Eagle Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 As some of you already know, I've been out of work for two years. Last year I applied for a job at the local VA hospital. I was notified in December that I had been tentatively selected, pending completion of a background check. I passed that and I was scheduled to start work on April 13. Then along came COVID-19. The hospital mostly shut down, except for emergencies, and they stopped doing the New Employee Orientations. My start date was moved to June 8, which was two days ago. So I started work on Monday -- and on Tuesday night I e-mailed my resignation. Problem: The job I applied for was computer drafting. The job they want performed is construction inspector -- i.e. "clerk-of-the-works." And that means walking and being on your feet most of the day. One of the other Engineering Technicians (the job title) took me on a partial tour on Tuesday afternoon, which left me so crippled that I couldn't make it up the stairs to my bedroom last night. I slept on an unmade bed in the ground floor guest bedroom. (I have an artificial hip, and I haven't fully recovered from the surgery.) So, I'm back to looking for a job. Even better would be if I could find a job in a state that's less expensive and less restrictive than Connecticut. If anyone knows of an architecture or engineering firm looking to hire a well-qualified architect, code consultant, specification writer or drafter (except Revit), please let me know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
silvertwinkiehobo Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 Man, that is tough. I've been unemployed twice (for extended periods) and currently on SSDI, and I'm not sure I'd be able to go back to work (health notwithstanding), because I can barely do work in my chosen field (auto repair/diagnosis). What I wonder is if I'll be forced to take a job I'm not normally qualified for, simply because the SSA wants me off SSDI. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
500 MJ Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 Sorry to hear this Eagle. Hope the best for whatever comes next... So are you looking to stay on the northeast coast or are you open to a big move for the right job? I am not aware of any positions, just asking to clarify for others... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 11, 2020 Author Share Posted June 11, 2020 I would love to move to a free state, but preferably not in the hurricane zone or tornado alley. States I've been considering include Tennessee, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, and Nevada. I'm not a city guy. I'd like to be near fire roads and places where I can shoot handguns and rifles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaManche Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 14 minutes ago, Eagle said: I would love to move to a free state, but preferably not in the hurricane zone or tornado alley. States I've been considering include Tennessee, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, and Nevada. I'm not a city guy. I'd like to be near fire roads and places where I can shoot handguns and rifles. Its really nice here in montana, just stay away from butte and great falls and you'd be ok Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Minuit Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 54 minutes ago, Eagle said: I would love to move to a free state, but preferably not in the hurricane zone or tornado alley. States I've been considering include Tennessee, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, and Nevada. I'm not a city guy. I'd like to be near fire roads and places where I can shoot handguns and rifles. There's a lot of work going on right now in my field (automotive and industrial), but I don't know much about the architectural side of things. There's lots of new construction going on in the cities, so my guess is that skilled architects and draftsmen would be in demand, especially if you have the certifications and qualifications that the recruiters like. I'm not familiar with any big projects in the last couple of months for medical reasons, but work was still good even with COVID starting to show itself. Nashville got hit pretty hard with a tornado a few months ago, and there was a lot of rebuilding going on but I don't know how far along that is. Also a very good state for firearms enthusiasts. No major threats to our gun rights here, and there are plenty of places to shoot. We have shall-issue carry permits, and our new governor is a friend of the 2A even if I don't care for him otherwise. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mjeff87 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 Hindsight will be 20/20 for you on this one, trust me. My wife works for the VA here in Richmond.....you were wise to walk away. Good luck on finding something else to complement your skill set. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
