I recently had a job offer to go work in the oil patch in North Dakota. 3 weeks on, weeks off. 3X-4X my current salary. We stood outside in humid 35-40*(F) weather and the guy making the offer was comfortable, wearing short sleeves, drinking cold beer, while I shivered uncontrollably in a thick jacket drinking whiskey. He showed me videos on his phone of snow blowing upwards from the ground, and talked about how every time he comes back to Houston he gets sick, and quite often hospitalized with pneumonia. And he works in an enclosed cabin watching gauges. The work he wants me to do is outside, setting up/troubleshooting/tearing down all the electrical components of the rig for every move.

I told him I would think about it, and I did. In the morning, sober, the offer did not seem nearly as enticing as it did the night before. $250,000/yr minimum sounds real nice, but you have to be able to DO the work, and I don't think I could. Even if I was able to pull some kind of "mind over matter" stunt and fulfill the requirements of the job, what's the money for when you're effing miserable and you can't even come home and be healthy and relax?

I'm a local to this stuff! What sort of job was this for $250K a year?

 

I'm a local to this stuff! What sort of job was this for $250K a year?

"electrician" for a coiled tubing operation.

 

I was on a number of coil tubing job sites when I was driving truck in the oil fields a few summers ago. I got a few real good tours and chances to see how things worked!

I didn't see single thing there I was not in some way somewhat familiar with from other jobs and work I had done.

I never thought about looking into work with one of them though. To obvious I guess.

 

I was on a number of coil tubing job sites when I was driving truck in the oil fields a few summers ago. I got a few real good tours and chances to see how things worked!

I didn't see single thing there I was not in some way somewhat familiar with from other jobs and work I had done.

I never thought about looking into work with one of them though. To obvious I guess.

Just tell them what you just told me, and I bet they'll hire you. They can't find enough people to fill positions. If you know what coil tubing is, that's a foot in the door. If you know how to drive a truck in North Dakota, that's two feet through the door. Knowing both, well I guess that makes you a tripod with a job.

 

So cold here I had to rescue a dog that was frozen to a fire hydrant.

Its so cold here that an exhibitionist walked up and described himself to me!

 

I recently had a job offer to go work in the oil patch in North Dakota. 3 weeks on, weeks off. 3X-4X my current salary. We stood outside in humid 35-40*(F) weather and the guy making the offer was comfortable, wearing short sleeves, drinking cold beer, while I shivered uncontrollably in a thick jacket drinking whiskey. He showed me videos on his phone of snow blowing upwards from the ground, and talked about how every time he comes back to Houston he gets sick, and quite often hospitalized with pneumonia. And he works in an enclosed cabin watching gauges. The work he wants me to do is outside, setting up/troubleshooting/tearing down all the electrical components of the rig for every move.

I told him I would think about it, and I did. In the morning, sober, the offer did not seem nearly as enticing as it did the night before. $250,000/yr minimum sounds real nice, but you have to be able to DO the work, and I don't think I could. Even if I was able to pull some kind of "mind over matter" stunt and fulfill the requirements of the job, what's the money for when you're effing miserable and you can't even come home and be healthy and relax?

For 2.5 million dollars/year, I would try it. At least that way if/when I flake out, my first/last paycheck will offset the loss of my previous job.

Reminds me of when Amazon was recruiting me a couple years back. It would have involved moving to Seattle, of course, which is not on the list of places I want to live either from a political standpoint or a climate standpoint, both of which were reinforced when they flew me out there. After the phone interview they wanted to know what my salary requirements were and I told them that any person can be bought and that I just happen to have a good idea what my price was and gave it to them. I figured it would be "have a nice day" time, but instead they laughed and proceeded to schedule the on-site interview, so I thought they might actually be willing to buy me! The on-site went well, but it turned out my price was a bit steep for them after all.

