The companies that are hiring for inspectors in ND are based in Tulsa or Houston.
These are project inspectors. The guys that do pipelines and compressor stations. You are right there is a lot of competition.
So what! ND is not a plum job. I disagree there are thousands of inspectors all willing to take work in North Dakota.
But all you need is one company needing you.
You do not get a job as a project inspector sitting at the house waiting for your resume to get to the top of the pile.
You make phone calls. Ask the person you are talking to if they don't have something do they know who may.
You chase leads, and you sell yourself.
You get to be a pest. Annoy the crap out of the engineering companies.
Every inspector starting out needs to have at least 10 to 15 companies they are selling themselves to.
These are off the top of my head;
http://www.ctsinspection.com/http://www.onshoreqcs.com/http://www.englobal.com/http://www.qisinspection.com/qis_contacts.aspxhttp://www.audieprice.com/http://www.tulsainspection.com/http://www.mustangeng.com/Careers/Pages/default.aspxhttp://www.manta.com/c/mm0fgm7/mbf-inspection-services-inchttp://www.wilcrest.com/http://www.hayesfieldservices.com/home.aspxHere is 278 hits that you could get 100 contacts
http://www.manta.com/mb_35_AA18505T_000/pipeline_and_power_line_inspection_serviceBack in the days I was hustling for work I would sent out 10 to 20 resumes a week and this was before email. I followed up at least four times per company. If it looked promising, twice to three times a week. I would hear we have a project, just wait "x" weeks. Thanks, hang up and go to the next one.
Keep a name of the person you are talking to so when you follow up you ask for that specific person. Ask if they can circulate your resume.
Be sure you have a nice resume. One page with a cover letter is all you need. Don't fluff the resume. Sell yourself with the cover letter.
Let the looser's worry about the competition. If you are confident in your skills and abilities, don't hold back.
Yes you are going to get a lot of rejection, SFW!
Me I had a family to feed and a roof to keep over their head. Check out what the oil business was in 1990. Damn sure was not a boom! I was 33 years old with 8 years experience pipeline welding and had inspected on two cross country pipeline project before I started full time third party. I was going up against guys with 20 plus experience with Mason rings. If you do not understand what that used to mean in pipelines, you have no idea what competition is.
But somebody WILL give you the break. It took me 6 months to get my first third party inspection job.
But I never whined about the old men that did not have the CWI that were working and I was not. At least today the pipeline companies recognize CWI as training to meet the requirements of 1104 and DOT.