to a contractor and then questioning why their remodel looks like ****.

I'm very very very happy to have a job and like I said I love it here BELIEVE ME! I'm debating whether is time to switch professions.....

 

[jimmydean]

I took a little more than a year off of software after the .com crap when there were few jobs and none that interesting. But after doing the full time National Guard thing and a few others, the market picked back up and I got back into doing what love to do (break stuff).

I only wish I could build custom cars/trucks/bikes full time, but I know I could never support myself since I am my own best customer.

 

[?????]

Yeah it's funny because I search for "project manager" or "architecture" and so many of those jobs come up.

Haha, yea this is frustrating. 'IT data systems architect' is not an architect.

 

[stosh]

Haha, yea this is frustrating. 'IT data systems architect' is not an architect.

Exactly!

 

[gonefirefightin]

I got offered 4 jobs with different "state dept contractors" in the last 3 weeks for iraq details.

best offer thus far was 285k lump sum tax free for 6 mo as a "designated marksman"

now that there is not much a military presence I wouldn't even think about this kind of suicide. I can only imagine the details would be for a 5 man long range element with no backup. Hellz no!

 

[Greyhound]

This seems like an annual thread for you, stosh. MY best wishes to you, pal!

 

[MMike]

Haha, yea this is frustrating. 'IT data systems architect' is not an architect.

Sort of like how I don't know how to drive a train?

 

[MMike]

I got offered 4 jobs with different "state dept contractors" in the last 3 weeks for iraq details.

best offer thus far was 285k lump sum tax free for 6 mo as a "designated marksman"

now that there is not much a military presence I wouldn't even think about this kind of suicide. I can only imagine the details would be for a 5 man long range element with no backup. Hellz no!

How about $286k?

 

[gonefirefightin]

How about $286k?

pretty hard to spend it when your dead.

 

[MMike]

ok $286,500........

 

[?????]

Sort of like how I don't know how to drive a train?

(a) Subject to subsection (b) of this section and unless a person holds a permit issued by the Board, the person may not represent to the public, by the use of the titles “architects”, “licensed architects”, or “registered architects”, by the use of the term “architecture”, by description of services, methods, or procedures, or otherwise that the person holds a permit or otherwise is authorized to operate a business through which architecture is practiced in the State.

http://mlis.state.md.us/asp/web_statutes.asp?gbo&3-604

 

[MMike]

As I never wrote the provincial ethics exam, I can't legally call myself and "engineer".

 

[johnbryanpeters]

As I never wrote the provincial ethics exam, I can't legally call myself and "engineer".

"and engineer"? ESL syndrome?

 

[cannondalejunky]

The job search is a tough thing. I've had my job for almost 10yrs now and I'm not in any danger of losing it but I'm always on the look out for something better. I just get tired of being part of corperate america and working in an office building.

amen to that. I work for walmart designing stores and i hate it just about everyday...but it pays good and there's still pleanty of work to do.

Stosh, I wish I could find a PM job at a firm, but unfortunately pretty much all of the firms in this area all rely on walmart for anywhere between 75%-100% of their business. So if we cut our remodel program like we did last year then all of the firms instantly layoff a ton of their people...then we change our mind and do a lot more stores agian and then they hire them right back. The lack of job security around here makes it scary to go anywhere else. Now I'm to the point where I'm ready to do something else with a new company but I just bought a house about 2.5 years ago and I'm stuck here with a crappy drafting/design job market at least until i can TRY to sell my house and move somewhere else.

guess i got on a little rant there. Good luck with the job search I hope you find something that makes you happy and makes you money..oh, and if your firm does any work for walmart....i'm sorry...we are truly one of the biggest pain in the a$$ companies to do work for

 

[Westy]

Unless you are having trouble making ends meet I would recommend staying where you are. Unless you can offer services that few others can, higher paying jobs have to pay more because they suck.

 

[N8 v2.0]

I left the Dept of the Air Force this last Fri (after 16 yrs) and start Tues with the Army Corps of Engineers (nice promotion etc). One of 6 engineers overseeing a $5-6B project that will take 12+ years to complete.

My old job, Chief of Facilities slot will be advertised in the near future, but it's not back East.

 

[jdcamb]

I need a job now too. Project that would have kept me busy until August. Canceled. Again. I'm done....

 

[Serial Midget]

Today is "Job Action Monday" - hold your breath.

 

[narlus]

Unless you are having trouble making ends meet I would recommend staying where you are. Unless you can offer services that few others can, higher paying jobs have to pay more because they suck.

QFT..

 

[stevew]

I work for walmart designing stores

what's the point of 20 registers and only having 2 cashiers?

 

[cannondalejunky]

what's the point of 20 registers and only having 2 cashiers?

lol it's pretty dumb...but we base the amount of registers off how well the store will do around Christmas time...it's amazing how much of the store is based off of christmas sales

 

[johnbryanpeters]

I'm very very very happy to have a job and like I said I love it here BELIEVE ME! I'm debating whether is time to switch professions.....

Switching professions under your circumstances would be a fool's game. You have managed to hang on during a really bad down cycle, which leaves you well positioned on the inevitable upswing. Stick with it.

 

[stosh]

Switching professions under your circumstances would be a fool's game. You have managed to hang on during a really bad down cycle, which leaves you well positioned on the inevitable upswing. Stick with it.

Thank you voice of reason..... truly THANK YOU!

 

[jonKranked]

amen to that. I work for walmart designing stores and i hate it just about everyday...but it pays good and there's still pleanty of work to do.

Stosh, I wish I could find a PM job at a firm, but unfortunately pretty much all of the firms in this area all rely on walmart for anywhere between 75%-100% of their business. So if we cut our remodel program like we did last year then all of the firms instantly layoff a ton of their people...then we change our mind and do a lot more stores agian and then they hire them right back. The lack of job security around here makes it scary to go anywhere else. Now I'm to the point where I'm ready to do something else with a new company but I just bought a house about 2.5 years ago and I'm stuck here with a crappy drafting/design job market at least until i can TRY to sell my house and move somewhere else.

guess i got on a little rant there. Good luck with the job search I hope you find something that makes you happy and makes you money..oh, and if your firm does any work for walmart....i'm sorry...we are truly one of the biggest pain in the a$$ companies to do work for

tl;dr

but i'm in the same boat

working jobs we hate to buy sh*t we don't need

 

[stosh]

Sweet, we might not be getting paid this week.................... the plot thickens....

 

[rockofullr]

Sweet, we might not be getting paid this week.................... the plot thickens....

Well at least if you don't get paid you don't need to feel guilty about slacking off!

 

[Serial Midget]

Are there any rats left in the office?