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Sadly, so many fall for the hype over Charlotte. :-( Wish I could offer you better advice...but your comments are pretty accurate. Charlotte is not my ideal choice either, but my kids have built a very a happy social/school life here so we are here until all kiddos are out school. Try to build relationships that will help and if you need to move to a worse rental but near better schools...go for it. Hope things get easier for you!
If you are a good worker, have good references and a competitive resume, you will get the job. Unemployment is not high here and there are tons of opportunities if you are good. Sometimes one has to take a less than desired job until the right one comes along. I moved here after investigating cities all over the midwest and east coast. Charlotte was a easy pick although I live at the lake. It is hard to understand that people don't realize that we are the second fastest growing large city in the U.S. Only Austin is outpacing us. Every day new opportunities arise and many are from relocating foreign companies. Sorry everyone can't get the job they desire, but sometimes it is their own fault.
I believe the OP is correct on the job market here. The pay is on the lower side and the jobs are nights, weekends etc. It is possible the OP is in the medical field. I worked every undesirable shift when I fist came here until finally getting a well paying competitive salary but still don't have a desirable shift. One thing I can tell you is to just bring your resume and ask for the supervisor. Some will take it and some won't but you have to do the leg work. If a position does come available they will have a face to your name and possibly give you a call back. I know of others who worked terrible hours for years just to get a job and finally got the job comparable to their experience. For some reason in this market you have to jump through hoops where in other cities you get paid for your experience. If you take an honest look at this city there really is no industry besides banks and hospitals, that's it. The rest of the jobs are at box stores etc. Teachers and cops here make 35-40k. I know teachers who have 2 jobs, it really is a joke. The Houston school system had a jobs fair here a few years back and took some teachers with them. This city is what it is, very mediocre. Unfortunately when you moved here, like many others you couldn't see it at the time. The area offers nice weather and a low crime rate, but with that comes low pay and few good jobs. When the banking industry takes another down turn, and it will, this area is in for a lot of trouble.
I believe the OP is correct on the job market here. The pay is on the lower side and the jobs are nights, weekends etc. It is possible the OP is in the medical field. I worked every undesirable shift when I fist came here until finally getting a well paying competitive salary but still don't have a desirable shift. One thing I can tell you is to just bring your resume and ask for the supervisor. Some will take it and some won't but you have to do the leg work. If a position does come available they will have a face to your name and possibly give you a call back. I know of others who worked terrible hours for years just to get a job and finally got the job comparable to their experience. For some reason in this market you have to jump through hoops where in other cities you get paid for your experience. If you take an honest look at this city there really is no industry besides banks and hospitals, that's it. The rest of the jobs are at box stores etc. Teachers and cops here make 35-40k. I know teachers who have 2 jobs, it really is a joke. The Houston school system had a jobs fair here a few years back and took some teachers with them. This city is what it is, very mediocre. Unfortunately when you moved here, like many others you couldn't see it at the time. The area offers nice weather and a low crime rate, but with that comes low pay and few good jobs. When the banking industry takes another down turn, and it will, this area is in for a lot of trouble.
Nah, there are all types of jobs in the area in all types of industries including energy (Duke Energy), etc. People have a tendency to romanticize about the past as if though jobs fell off trees no matter the generation or location. Nope, it's all ways been this way in my experiences since job hunting in the 80s, 90s to date. Other than the late 90s when the internet bubble creating a bunch of "fake" hopes, etc. finding a job comes down to education level, experience and networking. The only difference is now technology and global economies have changed the way employers address certain roles.
Every city and industry has down turns and it doesn't matter where you decide to relocate. It might be slightly easier to find a job in a major city (DC, etc) but also toss in COL and other big city hassles. Personally, I wouldn't move anywhere without securing employment but everybody's case is different. Thus why most people relocating here will not have a finding a job horror story...they either work from home, retired or semi-retired, job relo or entry-level.
Be careful, there are no cities/areas lined with gold streets of jobs or have ideal jobs that match your experience and background...or what you might assume about your market value.
What I do find ironic is the so-called "hype" about Charlotte and NC in general. Growing up in NC, everywhere else in America seemed "hyped" and many natives could not wait to relocate to these great places once reaching adulthood. I too was one of them and moved but returned. Now ironically, places like Charlotte and states like NC receive "hype". Anyone that does their due diligence and research and plans accordingly will not be shocked about the area and it's offering the least bit. It's like anywhere else, some good some bad...but mostly good if you plan accordingly.
Last edited by Big Aristotle; 01-23-2016 at 04:32 AM..
I think the fellow before me (big Aristole) had the proper perspective. I'm not really keen on Charlotte personally. But unless a place is in despair, life in most places is what you make it - professionally and personally.
Bottom line, if you are am ambitious, hard working person with a pleasing personality and a good resume, you will be hired quickly. If you are mediocre with a negative attitude, you will end up a loser on this message board complaining about how great it was at home and how poor the job situation is here like some others. Be positive. Go out and demand that job! By the way, if you research the issue, you will find that the pay scales in Charlotte are comparatively high compared to cities other than San Francisco, NYC, etc. And, it is true that our teachers don't make that much, but on the other hand, have yo seen what goes on in the schools? That teachers certification won't make you rich. Thanks to Governor McCrory, teachers got their first pay raise in eight years.
If you're over 40, take whatever job you can get. You can always try for something better when you are employed.
Agreed. The mean age of the Charlotte population was (the last I read) thirty-seven years old. That means that if you're over forty, you are considered a good lead for burial insurance by the Gen X-ers. (I hear this from experienced engineers whom I've hired over the past few years).
So, welcome to the Land of Milk and Honey. Judging by so many of the respondents in this forum, the locals are non-native, privileged, overly critical of others, intolerant, and lacking in so many ways.
Location: The place where the road & the sky collide
23,814 posts, read 34,670,113 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by LarryBGood
Agreed. The mean age of the Charlotte population was (the last I read) thirty-seven years old. That means that if you're over forty, you are considered a good lead for burial insurance by the Gen X-ers. (I hear this from experienced engineers whom I've hired over the past few years).
So, welcome to the Land of Milk and Honey. Judging by so many of the respondents in this forum, the locals are non-native, privileged, overly critical of others, intolerant, and lacking in so many ways.
Good luck.
Unfortunately, a Supreme Court decision has made it open season on older workers. I've filled out applications that ask for date of birth & date of high school graduation. Those are questions that have been verboten for decades. As the GenX people are approaching or have crossed the 40 threshold, my experience is that they are not much of a problem.
I just found the OP's fit to be ill-informed. Age discrimination is national & has been covered in local & national news.
I know Bojangles is hiring in town. It's a Charlotte original! Try it if you have not eaten there.
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