Move to North Dakota

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Aliblahba

Aliblahba

 
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A coworker recently called a recruiter ref. a North Dakota job.

Question 1. Do you have a pulse? Yes.

Question 2. Have you had a felony in the past 3 years? No.

He was offered 2k per week to start after a drug screen. It's that easy. And that is low end money for us skilled professionals.
 
el mechanico

el mechanico

Owl
Gold Member
This thread is making me think we should be buying RVs here that are dirt cheap and bringing them there to sell. I get offered them for 1000 or so all the time.
 
Screwston

Screwston

 
Banned
Ali I could of swore someone was saying that there's a bunch of people up there struggling to find work and sleeping in their cars. I guess it was somewhere i n Canada in another thread.
 
Hotwheels

Hotwheels

Crow
Gold Member
They are sleeping in their cars because there is no place to rent.

The population has exploded and infrastructure has not been able to keep up.

Apparently some of the bigger contractors like Halliburton have started building man camps like Scotian describes in his Canada thread.

When McDonalds is paying over 15/hour I doubt it is hard to find a job.
 
Aliblahba

Aliblahba

 
Banned
houston said:
Ali I could of swore someone was saying that there's a bunch of people up there struggling to find work and sleeping in their cars. I guess it was somewhere i n Canada in another thread.
Click to expand...

I doubt it. I spent over 4 hours yesterday compiling a list of websites for jobs up there. Anyone with mechanical, electronic, supply chain, or oilfield experience won't have a problem finding a job. There are simply too many jobs posted. One website listed 200 oil companies operating up there. I didn't even look at support jobs, like cooks, drivers, front desk staff, bartenders, ect.

The biggest thing I saw has how little experience they would accept. Some good jobs, paying probably mid-20's to start, just wanted someone mechanically inclined. WOW. Usually in the oilfields you gotta have specific experience, certifications, and know someone.

I'm telling you, now's the time to get into the field. It ain't the cleanest work, but it's honest work and pays well. Go up there, try to find a 3 month rotation, and use your off time to take college classes and certifications online. That's how you'll move up. Getting educated and experienced simultaneously.
 
scotian

scotian

Peacock
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Guys this is exactly what the Canadian boom town of Fort Mac was like 5-6 years ago, the time to be there is NOW. If you've got nothing else going on work wise or are a young, adventurous type with ambition and drive, get up there as quick as you can.

Ideally, if I was to go there, I'd buy a shitty winnebago or truck with a fifth wheel, head up to Williston and see what happens. Worse case scenario is that you come home a couple grand poorer, but if you're reading this blog you probably have a desire to get ahead in life, travel, make money, etc so by going there, you'll get a job.

Guaranteed it sucks massive balls up there, just like Fort Mac does, but it isn't about lifestyle, its about the money and valuable work experience a guy can obtain up there. Like the OP said, if you're not happy with your work situation right now, whay aren't you in North Dakota?

Take it from me guys, I`m proof that a guy with absolutely no skills or mechanical aptitude can move from a low income part of his country to a boom town like this and be making six figures within a year or two. Just do it!
 
Aliblahba

Aliblahba

 
Banned
An old friend is a project manager that just spent some time up in Williston. And I quote the message he JUST sent me.

"Any living person can get a job in and around Williston, ND. Seriously. Skilled or not. That place is absolutely crazy. I would suggest to your coworkers that they go there in search of work. There's also a lot of oil sands job in Alberta too. We've been sending a lot of people up there as well."

For you young cats, if the money is tight, see if someone in your family will loan you the stake money to get up there. Come up with an intelligent business proposal, and pitch it to them. These opportunities don't come around often. I would have given my left nut to have had this shit going on around '98-'02.
 
Screwston

Screwston

 
Banned
I might be the first to make a data sheet. I told my boy and he won't leave his girl. This guy lives with his parents! I'm the only one in my circle willing to leave the comfort zone.

Should I just leave my car and take a flight out there? I'm broke as fuck and don't know what job they would give me with no experience. Hell, I'll dig holes all day if I'm getting paid decent and seeing how shit works up there. I need a break from pussy anyways and am tired of my lifestyle right now. Drinks on me Ali and Scotian when we meet up one day. Scotian, I think this is gonna be the first step before Canada.
 
