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It's an image concern. The boom towns are still very small by US standards. The BIG CITY of Williston only has 30,000 residents once the man-camps are included. There isn't a lot of room for the roughnecks to blend in and many locals are rightly concerned about criminals moving in. Thefts are very common right now and I think it is not overblown as you used to be able to leave your car unlocked for 5 minutes and not have all your stuff stolen. Now, you must lock your car door and secure every tool box at all times. Hopefully, the common everyday crime does not escalate beyond this level.
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What about DUI's and misdemeanor offenses, are those unacceptable? I don't have a perfect record, but I don't have drug and theft charges either.
Last edited by ElkHunter; 12-16-2011 at 11:29 PM..
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My husband and I moved to northeastern rural North Dakota in early 2007 from the high desert region of southern cal. We were pretty anxious to get out of California, partly but not completely because we knew the real estate bubble was going to pop, so in 2006 we put up our very nice 2X mobile on 3/4 of an acre out in the desert and sold it. For $65K (half of what we got for the mobile), we bought 20 acres of gorgeous wooded property bordered on the west and south by the Pembina River, right next to the Canadian border. It had a very nice stick built home on it with a flawless basement. The cost of moving took up most of the rest of our money, so we needed a job! It was quite a leap of faith to move without a job in hand, (some might call it insanity) but we felt it the right thing to do. Well, word gets around in these rural communities. People are interested in newcomers (and quite welcoming, I might add.) My husband did spend some sleepless nights after we got here wondering where and how he could find a job in a town of about 200, but soon the answer was dropped on our doorstep. The owner of a construction company knocked on our door and said he had heard my husband was skilled in construction. He hired him on the spot. My husband is very laid back and trusting about pay, actually didn't know how much he would be paid until he got his first paycheck. It all worked out very well. People really help each in the rural areas, and no talent is wasted. We know we can count on everyone and they can count on us. People actually share. My 20-year old son moved up here to be with us, and people were constantly alerting him to jobs in the area, jobs you wouldn't know about if you just checked job websites available out of state. My son is now working as a boiler operator in Walhalla and is very well paid. Had we stayed in California I doubt he would have been able to get a job at all. One of my daughters is a talented artist, and she has more calls to give art lessons than she can actually give. She also sells home made artisan bread and pies. Another daughter moved up here and decided she wanted to go to nursing school. Within one month she had set up everything and was admitted to a program in EGF where she became an LPN and is now studying for her RN while working as charge nurse at a facility in Grand Forks. In California all the nursing programs were horribly impacted, long waiting lists.So, all I'm really saying here is that there are a lot more opportunities in North Dakota than are apparent from outside the state. I know a lot of people assume that the lack of diversity must make people closed off and intolerant, but that is not the case. The favorite doctor up here was Arabic, and when his father visited--wearing his traditional garb and not speaking much English--he was welcomed with open arms--people would hug him on the street and he was a much sought after dinner guest (and this was after 9/11!) So I would say that what people look for up here is honesty and a willingness to live by the Golden Rule. And that's pretty much it. If you've moved to north dakota rural areas you've joined a great big family, the best kind--they leave you alone to do what you want to do, but if you need help-you've got it! Just be willing to lend a helping hand in return.
My husband and I moved to northeastern rural North Dakota in early 2007 from the high desert region of southern cal. We were pretty anxious to get out of California, partly but not completely because we knew the real estate bubble was going to pop, so in 2006 we put up our very nice 2X mobile on 3/4 of an acre out in the desert and sold it. For $65K (half of what we got for the mobile), we bought 20 acres of gorgeous wooded property bordered on the west and south by the Pembina River, right next to the Canadian border. It had a very nice stick built home on it with a flawless basement. The cost of moving took up most of the rest of our money, so we needed a job! It was quite a leap of faith to move without a job in hand, (some might call it insanity) but we felt it the right thing to do. Well, word gets around in these rural communities. People are interested in newcomers (and quite welcoming, I might add.) My husband did spend some sleepless nights after we got here wondering where and how he could find a job in a town of about 200, but soon the answer was dropped on our doorstep. The owner of a construction company knocked on our door and said he had heard my husband was skilled in construction. He hired him on the spot. My husband is very laid back and trusting about pay, actually didn't know how much he would be paid until he got his first paycheck. It all worked out very well. People really help each in the rural areas, and no talent is wasted. We know we can count on everyone and they can count on us. People actually share. My 20-year old son moved up here to be with us, and people were constantly alerting him to jobs in the area, jobs you wouldn't know about if you just checked job websites available out of state. My son is now working as a boiler operator in Walhalla and is very well paid. Had we stayed in California I doubt he would have been able to get a job at all. One of my daughters is a talented artist, and she has more calls to give art lessons than she can actually give. She also sells home made artisan bread and pies. Another daughter moved up here and decided she wanted to go to nursing school. Within one month she had set up everything and was admitted to a program in EGF where she became an LPN and is now studying for her RN while working as charge nurse at a facility in Grand Forks. In California all the nursing programs were horribly impacted, long waiting lists.So, all I'm really saying here is that there are a lot more opportunities in North Dakota than are apparent from outside the state. I know a lot of people assume that the lack of diversity must make people closed off and intolerant, but that is not the case. The favorite doctor up here was Arabic, and when his father visited--wearing his traditional garb and not speaking much English--he was welcomed with open arms--people would hug him on the street and he was a much sought after dinner guest (and this was after 9/11!) So I would say that what people look for up here is honesty and a willingness to live by the Golden Rule. And that's pretty much it. If you've moved to north dakota rural areas you've joined a great big family, the best kind--they leave you alone to do what you want to do, but if you need help-you've got it! Just be willing to lend a helping hand in return.
