Power plant job in North Texas *boggles*

[Megatomic]

Ok, so I sent out my resume to a recruiter a few months ago. Why? Job boredom. I have been working here at Jefferson Lab for just shy of 4 years now. I'm a control room operator/sysadmin here. My pay has levelled off and nothing short of a promotion is going to elevate it any more. The Fed has reduced funding to us so we will not see another annual increase for a long while. On top of that, I have learned the fullness of my job and thus I am bored. There are no slots open for me in the computer center so there is no hope of a cross-dept. transfer etiher.

Anyways, today I get a call from a plant manager at a combined cycle power plant in North Texas. It's called Tractebell Power, Inc. I'd talked to the recruiter about 2 months ago. The pay to start there is a few grand more than I am making now at the lab and I will get significant increases as I qualify at the power plant. The position they want me for is a control room operator/instrument tech. The work would be awesome, I love the power industry and I have been missing the instrument work while here at my current job.

So, what do you guys think? What's that area of Texas like? I've spent lots of time in SE Texas, but I've never been up north there. And would you leave the job I have now for the one they want to hire me for? Talk to me guys, I'll listen to any opinion on the matter. TIA.

update - while up in upstate NY on vacation last week the plant manager contacted me and I had several phone interviews. I'm going to be down in Poolville, TX, where the plant is, for my final interview on 7/11/05. I think I have this thing pretty much tied up at this point.

Oddly enough, I'm feeling some hesitancy about this all the sudden. I don't know why exactly, maybe it's my extended family or maybe it's complacency or maybe it's a little of each. My dad and sisters won't be thrilled and I'm very comfortable with my present job. And I hate moving. My wife and my two boys really wants to go, but my daughter is deeply entrenched in a social network that I had no idea an 11 yo girl could have and she is not happy about this at all.

Tough days ahead for me I think.

 

[AFB]

Are you planning on living out there or closer towards Dallas?

 

[ironcrotch]

DO IT.

 

[Megatomic]

Originally posted by: AFB
Are you planning on living out there or closer towards Dallas?

I have no clue. Do you know this area? Is there bad traffic? I have to commute over 1 hour each way every day where I work now. I'd like to live closer to my next job if at all possible. But I'll commute if it means my wife and kids live in a better area of course.

I haven't taken the job yet, I'll have to discuss this further with my wife. When I initially started talking with them she was working at a job she didn't like much. Now she's got a new job and she's having fun. I'd hate to drag her off of it, I'd feel selfish.

 

[AFB]

Originally posted by: Megatomic

Originally posted by: AFB
Are you planning on living out there or closer towards Dallas?

I have no clue. Do you know this area? Is there bad traffic? I have to commute over 1 hour each way every day where I work now. I'd like to live closer to my next job if at all possible. But I'll commute if it means my wife and kids live in a better area of course.

I haven't taken the job yet, I'll have to discuss this further with my wife. When I initially started talking with them she was working at a job she didn't like much. Now she's got a new job and she's having fun. I'd hate to drag her off of it, I'd feel selfish.

I live near Dallas. Traffic usually isn't too bad, but then again it also depends on what roads you use and where you live.

 

[Megatomic]

I guess as far as traffic is concerned it's the same everywhere - it depends on the area and time of day.

Anyone else have opinions to offer?

 

[Maleficus]

Go for it, Texas is a great state despite what anandtechers seem to think (judging from the lamest state in the union thread).

 

[Megatomic]

Yeah, I've always enjoyed my stays in TX. My grandparents live in Brazos County, SW of Houston. I've spent many many months down there with them.

 

[Calin]

Originally posted by: ironcrotch
DO IT.

If you feel the way you described about your current workplace, then you really should do something else or somewhere else.
I'd say go for it. Take a weekend to make a trip there, to see the area for yourself would by my suggestion. If you think you will survive at the heat (it won't get much hotter than what is now), you just found yourself a new job

 

[Megatomic]

I don't mind heat so much, but I do dislike humidity and that is a big problem here in VA. It's hot AND humid here.

I'm sure they're going to ask me to come down at least once before it's all said and done. I do feel like I have this job locked up though. The locale will make or break the deal for me.

 

[Megatomic]

bump for the lunchtimers

 

[Hammer]

if you were in SE and actually liked it, then you will LOVE north texas. SE Texas sucks ass!