F

Freedom

Robin
I read about this in Inc. magazine, but from the perspective of real estate developers, housing is limited in that area. The convenience stores run out of food/supplies every week. One bedroom apartments are going for $2,000 and the man camps are $~120/night. If you leave for the weekend, your spot can be taken when you get back. So even with the high salaries the financial factor of compensation-to-living cost becomes similar to work in a big city.
 
scotian

scotian

Peacock
Gold Member
houston said:
I might be the first to make a data sheet. I told my boy and he won't leave his girl. This guy lives with his parents! I'm the only one in my circle willing to leave the comfort zone.

Should I just leave my car and take a flight out there? I'm broke as fuck and don't know what job they would give me with no experience. Hell, I'll dig holes all day if I'm getting paid decent and seeing how shit works up there. I need a break from pussy anyways and am tired of my lifestyle right now. Drinks on me Ali and Scotian when we meet up one day. Scotian, I think this is gonna be the first step before Canada.
Click to expand...

Houston, you don't have to move up there tomorrow (although the sooner, the better), sounds like ND will be booming for awhile. My advice would be to drive up there in your car, who knows what, if there is any, the public transportation is like up there. You'll want to be mobile so you can drive around to hand out resumes, and you don't want to be a burden on any potential employers as a guy without a car, although chances are that transportation from your camp or apartment will be taken care of. Also, you'll want a ride to cruise around on your days off, a road trip to Sturgis 2012 sounds pretty cool!

As far as housing goes, that'll be tough. Your best bet would be to find a room in a house, or fork over 2 Gs for your own place, it sounds like a lot, but if you're pulling in 2 Gs net per week, its not too bad. Another option, and this may sound extreme, is to take a tent up there and wing it, wait til the weather warms up a bit (late April/early May), and if you can't find a place to sleep, pitch a tent or sleep in you car, wash up at a truck stop.

Sounds crazy but its probably worth it, I would suggest having $3-5 gs in the bank before you go up there, I'd even go with a credit card because by the sounds of things, it won't take long before you're making decent coin.

Also, since you're from Houston, the oil related skills you can acquire up there will be useful in your home town or any other oil place in the world, including Alberta.

Good luck!
 
F

Freedom

Robin
Who else is reminded of the gold rush? and who got rich? (The guy selling the shovels)
I think the smart entrepreneur can go there, not to join the work force, but to set up shop yo sell a product/service for all those male workers.
 
B

Beyond Borders

Peacock
Gold Member
"The going rate to park a trailer or recreational vehicle long-term is $800 to $1,200 per month."
-from article linked above

I personally think this would be worth it under the circumstances if you could find a spot. I'd look into buying a Toyota Dolphin or something similar.
 
Hotwheels

Hotwheels

Crow
Gold Member
Freedom said:
Who else is reminded of the gold rush? and who got rich? (The guy selling the shovels)
I think the smart entrepreneur can go there, not to join the work force, but to set up shop yo sell a product/service for all those male workers.
Click to expand...

That's my line of thinking also. The article I posted mentions that the city of Williston trucks the city vehicles to Minot for body work or other repairs because the local prices are three times as high.

Basically about any business will be charging much more than normal for services there, so if you are good at something set up shop and watch the ducats roll in.

One issue would be finding space to set up shop, so if you can come up with something that's mobile you should be good.

Hell, the article even mentions a rolling "strip club", set up in a motor home. :D
 
flyfreshandyoung

flyfreshandyoung

Robin
I have been contemplating this for awhile now.

I have a decent job now that I don't mind at all, but the thought of spending 3-5 years making bank up there is incredibly enticing. From a long term viewpoint, at only 22 I have a fuck load of living ahead of me, and coming back from ND with tons of cash would make for a solid foundation for the rest of my life.

5 years of sacrifice for a jump start on decades of easy living? Hard to say no.
 
B

Beyond Borders

Peacock
Gold Member
Anyone know if they're cracking down on people sleeping in cars or vans, etc? I read a couple places that they've been talking about it, but with so much of it going on, what can they really do to cut down on it?
 
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