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What jobs or opportunities, exactly, exist in those small/medium towns? I seem to recall having to move away from my town because there were zero job opportuni

What jobs or opportunities, exactly, exist in those small/medium towns? I seem to recall having to move away from my town because there were zero job opportunities for me except for those that were outside of my career and minimum wage.

yellowapple 6y ago
Thinking back on the various small towns in which I and family members have lived... - Stores - Restaurants (usually fast food) - Beauty salons - Auto shops - Gas stations - Small offices (think lawyers, accountants, etc.) - Clinics (even full-blown hospitals, one of which being my employer for my second job / first IT job) Not to mention various jobs without fixed workplaces. I did freelance computer repair to help supplement my unemployment checks (during the times when I was on unemployment), since that's what I was good at; landscaping, housecleaning, pest control, plumbing/electrical work, etc. all come to mind there, too. There are certainly jobs outside of town, too (e.g. farm work), but those often have on-site or near-site housing (whether as simple as renting a room in a farmhouse or there being an outright mobile home park or somesuch) specifically due to the realization that a lot of people working those jobs can't afford to drive every day. ---- EDIT: if you're in a specialized career I can definitely understand why it'd be hard to find work. Bigger cities seem to have higher demand for specialized work, while smaller cities/towns more often than not need generalists. I've definitely felt that even in IT. Still, this pandemic notwithstanding, these towns/cities do tend to have up to tends of thousands of workers in 'em, doing the same things that a bigger city needs, albeit probably with less specialization and more generalization. And indeed, I think that's why I'm doing okay now, even while working in a small-ish city: I learned the hard way that it probably ain't realistic to specialize on a specific technology or a specific role, and that if I'm gonna develop a lasting career I've gotta be flexible enough to be effective in any sort of role. I can't just be the "Linux and Erlang guy"; I gotta be willing to learn and work with whatever the job requires. Of course, I'm also lucky enough to be working for a company that's not only able to stay open but actively thriving in pandemic conditions; I recognize most Americans - including multiple friends and family members - ain't as lucky as I am, which is exactly why I'm strongly in favor of helping them out wherever possible.

yellowapple 6y ago

Thinking back on the various small towns in which I and family members have lived... - Stores - Restaurants (usually fast food) - Beauty salons - Auto shops - Gas stations - Small offices (think lawyers, accountants, etc.) - Clinics (even full-blown hospitals, one of which being my employer for my second job / first IT job) Not to mention various jobs without fixed workplaces. I did freelance computer repair to help supplement my unemployment checks (during the times when I was on unemployment), since that's what I was good at; landscaping, housecleaning, pest control, plumbing/electrical work, etc. all come to mind there, too. There are certainly jobs outside of town, too (e.g. farm work), but those often have on-site or near-site housing (whether as simple as renting a room in a farmhouse or there being an outright mobile home park or somesuch) specifically due to the realization that a lot of people working those jobs can't afford to drive every day. ---- EDIT: if you're in a specialized career I can definitely understand why it'd be hard to find work. Bigger cities seem to have higher demand for specialized work, while smaller cities/towns more often than not need generalists. I've definitely felt that even in IT. Still, this pandemic notwithstanding, these towns/cities do tend to have up to tends of thousands of workers in 'em, doing the same things that a bigger city needs, albeit probably with less specialization and more generalization. And indeed, I think that's why I'm doing okay now, even while working in a small-ish city: I learned the hard way that it probably ain't realistic to specialize on a specific technology or a specific role, and that if I'm gonna develop a lasting career I've gotta be flexible enough to be effective in any sort of role. I can't just be the "Linux and Erlang guy"; I gotta be willing to learn and work with whatever the job requires. Of course, I'm also lucky enough to be working for a company that's not only able to stay open but actively thriving in pandemic conditions; I recognize most Americans - including multiple friends and family members - ain't as lucky as I am, which is exactly why I'm strongly in favor of helping them out wherever possible.