 

[spacejamz]

I live near Dallas. Traffic usually isn't too bad, but then again it also depends on what roads you use and where you live.

just as long as you don't go near 635 between 75 and 35, I35E. Central Expressway, the Tollway or Woodall Rogers during rushhour, you should be fine...

 

[K1052]

IMO: More money + bored at current job + better climate = take it

 

[CaptnKirk]

You'll be about 40 miles West / Northwest of Fort Worth.
There are quite a few people that work here (Lockheed) that
live in - and commute from Springtown - that's a 45 minute drive.

Traffic gets pretty congested where Jacksboro Hwy (199) meets the 820 loop
during the morning & evening traffic peaks 5 - 8 AM, & 4 - 7 PM.

Could be worse - there's Mineral Wells.

Actually North Texas isn't bad, green rolling hills, lakes.
We get about 2 daya of cold weather where it will freeze or snow each year - usually Feburary,
and it does get pretty hot in the summer - we've been from 96 - 99 all week.
Can get hotter though, 106 - 115 isn't out of the question.

Ya'all come see us, ya' hear.

 

[OrganizedChaos]

go for it. advancing your career is nothing to be ashamed of

 

[mwtgg]

Originally posted by: Maleficus
Go for it, Texas is a great state despite what anandtechers seem to think (judging from the lamest state in the union thread).

That's only because it's a "teh omg a red state1!!11!1"

Take it!

 

[cKGunslinger]

Originally posted by: Hammer
if you were in SE and actually liked it, then you will LOVE north texas. SE Texas sucks ass!

:thumbsup:

I live near Dallas. It's much nicer up there than the the southern areas.

 

[Phoenix86]

This is NO WHERE near Dallas as far as driving is concerned. At the VERY least I'd look at Fort Worth (where I live), but that'd be a bit of a drive as well. Really you'd probably want to live in Weatherford for that job, nice town. The location of that plant is "out in the sticks". Mineral Wells is a tiny town, and Weatherford isn't much larger. From Fort Worth (near downtown) to Mineral Wells is about 1:15 minute drive, and the plant looks further away than that, so get ready for a longer commute if you want to live closer to Ft. W.

North Texas >>>> SE Texas. Much less heat and humidity, though don't think you're going to escape that, it's still hot here.

The drive won't be that bad at all. I-20 is a great highway. Not sure about all the smaller roads to the plant.

 

[Dulanic]

I lived in DFW area, and I would go back in a heart beat, by far one of the best places to live IMO.

 

[bwnv]

Fyi when I relocated from the bay area CA to Las Vegas 6 years ago housing prices was this:
Bay area-$1000 sq. ft.
Vegas-$100 sq. ft.
Houston-$10 sq. ft.

Don't know how much this has changed (except my house has doubled in value) but I would say it depends where you live now?

Either way good luck

 

[Boogak]

Yeah, that plant is nowhere near Dallas, it's probably a good 2-3 hours away from downtown Dallas. It's a pretty far away from Fort Worth too (where I live), I'd say a good 1 to 1.5 hour commute from downtown. I've only driven that far west when I went fishing, from what I remember it's small town America.

It's really a dry heat around here, doesn't get too humid. Housing is cheap, cost of living is cheap, you'll be getting a pay raise AND doing something you enjoy more, sounds like a no brainer to me.

 

[Megatomic]

Thanks for the replies! This is what I was hoping to hear. It looks like it'll be cheaper to live there than it is here which is like a second pay raise.

Anyone with kids in school? What are the school systems like?

 

[rgwalt]

Talk it over with the wife, and take a weekend and visit. Dallas isn't a bad place to visit at all!

Ryan

 

[Phoenix86]

Folks, this isn't in Dallas.

Downtown Dallas is about 45 minutes away from downtown Ft.Worth. This place is about 1.5 hours away from downtown Ft. Worth. I really don't think he's going to commute *through* city traffic to get to BFE on the other side of the metroplex. In traffic, from downtown Dallas to this place would probably be about 2.5 hours, ONE WAY.

Also, the difference between Ft. Worth and Dallas are like night and day on a number of levels. Both are great places, but very different. Ex: In downtown Ft. Worth, there are few if any bums, people say "hi" to you walking down the streets. You can walk around and feel VERY safe. Downtown Dallas, well, it's different, not bad, but very different.