West Texas (El Paso, Midland, Odessa: job market, movies, college)

[Llewelyn]

What kind of job prospects can you expect with the Western Texas region, including El Paso and the region just east of it? How sparsely populated is the area? What are some other cities in western Texas, if any?

[jaxart]

Originally Posted by Llewelyn

What kind of job prospects can you expect with the Western Texas region, including El Paso and the region just east of it? How sparsely populated is the area? What are some other cities in western Texas, if any?

You're best bet is to take a look at El Paso using the very handy GOOGLE MAP feature. Not only can you get a good look at the map of the area, but also satellite imagery showing population density, etc. And the GOOGLE STREET VIEW feature of MAPS will allow you to "drive" up and down the streets and freeways of El Paso while swiveling 360 degrees to view the terrain along the way.

Directly east of El Paso, there is open desert and very little population for a distance of some 200 miles, as can be seen by viewing any map of the area. Ranching country for the most part, and rather poor ranching country at that. Oil and gas production has long been main industrial presence concentrated about 200 miles to the east - Snyder, Midland, Odessa area. But that is a declining industry with major ups and downs in the last few decades.

Job prospects in El Paso run the gamut, so better to ask the question regarding your own qualifications - what you do. El Paso is still booming, with a huge influx of new military personnel ongoing now and into the future. Industry has been eroded in the past several decades as many manufacturing jobs moved south of the border. There is still an oil refining presence, but that's about it for major manufacturing. A LOT is going on in the Santa Teresa, NM area - an easy commute from El Paso - mostly warehouse type industries in that area.

[Llewelyn]

Originally Posted by jaxart

You're best bet is to take a look at El Paso using the very handy GOOGLE MAP feature. Not only can you get a good look at the map of the area, but also satellite imagery showing population density, etc. And the GOOGLE STREET VIEW feature of MAPS will allow you to "drive" up and down the streets and freeways of El Paso while swiveling 360 degrees to view the terrain along the way.

Directly east of El Paso, there is open desert and very little population for a distance of some 200 miles, as can be seen by viewing any map of the area. Ranching country for the most part, and rather poor ranching country at that. Oil and gas production has long been main industrial presence concentrated about 200 miles to the east - Snyder, Midland, Odessa area. But that is a declining industry with major ups and downs in the last few decades.

Job prospects in El Paso run the gamut, so better to ask the question regarding your own qualifications - what you do. El Paso is still booming, with a huge influx of new military personnel ongoing now and into the future. Industry has been eroded in the past several decades as many manufacturing jobs moved south of the border. There is still an oil refining presence, but that's about it for major manufacturing. A LOT is going on in the Santa Teresa, NM area - an easy commute from El Paso - mostly warehouse type industries in that area.

Looking at Google Maps right now, great tip!

The region east of El Paso intrigues me and, while I wouldn't plan on living there, I'd like to visit it sometime (that's where Big Bend is, right?). I actually have relatives who used to live in Sanderson, a pretty isolated place. It's also the setting for a movie, No Country for Old Men, from which I derived my username.

It sounds like alot of the career opportunities in El Paso are either blue collar, teaching, or local politics? Not that I'd have a problem with that, I just figure my parents wouldn't be too happy with paying for 4 years of college only for me to take a blue collar job.

[jaxart]

Originally Posted by Llewelyn

Looking at Google Maps right now, great tip!

The region east of El Paso intrigues me and, while I wouldn't plan on living there, I'd like to visit it sometime (that's where Big Bend is, right?).

Big Bend is a long way SSE of El Paso. But yes, it's a National Park for a very good reason - remote and rugged desert land. And I suppose some people think of it as the romantic version of "West Texas." Certainly Sanderson is a good example of small-town west Texas that has never seen "better days" since the decline of the "wild west."

You left retailing off your list of jobs in El Paso. El Paso is the regional medical center with a large medical presence by way of hospitals and clinics.

[jaxart]

Originally Posted by jaxart

You left retailing off your list of jobs in El Paso. El Paso is the regional medical center with a large medical presence by way of hospitals and clinics.

This may help others wishing to know about El Paso's job market. It's a daily listing of advertised jobs as found on the local newspaper's web pages here:

EL PASO TIMES - JOBS

[Llewelyn]

Originally Posted by jaxart

This may help others wishing to know about El Paso's job market. It's a daily listing of advertised jobs as found on the local newspaper's web pages here:

EL PASO TIMES - JOBS

Wow, great link!

I just looked at my planned major and there are apparently 760 jobs within 30 miles of El Paso.

[Llewelyn]

Originally Posted by jaxart

Big Bend is a long way SSE of El Paso. But yes, it's a National Park for a very good reason - remote and rugged desert land. And I suppose some people think of it as the romantic version of "West Texas." Certainly Sanderson is a good example of small-town west Texas that has never seen "better days" since the decline of the "wild west."

You left retailing off your list of jobs in El Paso. El Paso is the regional medical center with a large medical presence by way of hospitals and clinics.

I looked into Sanderson, Texas. Apparently it's one of the locations in No Country for Old Men. What exactly happened to the town that ended its "better days"?

[jaxart]

Originally Posted by Llewelyn

I looked into Sanderson, Texas. Apparently it's one of the locations in No Country for Old Men. What exactly happened to the town that ended its "better days"?

Actually, the majority of the scenes in that movie were filmed in New Mexico, with the town of Las Vegas, NM (not NV) figuring prominently. I like most of Cormac McCarthy's works (author of the book of same title as movie), but the movie was a disappointment for me and I didn't particularly care for the book either.

What happened to Sanderson is exactly my point - NOTHING! It must have been a monumental happening for the town people when that movie crew filmed there. I suspect Sanderson has lost population in the past few decades, but that's just a guess. It's a very desolate place and a long way from anywhere, IMO. Not bad deer hunting country though, if you can find a rancher who allows hunting.

[Llewelyn]

Originally Posted by jaxart

Actually, the majority of the scenes in that movie were filmed in New Mexico, with the town of Las Vegas, NM (not NV) figuring prominently. I like most of Cormac McCarthy's works (author of the book of same title as movie), but the movie was a disappointment for me and I didn't particularly care for the book either.

What happened to Sanderson is exactly my point - NOTHING! It must have been a monumental happening for the town people when that movie crew filmed there. I suspect Sanderson has lost population in the past few decades, but that's just a guess. It's a very desolate place and a long way from anywhere, IMO. Not bad deer hunting country though, if you can find a rancher who allows hunting.

From what I hear, the only reason it was filmed in NM is because NM makes a concerted effort to get movies filmed there for (I would guess) discounts. In return, they get their state more widely recognized. I believe that most of the desert scenes were shot near Marfa, though.

I have relatives who used to live in Sanderson and they say that most people moved out when the railroads went out of business. Aside from that, I think the scenery is nice and the hunting ought to be good.

I loved No Country for Old Men the movie though. What didn't you like about it? I just got the book and am going to read it now.

[jaxart]

Originally Posted by Llewelyn

From what I hear, the only reason it was filmed in NM is because NM makes a concerted effort to get movies filmed there for (I would guess) discounts. In return, they get their state more widely recognized. I believe that most of the desert scenes were shot near Marfa, though.

You're correct about NM going after the filming industry with incentives, but wrong about the desert scenes in the movie. MOST of the desert scenes were filmed in the area to the west of Taos - or so I've been told. Anyone familiar with the desert environments of Marfa vs Taos knows there is a definite distinction, and it sure looked like NM to me.