derf Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 8 hours ago, Eagle said: I would love to move to a free state, but preferably not in the hurricane zone or tornado alley. States I've been considering include Tennessee, Utah, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Idaho, and Nevada. I'm not a city guy. I'd like to be near fire roads and places where I can shoot handguns and rifles. The northern prairie states (WY, MT, SD) tend to have some pretty significant winter storms. Nothing you can't get used to but the wind can be brutal if you're not accustomed to it. Good luck in your search. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pete M Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 I vote for TN. it's close enough that I can come visit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHMJXJ Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 9 hours ago, Eagle said: I'm not a city guy. I'd like to be near fire roads and places where I can shoot handguns and rifles. Welcome to New Hampshire. No sales or income tax. From the S. Western part of the state you can reach; the ocean, the mountains and Boston (if you really want to) in less than two hours. Citizens government. Not so Left (we're working on the MA transplants) and a good economy even in these times. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fiatslug87 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 28 minutes ago, NHMJXJ said: Welcome to New Hampshire. No sales or income tax. What's property tax like? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NHMJXJ Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 40 minutes ago, fiatslug87 said: What's property tax like? You know that's the trade off. Varies by town/city because of tax base. There are many bedroom communities in southern NH with McMansions from MA transplants who immediately wanted new schools, curbside trash pick up, and expanded municipal services. The larger population centers have better tax rates and services in place. There are rural towns that offer an excellent quality of life. From Google; New Hampshire is known as a low-tax state. But while the state has no personal income tax and no sales tax, it has the third highest property tax rates of any U.S. state, with an average effective rate of 2.20%. Consequently, the median annual property tax payment here is $5,388. Tax burden >>> https://www.fsp.org/understanding-new-hampshire-taxes/?utm_term=property%20taxes%20in%20new%20hampshire&utm_campaign=%5BLD%5D+FSP+-+Taxes&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_ver=3&hsa_kw=property%20taxes%20in%20new%20hampshire&hsa_ad=289448810824&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_cam=1487973353&hsa_grp=60889026200&hsa_src=g&hsa_acc=9937335704&hsa_tgt=kwd-1547988929&hsa_mt=b&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIt-_h64j66QIVCm-GCh1vLQrxEAAYASAAEgLzG_D_BwE Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ftpiercecracker1 Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 What about opening a private consultant business? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
87MJTIM Posted June 11, 2020 Share Posted June 11, 2020 1 hour ago, ftpiercecracker1 said: What about opening a private consultant business? My advice before he does this: Look before you leap. If you consider this option, sit down with a CPA and discuss the accounting and tax issues first. Understand the different ways to operate a business (sole proprietor, LLC, S-Corp) and the responsibilities that each one has. If you are not comfortable with handling the accounting and tax issues, hire someone to assist you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Eagle Posted June 11, 2020 Author Share Posted June 11, 2020 16 hours ago, MontanaManche said: Its really nice here in montana, just stay away from butte and great falls and you'd be ok Great Falls was on my list. What's wrong with Great Falls? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MontanaManche Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 On 6/11/2020 at 3:53 PM, Eagle said: Great Falls was on my list. What's wrong with Great Falls? I'm my experience its just a gloomy place, whenever i go there it feels boring. maybe its nothing but ive never like going there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gogmorgo Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 I’ve always kinda liked the Great Falls area, although I’ve never really stopped and spent time, just driven through on the way to elsewhere. You’re out on the edge of the foothills, definitely cowboy country. Mountains on the horizon, wide open spaces, not many people, very middle of nowhere sort of feel. Long distances between places, especially compared to the Eastern US. But I can for sure see how it might seem gloomy. I’ve lived in and around more than my fair share of small prairie cities and they almost all share a bit of that run-down sort of vibe of a place that used to be somewhere but hasn’t been for a long while. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DirtyComanche Posted June 13, 2020 Share Posted June 13, 2020 That's super frustrating that they weren't more forthcoming about what they intended with the position ahead of time. Have you made a Linkedin profile, or any for similar services? Some moron looking for an IT job in Florida made one and used my email by accident (I'm guessing we have similar names and he formatted it wrong) and I often get a bunch of emails from headhunters, so the service must work. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rokinn Posted June 14, 2020 Share Posted June 14, 2020 My stepfather grew up in the Great Falls area. Stories of how brutal the winters can be and usually are doesn't seem appealing. I suggest northern Idaho, where I was born, eastern Washington as well as eastern Oregon are places you might like. Northern Utah into Idaho are also appealing. If you've ever driven through Wyoming there is a reason they have a lot of wind farms there. Good luck. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FrankTheDog Posted June 16, 2020 Share Posted June 16, 2020 15,000,000 people in New England 72,000 square miles. Wyoming 560,000 people. 98,000 square miles. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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