Posted: 1/31/2010 4:48:36 AM EDT
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Well I guess it's pretty bad that I come on here and ask for help, but I honestly don't know anywhere else to go and maybe you guys can help. I've been looking for a job for the past 6 months, and cannot find/get anything. The past year and a half of my life has been really really rough for me. My resume isn't much of anything at all. The only thing I have on there is when I was in the Army.
And let me explain exactly what happened. I was in the army for a year and 3 months as a generator mechanic. I had some serious family problems (that I found out about basic training graduation) while in AIT about a week before I was going home on leave I honestly didn't know where I was going to stay because my parents had split up after 25 years (dad was cheating on my mom etc etc) well i stayed with a friend of my moms. When I reported for duty at Ft.hood with 1st cav my sister had left me a message (i was in the soldier center doing paperwork and couldn't answer) Well apparently my mom had tried to commit suicide for the 2nd time (1st time while I was in basic and I had no idea about that until a couple months ago) and she was in the hospital in Tomball. She apparently took a bunch of pain meds she had from her hysterectomy. I tried for 3 days trying to contact my sister, mom, and anyone I could get a hold of and no one knew where either of them were. I called the hospital and they had no record of her being there. I talked to all of the NCO's at reception, and of course I couldn't leave to go to houston to try and find her without a red cross message...which I couldn't get because I couldn't get a hold of anyone or figure out which hospital she was at. So...being young and stupid I went AWOL. I was gone for about a month. I ended up finding her about a week of being AWOL at the Memorial Herman hospital in the woodlands. Well I went back and was chaptered out under 1412c Misconduct (general under honorable conditions discharge). So now I'm living with my dad in South East houston (la porte to be exact) and I cannot find a job. I have an application with TDCJ for a correctional officer job, but they are swamped with applications, and it could take up to 12 weeks before I hear anything about what unit or the training or anything. If you disagree with what I did to find my mom please don't flame me for it. I did what I thought I had too, and I still regret it :(. I can't re-enlist for 2 years so that's out of the question. I'm not asking any of you to just GIVE me a job. I'm just asking for anyone around Houston to keep their eyes or ears open for me and let me know. I really need a job and this is getting ridiculous. I work my ass off, but no one is willing to give me a chance. So if you know of any jobs in or around my area please post it here or email me @ [email protected]. I'm sorry I had to ask here, but I honestly can't think of anything else. I've tried staffing companies, monster, craigslist, walking down the street applying everywhere I can. I just need some help :(. |
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You are in La Porte, so, have you looked into anything like Austin Industrial, or any of the other large outfits that provide labor for the plants for shut downs and turn arounds?
It has been several years since I was in plants on a regular basis so the exact names of the companies presently escape me, but I'd think that a little Google-fu would put you in the right place. |
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You are in La Porte, so, have you looked into anything like Austin Industrial, or any of the other large outfits that provide labor for the plants for shut downs and turn arounds? It has been several years since I was in plants on a regular basis so the exact names of the companies presently escape me, but I'd think that a little Google-fu would put you in the right place. I actually had tried looking up jobs for the plants around my area and couldn't find anything. But I looked up Austin Industrial like you said and found an ad from the 15th of this month and they are looking for quite a few people. Thanks a lot. I'm going to give them a call tomorrow morning (if there office is closed right now) |
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Ever though about being PD? Someone told me that Pearland is looking for officers. Apparently, Harris County sheriff's isn't. Not sure about HPD. Also, don't know how the discharge will play out with them. I honestly have but I have to go to college first before I can become an officer (atleast thats what I have been told) And I called HPD like 2 or 3 months ago asking them about my discharge and she said with my discharge I'm eligible, but she said something about they would investigate as to why I got that discharge which on my dd214 it will just say misconduct. |
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What you need to do during the application process is be 100% honest but not to open about your personal problems. DO NOT tell them you have an honorable discharge because when they ask to see you DD214 and it is not honorable you just falsified your application. With most companies once you do this your are done FOREVER. I just saw this done within the past couple of weeks at my company. If he would just be honest we could have moved forward.
