Listen to the radio or TV and you will hear them talk about the high unemployment rate. Those numbers don’t apply to western Oklahoma. Everybody that WANTS a job has one. Want being the key word. Dang near every business in Woodward is advertising Help Wanted. If you have a class A CDL and can pass a drug test, every oil field company will hire you and give you a bonus just to show up.

I’ve been trying to find a good mechanic for six months and can’t. I have a parts counter job open right now, but I can’t advertise for it. Advertise a mechanics job and ONLY mechanics will call. Advertise a job like parts or sales and everybody comes and applies. I guess they think that is an easy job or they know that they won’t get it. The last time I advertised for a parts job, we had a crap load of applicants. They would come in, ask for an application, sit down and fill it out and then hand it right back and say, “Can you sign this paper so I can take it back to the unemployment office?” They were normally covered in tattoos, piercings, had a visible scar or two and sometimes even be tweaking from meth. One was drunk when he showed up. One lady applied, but couldn’t begin work for 6 months until she served her court ordered rehab. But they all want that paper signed that they at least applied. I do enjoy reading the reasons that they leave their previous employer. Some of those get a little interesting and somewhat R rated. Needless to say, I haven’t advertised the current Parts position that we have open.

If any of you loyal readers are an experienced mechanic with tools and want a job in an outstanding facility with great benefits, then call me. For you ag teachers reading this, I mean your own personal tools, not those in the shop. If you would like to work at the parts counter and can operate a mouse on a computer, I have a job to be open beginning in March. I am also thinking about adding another salesman or woman.