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alpinerockfiend
Trad climber
the Bozone
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Topic Author's Original Post - Oct 5, 2011 - 01:12pm PT
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Hey folks...My girlfriend graduated from Montana State with her Structural Engineering master's in May and has slowly started pursuing a job. We live in Bozeman, which we totally love, and I'm in the early phase of the nursing program here at MSU. Unfortunately, the market's not chomping at the bit to hire her in town, so we're looking into relocation options that would suit both our needs (bigger job market, university with a good nursing program, close to rock and skiing).
Salt Lake, Denver, Missoula, Billings, would be sort of top tier choices for us... for some reason I can't sell her on the geographical perks of Reno, but I love that area and UNR has a nursing program, so it's on my list...
So if any folks with a connection to the civil engineering world in any of these places could provide any help, suggestions, insider info, and, of course, job opportunities, I'd be much obliged! Thanks!
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Gary
climber
Desolation Row, Calif.
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bigger job market, university with a good nursing program, close to rock and skiing
Los Angeles.
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cleo
Social climber
Berkeley, CA
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Keep trying to sell Reno... heck, you could live in Truckee.
Billings is like Reno (except smaller) in the sense that you still have to drive to the mountains. Denver is like most of Northern California - still fighting the mob to the mountains, and the skiing isn't really that close. Sacramento might be closer to skiing than Denver. I've heard of jobs in small towns like Sonora too - local climbing + Yosemite nearby, BC skiing too.
But if I were you, I'd be looking first at SLC (if you can't find work in Bozeman or Missoula, that is), then Reno/Truckee.
(FWIW, they're hiring around here, but this is Bay Area, which in my mind, is about equal in mountain access to Denver)
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tolman_paul
Trad climber
Anchorage, AK
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You might want to consider Anchorage. The engineering market is still doing pretty well, and the medical field is growing strong. Check out UAA's nursing program. For engineering, have her check out CH2MHill, USRA, NanaWorleyParons, ASRC, Anvil, Dowell, etc.
I think you'll find few areas that have both the good of what a big city offers, decent job market and you can be climbing rocks or ice or skiing within 30 minutes of town.
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O.D.
Trad climber
LA LA Land
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Some good news, and bad news. A licensed structural engineer is highly employable, even in today's economy. But, there is a minimum experience requirement: in California, for example, 6 years experience before one can apply for licensure and take the licensure exam (some experience credit may given for graduate study, depending on individual States' regulations). So it's kind of a vicious circle: can't get licensed without experience, but getting a job (and experience) without a PE license in today's economy could be real tough, in any geographic area. Once someone becomes a Structural PE, he/she can pretty much write their own ticket and live in almost any geographic area they choose.
Some geographic areas with outstanding outdoor rec. options, close to educational institutions with nursing programs, and a good-sized consulting engineering firm population: Seattle, Salt Lake City, San Diego. Albuquerque wouldn't be a bad choice, either, but the local economy is suffering even more than the US in general.
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survival
Big Wall climber
A Token of My Extreme
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ABQ Baby!!
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Trusty Rusty
Social climber
Tahoe area
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Construction in the US is in a pejorative swirl. Concurring with F/mental's comments, I'd be looking at international options, at least for the engineering half. Among others, Ghana and Qatar are booming. The ENR companies in America have long tails abroad for good reason.
Best wishes.
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O.D.
Trad climber
LA LA Land
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Of all the places I've worked in the last 30+ years, Albuquerque is the city I'd most like to live in -- I just haven't been lucky enough to find a way to live and work there (yet). The economy is hurting terribly, and no doubt looks worse today than it did even in 2009 (reference to the Kiplinger article). My company just closed down our Albuquerque office last week, after a nearly 20 year presence. It was an awful day for our employees. We would have been willing to tough it out a while longer, but the economic forecast for 2012 and 2013 is grim. Maybe I'll have to wait 'till retirement to live there.
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Trusty Rusty
Social climber
Tahoe area
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The only redemptive values of Reno are lax gun control, cheap Lobster and strong enough winds to keep your porch clean. . .of excess furnishings.
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KabalaArch
Trad climber
Starlite, California
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FWIW, I established my small Architectural practice here about 30 years ago...I office in Mammoth, and live in an obscure National Forest inholding called Starlite, about 10 miles or so west of another obscure small town called Bishop.
I’ve been told that there are a few climbing and skiing venues close by...I think those big rocks I can see from my couch are named, respectively, Grandma and Grandpa Peabody.
Today, it is snowing outside my office.
Point on, I’d have to say that all of the suggestions posted are quite good ones. My path from Berkeley, earning intern credits by working my way through school, involved several few years of work in the SF Financial District after I’d made the 8 years required to sit for the Boards.
I dropped out of Cal’s grad school when I chanced upon a lead, which has put me at the pc from which I am now writing.
Once you are licensed, yes, you might be able to write your own ticket...if you are comfortable with the prospect of a planning horizon which might fall off the edge of the world in 30 days - and that’s a comfortable one; many have been the days when I’ve arrived at my desk, wondering how I’m going to crack this month’s nut...and the telephone might ring...with a 1 year contract.
It’s sort of like a runout lead: if I can just make it to the next rest, the next pro, through the next quarter over quarter. Except I am my family’s sole breadwinner; I have no safety net. There is a style of climbing similar to this: cordless. But, as the saying goes: “if you ain’t the lead dog, the view’s always the same.”
BTW, my 26 year old daughter is to be wed this Sunday, @ CLR. She, and her younger brother, were born here.
For my market share I draw deeply on my heavy SF commercial experience...most guys around here can only design SFR. I work health care, edu, public works, hospitality...and I’ve done a fair article of House - for some benefactors on this forum, in fact.
Basic survival has required me to obtain a National cert, by and with which I’ve obtained multi-state registration by reciprocity.
About a dozen projects for both of the two regional ski areas up on Mt. Hood sustained me during the slack of the nineties. Adding a general contractor’s license allowed me to provide Design/Build project delivery.
Best advice I got: 5 years out of school - 5 different jobs. To learn, obviously, various business models.
So, to reiterate the previous posts, compromise on an urban setting, with plenty of work opportunities for you to hone your skillset. This could take the better part of 10 years.
Hmm...anyone considering building something soon?
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HighTraverse
Trad climber
Bay Area
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I'm not in structural or civil engineering but have a good friend who is. There is a lot of current work for SF Bay area firms on big projects. Both here and overseas. She should check the SF/Sacramento job market. For grad studies, UC Berkeley is excellent.
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Banquo
climber
Morgan Hill, CA (Mo' Hill)
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I am a Civil PE but not an SE. I teach structural engineering part time at SJSU. The recent graduates are having some difficulty finding good positions and the construction business has not been hiring. Like consumers, the construction business is sitting tight waiting to see what will happen. The graduates do seem to get jobs though.
One sector that is hiring is solar, wind and other alternate energy. Putting solar panels on roofs requires building permits, engineering and project management. One former student who works at Solar City in San Mateo tells me that they are hiring but they of course prefer experience and there are unemployed engineers out there with experience.
The bay area is survivable and the sheer amount of climbing within 3 to 5 hours drive is more than you can can find in just about any comparable area on the planet. There is very good skiing nearby but you don't need to plow your driveway. Plus we have an ocean to play in and deserts to visit. The downside is that it's a very urban place but then that is where the jobs are.
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