Good luck. You might check out Craigslist too. It is much cheaper than Monster or Career builder for employers. |
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What you need to do during the application process is be 100% honest but not to open about your personal problems. DO NOT tell them you have an honorable discharge because when they ask to see you DD214 and it is not honorable you just falsified your application. With most companies once you do this your are done FOREVER. I just saw this done within the past couple of weeks at my company. If he would just be honest we could have moved forward. Good luck. You might check out Craigslist too. It is much cheaper than Monster or Career builder for employers. Thank you for the advice. And yeah I never lie about my discharge because I always have my dd214 ready just incase they want/need to see it. And I've been using craigslist as well, but there isn't much on craigslist around my area. |
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In the South Houston area.
Hit all of the Maintenance & Constructions companies located around Pasadena & Deer Park and submit an application. If you have any skills (pipe fitting, machinist, mechanic, carpenter, concrete, etc.), list them. As someone else mentioned, be totally honest. It s better to not mention the discharge issue if your paperwork is other than honorable. Right now things are very slow but we are hoping for things to pick up in the near future. When you submit an application, ask about possible out of town work. There is the possibility that a company may have work in another town (Port Author, Austin, etc.). You may not want to travel but right now work is work. Take it where ever you can find it.. MLG |
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In the South Houston area. Hit all of the Maintenance & Constructions companies located around Pasadena & Deer Park and submit an application. If you have any skills (pipe fitting, machinist, mechanic, carpenter, concrete, etc.), list them. As someone else mentioned, be totally honest. It s better to not mention the discharge issue if your paperwork is other than honorable. Right now things are very slow but we are hoping for things to pick up in the near future. When you submit an application, ask about possible out of town work. There is the possibility that a company may have work in another town (Port Author, Austin, etc.). You may not want to travel but right now work is work. Take it where ever you can find it.. MLG Yeah i definitely need to hit the maintenance and constructions places around here. And with the discharge I don't tell them what type of discharge it was unless they ask or assume that it's a DD. And as far as traveling unless I can travel with the company it's hard for me. I was in a wreck awhile back and at the moment I don't have a vehicle of my own. I have to borrow my dads, so traveling is kinda out of the question until I can get me an el cheapo truck or car. |
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And with the discharge I don't tell them what type of discharge it was unless they ask or assume that it's a DD. And as far as traveling unless I can travel with the company it's hard for me. I was in a wreck awhile back and at the moment I don't have a vehicle of my own. I have to borrow my dads, so traveling is kinda out of the question until I can get me an el cheapo truck or car.
I work for one of the Maintenance & Construction companies and I'm going to be brutally honest here. I realize the matter was a huge mistake done during an awful situation and family crisis ... but. The discharge matter is going to haunt you/hurt you for a long, long time. I have no military experiance so I don't know how it works with them (the Army), is there any way you can make amends with the Army to get that fixed? I'm not being sarcastic but, can you go back? Even if its on your hands and knees? "Less than Honorable" on a background check is just about as bad as a felony and will prevent you from getting a job in most of the Chemical Plants or any place where security is an issue (plants, refineries, power plants, harbor facility, shipping, etc). This matter is going to cause you lots of problems for just about the rest of your life. It is that serious unless you'll be content with low paying jobs. At your skill level, if you do hire on with any company for out of town work, you won't be travelling "with the company". It will be a matter of "be at so & so place Monday morning at 7:00". You'll have to arrange your own accomodations & transport. Sorry man, MLG |
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And with the discharge I don't tell them what type of discharge it was unless they ask or assume that it's a DD. And as far as traveling unless I can travel with the company it's hard for me. I was in a wreck awhile back and at the moment I don't have a vehicle of my own. I have to borrow my dads, so traveling is kinda out of the question until I can get me an el cheapo truck or car.