My husband and I moved to northeastern rural North Dakota in early 2007 from the high desert region of southern cal. We were pretty anxious to get out of California, partly but not completely because we knew the real estate bubble was going to pop, so in 2006 we put up our very nice 2X mobile on 3/4 of an acre out in the desert and sold it. For $65K (half of what we got for the mobile), we bought 20 acres of gorgeous wooded property bordered on the west and south by the Pembina River, right next to the Canadian border. It had a very nice stick built home on it with a flawless basement. The cost of moving took up most of the rest of our money, so we needed a job! It was quite a leap of faith to move without a job in hand, (some might call it insanity) but we felt it the right thing to do. Well, word gets around in these rural communities. People are interested in newcomers (and quite welcoming, I might add.) My husband did spend some sleepless nights after we got here wondering where and how he could find a job in a town of about 200, but soon the answer was dropped on our doorstep. The owner of a construction company knocked on our door and said he had heard my husband was skilled in construction. He hired him on the spot. My husband is very laid back and trusting about pay, actually didn't know how much he would be paid until he got his first paycheck. It all worked out very well. People really help each in the rural areas, and no talent is wasted. We know we can count on everyone and they can count on us. People actually share. My 20-year old son moved up here to be with us, and people were constantly alerting him to jobs in the area, jobs you wouldn't know about if you just checked job websites available out of state. My son is now working as a boiler operator in Walhalla and is very well paid. Had we stayed in California I doubt he would have been able to get a job at all. One of my daughters is a talented artist, and she has more calls to give art lessons than she can actually give. She also sells home made artisan bread and pies. Another daughter moved up here and decided she wanted to go to nursing school. Within one month she had set up everything and was admitted to a program in EGF where she became an LPN and is now studying for her RN while working as charge nurse at a facility in Grand Forks. In California all the nursing programs were horribly impacted, long waiting lists.So, all I'm really saying here is that there are a lot more opportunities in North Dakota than are apparent from outside the state. I know a lot of people assume that the lack of diversity must make people closed off and intolerant, but that is not the case. The favorite doctor up here was Arabic, and when his father visited--wearing his traditional garb and not speaking much English--he was welcomed with open arms--people would hug him on the street and he was a much sought after dinner guest (and this was after 9/11!) So I would say that what people look for up here is honesty and a willingness to live by the Golden Rule. And that's pretty much it. If you've moved to north dakota rural areas you've joined a great big family, the best kind--they leave you alone to do what you want to do, but if you need help-you've got it! Just be willing to lend a helping hand in return.
You nailed it! I am also glad you are here! Great post .
B) How exactly can you 'grab a job' without experience??
C) How do you explain it if you are unemployed (many employers & recruiters won't hire someone who is unemployed even if they don't say so)
D) And, of course explaining & explaining & explaining again why you moved (usually to some 20 something 'staffing consultant')
Any suggestions and actual advice or is it just rah rah cheerleading like from CNN??
Check and re-check the threads on the North Dakota forum. Also, there are other areas on CD that contain oil related jobs info. the only way to find these is too continue to search, read the threads, even some old ones. I have put names of companies in a few threads on here. but, the big issue is there is no housing, unless you get offered housing, i.e. man camp. Some people come across as pretty attitudinal, and they can only speak from their own experience. Which isn't always the way a professional would react, different strokes, different folks. You can see those types post the same way in every thread. There are plenty of folks that will be helpful, search out the various oil, job related threads. Too many on here to count. Check several posts, you'll find some ideas. Get housing w/ your job offer, or wait til spring, in my opinion.
Get housing w/ your job offer, or wait til spring, in my opinion.
The handwriting is on the wall. If you want a job in North Dakota, and you have little or no experience, you better find a way to get here now, if only to take another job and then eventually network your way to an "oil field" job. If you wait until spring, unless you have an inside connection or some experience, you can forget it.
Think there is an oversupply now? Wait until spring when the barriers for people coming (like the weather) no matter what (i.e. sans housing) will hardly exist.
The handwriting is on the wall. If you want a job in North Dakota, and you have little or no experience, you better find a way to get here now, if only to take another job and then eventually network your way to an "oil field" job. If you wait until spring, unless you have an inside connection or some experience, you can forget it.
Think there is an oversupply now? Wait until spring when the barriers for people coming (like the weather) no matter what (i.e. sans housing) will hardly exist.
Article re: housing shortage in Fargo Forum last week. If this boom is here for the long haul there will be jobs for awhile. But, look at both sides, make your own decision. There will be housing shortages for along while too, unless you get a man camp housing offer. Resources slim for homeless in Williston | INFORUM | Fargo, ND
Article re: housing shortage in Fargo Forum last week. If this boom is here for the long haul there will be jobs for awhile.
Sure there will be jobs, but not for those without experience (unless they have some networking, i.e. inside contacts). As some are already learning, that baby even now is flying the coop and it remains to be seen if that is a "ratio" issue or supply truly has overwhelmed demand.
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Here's how we found work in rural North Dakota
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