So far I've applied to Baytown and Weatherford.... I'd like some feedback on those cities and the surrounding areas if possible. I have a friend in the oil business and he's talked me into taking this leap in life. Ergo, I'm going balls to the wall trying to find a higher paying gig in TX. So far, every job I've seen that I qualify for pays at least twice and often three times as much as I'd make in Alabama.. So if you local Texans don't mind, I'd appreciate it if you could extend this courtesy.
I don't know anything about Weatherford. Baytown is a suburb city east of Houston. It's an industrial area, and people who work there don't necessarily live there of course, you do have options. I have actually never been to Baytown, I've passed the exit on I-10 when I used to go to Beaumont. It's a Galveston Bay/Houston Ship Channel Community and it's not very far from Channelview the home of Jalen Hurts! But that's about all I know about it.
Texas can be about 10 different states, depending on where you live (both in the state and where in a larger city). So nailing things down is probably a fluid conversation. But, here is my input. You have a little one in school yet so will need to pay attention to the types of schools you run into. There is a mixed bag in educational quality, but Texas is also very accomodating for home school, and quasi-home school programs. I am extremely comfortable in the non-mega-urban areas. I used to really like the Dallas area, but not so much anymore. And I've never really liked the Houston and Austin area traffic and crowded feeling I get when I visit. Although there are some really cool things to do, I'd rather live out further and visit when I want to do something. We've really enjoyed visiting in and around San Antonio more than we have Houston. The rural areas are much more the self-reliant, conservative areas you see throughout the midwest "flyover" areas, but I haven't really run into the ignorant hillbilly pockets that some people on the Left insist exist. I would guess the rural areas in Texas can be considered cousins somewhat to the rural areas you're familiar with in Alabama, with a Texas twist instead of a Deep South twist. My wife comments on the respect and politeness in these towns, as opposed to the bigger cities and other areas up north she's lived. To you, I don't think Weathorford would be culture shock. If you go out looking to find/instigate political/football trouble you'd probably still be able to find it, but I've found it easy to avoid. I will say that the Little League organization is as politicized here as it is anywhere in the South.
Thanks for the input guys, this is the stuff that I'm looking to obtain!! Easy to avoid football trouble would be a welcomed change. I'm looking to get into the oil and gas industry. More than likely it would be in the HSE portion of the industry, but if it comes down to it, I'll drive a truck if I gotta. I'd just prefer the HSE/office environment. I know HSE can be dangerous, but that's something that's never bothered me. Really, my problem with not knowing the area is that I only see where the job postings are (ala Terry's description of Baytown) and I don't really know the places to live. I have a little one who is about to be in school so if I can pull this move before she gets into school, that would be optimal. The job that I really want is in Weatherford, which seems like it would suit us fine. Ft Worth and Dallas are both nearby. I haven't read the ratings on the schools yet. Aside from that, most of the postings are in Odessa, which seems to be a bit of an overpriced shithole, but maybe that's just my impression from the reading I've done. The other postings are down around San Antonio and Houston. So feel free to toss all the info my way that you have. The bottom line is that I already work for a company in TX, but I work remotely, which means they still get away with paying Alabama wages. From what I've been able to gather, the wages are much higher for the jobs that I've done in the past in Texas and the cost of living isn't that much more provided you don't get sucked into the boom cities like Odessa where you're paying $1200 a month for a mattress.
Many of the booming areas are overpriced compared to what they would normally be, primarily due to the O&G wages those areas are attracting. In some areas, it is possible to trade off a commute for elevated price of existence (and quality of schools) but in other areas (Odessa) the only other option is to buy a trailer and generator and live in it during the week, if you can find a place to park. HSE is definitely hit and miss depending on the company you get with. With some, you end up being the scapegoat because they are checking a box that says having one is a requirement. With others, you really can make a difference if you have thick skin (not a problem there, I'm sure). I have information on the BCS from personal experience, and the Houston and San Antonio metro areas from family and visiting. The other areas I hear about primarily from our field techs that travel the state for deliveries. Other than that I really don't have much to relate.
Or the blame. In either event, you're the last man off the ship so to speak. The idea is to idiot proof the jobs so nothing goes boom. That's what I did at the steel mill and even still, we once had a train stopped in front of our yard that had a mysterious package on it. I won the office pool because it turned out to be several hundred pounds of marijuana. Everyone else thought it was some form of terrorist attack. Once I discovered the point of origin on the train, I knew it was drugs. But either way, we had to clear out the factory and I had to stick around making sure the place is empty and that everyone had gone home. Then I had to stay to make sure no one (reporters) snuck on site to get a good camera angle of an oil tanker that could go boom. That's the downside to the job. It's more of an office position 99% of the time.
How the hell did I miss this? Sorry Corey, I could have given you some info. My wife's family owns a ton of property west of Weatherford, and if it wasn't for the youngest child being in high school, I would have bolted that way in a HEARTBEAT when I got on with Lockheed. As Kes said, the schools vary WILDLY in our great state, but it's not hard to find good info. It will usually go by school district instead of town, so look for that. For instance... Weatherford's schools are considered mediocre. Not terrible, but not great either. Just on each side of it are Aledo (between Weatherford and Ft Worth) and to the west is Brock which is also one of the best. Weatherford has been growing like crazy. It was once a sleepy little town known mostly as the Quarter horse capital of Texas. Now... it's a small city with all the conveniences of a bigger one, but still mostly none of the downside. My goal was to live in Millsap, which is between Mineral Wells and Weatherford, but we couldn't pull the trigger when we wanted to due to work concerns. Weatherford is no longer "cheap" as you might have guessed. Aledo is expensive. I hear Brock can be, but it's small. However, there's still plenty of open country so you could find a place out of town that probably would be easily in budget. Ft Worth and Dallas are polar opposites. Dallas is much larger and has all the issues of any large city. Ft Worth is smaller, and a little less hectic. They don't take themselves too seriously, and I love it. BTW... I don't know if my current employer (LHM) is looking for HSE folks, but you might check their website. My facility is about 35 minutes on I20 from Weatherford. Out of respect for Terry, I won't say what I truly think of Houston. He's one of the few positivies I know of down there.
Thanks Scott! I knew you'd find this before long. I'll check it out and see what LHM has to offer. I have a very diverse employment background, but HSE seems to be a common need in the state of Texas.
HSE folk are always in need. LSPI should be hiring quite a few different positions in the next couple months: The website that discusses what they do: https://www.liquidpower.com/ The LinkedIn site for job postings (there are a few field techs posted right now): https://www.linkedin.com/jobs/search/?f_C=4788754&locationId=OTHERS.worldwide
Corey, if you do apply with LHM, shoot me a msg with the job req number and I'll try to get it in front of someone. This place is notoriously hard to get into without someone helping from the inside. If you can get on with Kesley's company, do so. They have ridiculous benefits... he makes me sick with another story of what he got just about every week!