I work for one of the Maintenance & Construction companies and I'm going to be brutally honest here. I realize the matter was a huge mistake done during an awful situation and family crisis ... but. The discharge matter is going to haunt you/hurt you for a long, long time. I have no military experiance so I don't know how it works with them (the Army), is there any way you can make amends with the Army to get that fixed? I'm not being sarcastic but, can you go back? Even if its on your hands and knees? "Less than Honorable" on a background check is just about as bad as a felony and will prevent you from getting a job in most of the Chemical Plants or any place where security is an issue (plants, refineries, power plants, harbor facility, shipping, etc). This matter is going to cause you lots of problems for just about the rest of your life. It is that serious unless you'll be content with low paying jobs. At your skill level, if you do hire on with any company for out of town work, you won't be travelling "with the company". It will be a matter of "be at so & so place Monday morning at 7:00". You'll have to arrange your own accomodations & transport. Sorry man, MLG I wish I could go back. I would in a heart beat even if it meant going go to basic and ait all over again. But I've been barred for 2 years from enlisting :(. I realize the part about my discharge, and I'm trying to make the best of it right now. I actually just called TDCJ and as soon as a spot opens up in huntsville I'll have a spot in the academy for a Correctional officer job. But...who knows when they will get an opening. Thank you for advice. I think I might re-enlist when I can. But I can't wait until then to get a job,. |
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I saw an add with Meador Temp agency in Clear lake (off Bay Area Blvd.) is looking for help. Not super great pay, but at least something beats nothing.
Not sure how the discharge will play out for you, but hey take a swing. Worst that could happen is they say no, which puts you no worse than you were before I'm dealing with a foul up on my background (I was charged in 1999, case dismissed on deferred adjudication 2006, but the reporting county never bothered to report the dismissal to TXDPS records. (but those bastards sure did everything else! - so even though everything was dismissed at the end of the deferred adjudication, it still looks like I'm a convicted felon on the TX DPS database.. Funny thing is I pass F.B.I. / N.I.C.S. brady background checks every time, but getting the powers that be in TX to admit that they dropped the ball and "forgot" to include the dismissals on the criminal history is a P.I.T.A.... Good Luck and keep on hammering away. Eventually you will break through! BIGGER_HAMMER 
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I saw an add with Meador Temp agency in Clear lake (off Bay Area Blvd.) is looking for help. Not super great pay, but at least something beats nothing. Not sure how the discharge will play out for you, but hey take a swing. Worst that could happen is they say no, which puts you no worse than you were before I'm dealing with a foul up on my background (I was charged in 1999, case dismissed on deferred adjudication 2006, but the reporting county never bothered to report the dismissal to TXDPS records. (but those bastards sure did everything else! - so even though everything was dismissed at the end of the deferred adjudication, it still looks like I'm a convicted felon on the TX DPS database.. Funny thing is I pass F.B.I. / N.I.C.S. brady background checks every time, but getting the powers that be in TX to admit that they dropped the ball and "forgot" to include the dismissals on the criminal history is a P.I.T.A.... Good Luck and keep on hammering away. Eventually you will break through! BIGGER_HAMMER Thanks a lot I'll have to look that up. I'm really hoping I catch a break and get this job as a CO with TDCJ. I passed the test (easier than elementary) and my interview went really well. My application should be goign through next week. My only problem is that every place I applied for (the actual units) they aren't hiring at the moment so I have to wait for someone to quit, retire, or drop out of the academy. Thanks again for the encouragement and help |
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Watch out what you wish for. Being a C.O. is No Fun (unless you happen to dig Scuzzballs)
Everybody I know who has done C.O. only did it as a stepping stone to move up and out to patrol or elsewhere (other than C.O.) Lots of abuse and B.S. from the people you are responsible too (oh and the prisoners also!) BIGGER_HAMMER
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Watch out what you wish for. Being a C.O. is No Fun (unless you happen to dig Scuzzballs) Everybody I know who has done C.O. only did it as a stepping stone to move up and out to patrol or elsewhere (other than C.O.) Lots of abuse and B.S. from the people you are responsible too (oh and the prisoners also!) BIGGER_HAMMER Besides the pay that's honestly why I'm doing it. It would look good on my resume and help me pay for college. I refuse to believe that I can make it anywhere without a better education. It may not be any fun, but I can stick it out and do what I need to do until I find something better. |