Portland, OR

Something about Portland is starting to bothering me. There seems to be a secret pact among employers here to give preference to Portlanders and Oregonians when hiring.

Prove me wrong, children, prove me wrong.

A little bit about me. I have lived in a lot of places and never have I had as much trouble finding viable employment, but since I have been in Portland, I have been struggling to find a decent job. I applied at a photography studio as a production coordinator (my last full-time job before I moved), and after two interviews, I didn’t even get a call back thanking me for coming in, twice. That is a little impolite, regardless of whether or not I was the best person for the job. Come on, at least call the job seeker back to let them know. I waited two weeks before giving up on that one.

I interviewed for a bartending job recently and the owner of the bar/restaurant told me that my “weakness” was that I had never bartended in Portland before. Considering the service I seem to get at most bars (Jeffrey at Kay’s is the exception), how is not having Portland experience a “weakness?” If I were running a bar here, I would welcome new Portlanders, but then, after two bartending gigs in this town, I can officially say that Portland has killed my fondness for tending bar. Making drinks used to be fun until I started doing it in PDX.

Let that be a warning to all of you service industry pros: Portland is a different beast entirely. I have started referring to it as “amateur night.” If my employer isn’t expecting me to wear a halter top and more make up, they seem to be more concerned about saying they are a manager rather than managing.

But I digress…again.

As a new Portland resident, I do just want to address the nepotism and Oregon-native-preferential hiring practices. You know, I didn’t move out here just to take a job away from an Oregon-native. My boyfriend got a job, and I followed him because I like him. Does that make me any less qualified for a position?

A Portlander told my boyfriend that it takes a good two years to get established here. I have been here for nine months and four jobs later, I am still searching for a job that doesn’t objectify my femaleness or dick me around otherwise. I am frustrated, to say the least. But hey, I am hoping to start grad school soon, so wish me luck in getting accepted at Lewis and Clark. Maybe my University of Michigan education will finally pay off. (Side note: A bachelors degree is not enough, and not looked at any more favorably than a high school diploma. A shame.)

So, to all of you thinking about moving to Portland, Oregon, or those of you struggling like me to find your niche, it may take a while. Be prepared for that.

Portland, Oregon, hiring, jobs, seekers, nepotism, bartending, production coordinator, Lewis and Clark

Let me start by saying that I am not a huge fan of big crowds. I get a little anxious being surrounded by large chaotic swarms of people, and add alcohol and yeah, not a fan. So it was a surprise to me yesterday when I agreed to go down to the waterfront to the Brewfest.

Generic picture of the Brewfest Crowd

It was the 21st annual Oregon’s Brewers Festival, or so the poster said. I think originally there were lots and lots of breweries (maybe around seventy or so) that set up kegs in long semi-trailer refrigeration units, but by the time Sunday rolled around, well, it was the left-overs. The leftovers seemed to be the more local brews, by the way, so I am wondering if the locals knew better about how much beer to show up with, or they were closer to some stockpiles to re-supply themselves with.

Of course, Deschutes was there, and they are big time, as they had their own specially designed trailer from which they were serving.

And yes, there were more than just Oregon microbrews. Lots of California and Washington beer, but also I saw some Michigan beers, namely Bell’s and Michigan Brewing Company. It was a nice sight for a Michigan girl.

All in all, I am not sure if I would go back, and if I do return next year, I will be sure to go before Sunday at 4:30 pm. Like I said, a lot of beer was tapped out, but also the organization was a bit odd for me. Brewfest is asking a lot of drunks by asking them to line up for the appropriate beer, and the beers are lined up at tables pretty closely, so I can see how easy if would have been to think that you are standing in one line, only to find that the line sort of morphed into a grouping of people that got some beer and basically turned away from the table, but didn’t leave. The line is then a mad dash for getting around the drunks that have set up camp in the front of the line, rather than take your beer and get the heck out of the way. Whew, ok, that was my big rant.

Also, the “servers” are obviously volunteers that weren’t quite sure what they were pouring. When I got up to the table for my four ounce taster pour (for a $1 token), it seemed that the volunteer next to my line was pouring the same beer (Grand Teton’s Bitch Creek ESB) I was getting even though the sign in front of him said Woody’s IPA. No matter, I’m sure, as everyone seemed pretty drunk to me. So drunk that every few minutes a collective, “Whoooooooooeeeeeeeeewwwwwww” would erupt from the crowd. At first, I thought it was almost cute, but after ten minutes, I felt like I was at a frat party. Especially once the quartet of drunk girls started following me around…

So all in all, I would prefer the Brewfest to be more of a beer tasting event than a huge beer tent/party, but who am I to start saying what I would have done if I planned out the Brewfest? It wasn’t quite as rowdy as most beer tents I have been to, because Portlanders are a fairly polite bunch.

Also, I got my “mug” for free as the fest ran out of the 2008 mugs, so I got a left-over holiday mug.

Oregon Brewfest, Deschutes, Portland, Waterfront, California, Washington, Michigan, Bell’s, Michigan Brewing Company, Grand Teton

Ok, so it may not be as glamorous as the so-called jet set, but then again, would you really want to hang around those people?

I finally got a bike, and riding around Portland is a totally “cool” experience. Other than those people, mostly older men, that insist on wearing those dreadful biking shorts, the people I see out in the bike lanes are, well, cool. I saw quite a few really hot guys, so a tip to all you single ladies, get yourself a bike.

I unfortunately went for the retro 3-speed bike, which is all well and good in certain situations, mainly those that do not involve elevation changes. Guess what, Portland is pretty hilly. Not San Francisco hilly, but hilly all the same, especially for someone like me who has let my bike riding thighs fall out of shape. I need to get a true commuter bike, with a lot of gears, but then again, first I will have to get some strength in my legs to really get around town.

All in all, fellow bicyclists are very friendly in this town, much like the drivers. Yes, it is true that Portland must have some of the nicest drivers in the US. I mean, I stand next to a road, not even remotely by a crosswalk or anything, and more often than not, someone stops for me. That is so nice. In fact, the Ross Island Bridge on-ramp could never happen in most towns. It is not often that motorists will stop without being told to in order to allow those at a cross-street to enter heavy traffic.

But I digress…the Portland bicyclist is polite and courteous. Biking in Portland is equally pleasurable. The city is immensely bike-able (other than for wusses like me). Bike lanes are a-plenty, and the city is going even further in making Portland super-bike-friendly with bike boxes at intersections.

I went to the city’s transportation website and requested a bunch of maps, information on biking, and even bumper stickers for both my bike and my car that state how much I “share the road.” If you too would like to see the online maps or request paper versions, check out this website link. There are maps for the whole city as well as the quadrants. The maps even feature walking tours. How cute is that…