Are Midwesterners welcome in Columbia? (North: sales, mortgage, college)

[wagonwheel]

Hello Columbia, you are a beautiful place! I've been roaming around the SC forums for a while now and I've usually read positives from folks who have relocated. However, I have also read quite a few posts about Northerners not being welcome in SC and being overlooked for jobs. I have no idea if there is any merit to this whatsoever but It would be great to get some real insight from anyone who has actually relocated from the Midwest or elsewhere (or just some insight from natives from the Columbia area). What has your experience been like and do you feel disriminated against because you are from the North?

Also by the way, I am not one of these people who wants to come in and 'change' Columbia to make it like my home. Having lived around the country and being married to an international gal, I respect others cultures.

[CarolinaBredChicagoan]

As a guy who made the opposite move (SC to Chicago), I can say that you'll be fine. Columbia is a fair-sized city and sorta takes all kinds.

I think the complaints of "yankee discrimination" are greatly overstated.

[CarolinaBredChicagoan]

By the way, your screen name is also the title of an excellent song by the bluegrass band Old Crow Medicine Show. One of my favorites.

[waccamatt]

Everyone is welcome in Columbia; I'm originally from New Jersey and there are people living here from all over. As long as you respect people for who you are, they will respect you back. Smaller towns tend to be more suspicious of newcomers, but Columbia is a college, government and military town so you won't experience any problems.

I have some pictures of the area on my website if you'd like to look around.

Waccamatt's page |

[wagonwheel]

Thanks to each of you for your input. Waccamatt your picture page is fantastic and thank you so much for posting all the pictures! Do you happen to know what the banking and the mortgage market is like in Columbia? I have a 4 year degree and about 11 years of financial services sales experience and I'm very interested to see what a local knows about this field.

[elizabethcameron]

hi, This is liz from Columbia. I live in columbia for close to 10 years now. I am chinese. and USC is the reason I came to USA. My husband is a yankee.

I love here and it is my hometown now.

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by wagonwheel

Thanks to each of you for your input. Waccamatt your picture page is fantastic and thank you so much for posting all the pictures! Do you happen to know what the banking and the mortgage market is like in Columbia? I have a 4 year degree and about 11 years of financial services sales experience and I'm very interested to see what a local knows about this field.

Wagonwheel; Thanks for the kind comments. PM me with your questions as I am in the banking industry myself.

[Slappy san]

Glad to hear all the disdain for yanks isn't completely true.

[waccamatt]

Originally Posted by Slappy san

Glad to hear all the disdain for yanks isn't completely true.

As a former yankee who has lived in Columbia for many years I will tell you it is much ado about nothing. I get a little good-natured ribbing now and then, but it is a non-issue in this day and age.

[sunstate]

I agree that all are wecome (if they are white and republican).