re: Venting and discouraged, considering possible move to the Portland area

Go for it! I feel it is important to try out new places.

You should look in to message boards there. I know TD has helped more than one person find local jobs. Put a resume on Indeed or some similar site. Also just Google the area and find places that you are qualified to work. I know times are tough but it never hurts to get your name out there.

I wish you the best of luck.

Move. Try living somewhere else even for a short while. If you don’t like it, home will still be there. Life is too short to stay grounded in the same town The entire time IMO.

But only move if you have a job there waiting for you.

quote:

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 Find an entry level job with a contractor that will teach you a trade
- Bust your arse at that job and save everything you can in order to start your own business doing that one day

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Solid advice. Pretty much what happened to me but I was a little younger. I got a job at a small job shop where the owner had some contracts making medical devices. The medical device company wanted to scale up with the shop and he came to a couple guys in the shop asking if we wanted to buy in to expand the business.

I was the only taker and I gave him every dime I had for a stake in the shop. We moved to a bigger nicer shop and doubled the number of machines we had as well as staff. It was the scariest time of my life as I had just started my family and wasn't totally sure we could make it work. So stumbling into the opportunity was just pure luck but I wouldve missed out had I not said yes. But he runs the business side and I take care of the technical stuff and production schedule. We keep each other informed and have continued to grow since I bought in 5 years ago and it has worked out beyond my expectations.

I'm not rich as I'm supporting a family of 4 with my single income but for the past 2 years I haven't really had to sweat my finances at all. Point being in this ramble is, had I not taken the leap and made myself uncomfortable (not really a move in my case, but a huge investment that could have ruined me) i would still be running a CNC mill or Swiss Lathe everyday for $17 bucks an hour and bored out of my mind. So take a chance on making yourself happy. And good luck.

Thank you. I'd say I'm a fairly smart guy. I definitely feel like the years I put in with my friend's father's business were wasted years, especially now. I only did it because it was a family/friend gig and paid well. I didn't mind the work, but it quickly became boring. While I do enjoy working with my hands, I like to have some variety in work and actually using my brain.

What part of Arkansas are you in? You seem like a good guy. Might have a job opportunity if you enjoy working with your hands in NWA.

If you don't have any responsibilities, namely children, that live nearby and depend on you, then go. Use this as an opportunity to reinvent yourself and go after something you want before you hit your 40s and the years start getting checked off. You'll regret it if you don't try. You can always come back to the familiar. Good luck and let us know how it goes!

I'm in Fort Smith.

Gotcha well the work we have available is in the Fort Smith and River Valley area. Mostly remodel, handyman type of work. Could be temporary and possibly long term

Great thing about Portland is plenty of bikini baristas to pour you a coffee.

What’s your email man? We can talk outside of this thread.