 

sounds real nice, but you have to be able to DO the work,

Working the oil patch in North Dakota sounds to me about as pleasant as doing underwater work in a 30 inch pipe. Trying to work at below zero temperatures? You can't feel the parts because of the gloves, and if you take the gloves off, your finger will stick to the parts. No thanks!

I've heard that electricity still works at 20 below zero, but I certainly don't!

 

Just tell them what you just told me, and I bet they'll hire you. They can't find enough people to fill positions. If you know what coil tubing is, that's a foot in the door. If you know how to drive a truck in North Dakota, that's two feet through the door. Knowing both, well I guess that makes you a tripod with a job.

I'm overqualified and of the wrong ethnic background. I'm white, intelligent, I have a class A CDL with full HazMat endorsement, Multiple skillsets in a diverse range of fields I can demonstrate proficiency in at any time, a fair and honest work attitude, I get along with everyone I work with, and I can pee in a cup at at any time and guarantee I will pass!

All of that makes me a bad managers worst nightmare. I'm a multilevel threat who can stand his ground with no reasonable way to get rid of.

I will look into it though. They toss me $80K+ a year starting with a 3 - 4 on 3 - 4 off schedule and I will consider taking the job.

 

I'm overqualified and of the wrong ethnic background. I'm white, intelligent, I have a class A CDL with full HazMat endorsement, Multiple skillsets in a diverse range of fields I can demonstrate proficiency in at any time, a fair and honest work attitude, I get along with everyone I work with, and I can pee in a cup at at any time and guarantee I will pass!

All of that makes me a bad managers worst nightmare. I'm a multilevel threat who can stand his ground with no reasonable way to get rid of.

I will look into it though. They toss me $80K+ a year starting with a 3 - 4 on 3 - 4 off schedule and I will consider taking the job.

Yeah, in the interview I wouldn't mention anything that you just said except the CDL. I definitely wouldn't throw any numbers out; you say 80k and you just shot yourself in the feet (both). Just say "I can breathe, lift 50lbs, I have a CDL, and I know how to drive in ND" - there, done.

 

I already sent a basic email.

No major stuff other than my standard description of skillsets and experience. they can toss number at me from there if they find me worth looking at.

I've played this game before.

Never mind. The email got kicked back for being an invalid address.

 

and I had to walk a mile to school, and a mile back, uphill both ways!

When I was a boy we walked ten miles to school uphill both ways in 5 feet of snow and that was in the summertime!

 

When I was a boy I went to what would be now modern public school.

I had no idea where I was going or what I was doing once I got there and no way to understand how far I walked along the way not that it mattered. I couldn't count or read anyway.

I still got all A's for trying my best though!

 

When I was a boy I went to what would be now modern public school.

Me too!
HOKAH FOREVER

 

I graduated in 1993.

Seriously most of my grades came out as just high enough to be passable because no teachers wanted to risk holding me back and seeing me again next year.

 

Your icon hints at such.

 

When I was a boy we walked ten miles to school uphill both ways in 5 feet of snow and that was in the summertime!

Maybe so.......but WE also had to walk backwards, up the hills coming and going, and carry all the girls' books and lunches.

Seriously, in the early 50s; we walked 3 miles each way to school in Michigan, to a big, one room, schoolhouse with grades 1-12.
No running water, no electricity, no indoor toilets.

As youngsters, we got to hear the teacher also talking to Seniors all day long.
One year, we had one Senior graduate.
He was the only guy in his class.

That may have helped us little kids, learn faster than normal.

 

I think we have a contest on the go to see who is the oldest on AAC.
You must be right up there with RonH.

 

" You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? You talkin' to me? Then who the hell else are you talking... you talking to me? Well I'm the only one here. Who the **** do you think you're talking to? Oh yeah? OK."

 

I think we have a contest on the go to see who is the oldest on AAC.
You must be right up there with RonH.

It seems like I often figure people are much younger than they really are.

I guess I'm one of the younger regular members.

Hey, cool; I just realized that I can expand the size of text entry box by dragging the bottom right corner.

 

is the definition of a "modern school" one that has indoor plumbing?