Observations and Request for Help from an Outsider (Roanoke, Salem: chapel, home)

[wsn1203]

Hi All,

To all of you fine people from Roanoke, I would first like to say "Congratulations" for the opportunity you have to live and work in the NRV and Roanoke Areas. (I know that some may disagree with my opinion, and that is their perogative)
Secondly, I would also like to extend my "Thanks" for all of the positive and enlightning participation I have received and read thus far, here.. on the Roanoke-Salem Area City-Data Forum.

Even though I do not live in the Roanoke Area (as of yet), I am in the process of being fully indoctrinated and assimilated into the many advantageous aspects of living in this beautiful part of SW Virginia. I look forward with great joy and hope at relocating to this great area.

I have been blessed with the extreme pleasure of having met a most wonderful woman that is a lifelong native to this beautiful area.
Through her, I have been introduced to many things in the NRV that have enlightned and greatly improved the quality of my life. To name but just a few....
The quietness and beauty of the hills, neighborhoods and counties in the area and the abundance of wildlife and gorgeous vistas that feed the hunger I have for creating photographs. The fun of canoeing, hiking, biking, tubing and swimming and being outdoors at many locations along the New River..
For a Coastal NC River Rat that grew up on brackish backwaters of the Inner Banks..the joy and excitement of seeing Smith Mountain Lake's clear abundance for the first time, The vibrancy of downtown Roanoke at night... with its various dining establishments, entertainment opportunities and arts activities. The availability of a diverse array of spiritual worship options...including, but not limited to a large and committed group of professionals in the various fields and modalities of the Healing Arts and Sciences. And lastly but certainly not least.. the gentleness and kindness of its people whom I come to consider to be among the most intelligent and caring of all those I have had the pleasure and fortune to meet in my 4 plus decades of life. A place rich in History, Culture, and Activities.. with a generous flavor of "New Age" thrown in for good measure.
Of course... No area or group is perfect. Issues and challenges face many municipalities (this one included). But Roanokers and People of the NRV have much to be thankful for.
All of this and much more I have come to enjoy and appreciate about the area you refer to as "home". Such an exciting place!

For years.. I have been out of my Native Coastal North Carolina area.. and presently... I call the Triad Area of NC, my home. But know...I've lost nothing here...and it's time to go somewhere I WANT to live.

So.. you ask.. "Is there a Problem?"
Only one....(from my perspective)

Firstly.. I must say that I realize this is not a job board.. but like most of you.. (and thanks to our Constitution...) I would like to express what I feel compelled to write.

So far.. I cannot seem to find any kind of meaningful employment that would enable my relocation here.
I have diligently searched for the past 3 months.. with no success...
True.. I am not a Professional.. nor am I fully degreed...
But I do possess "some college" and 15 years of experience in middle management. I can also show considerable past success that display my qualities at handling the responsibilities normally associated with a career in Management in the Service Field. In the near past, I have even owned my own successful business. I know I have many marketable skills....I have been a good employee with good references..Like many.. I am also a Veteran.
After 3 months of exhaustive use of every Internet job board available, After carefully searching the Classified ads in the Roanoke Times on an almost twice weekly basis.. After applying to numerous positions without receiving any kind of a response.. After dozens of phone calls to local companies to inquire about any open positions.. I have nothing to show for my efforts except empty promises from employers and the continued and undying desire to still relocate into your area. Is anyone else familiar with this problem?

Is the NRV growing? Is there truly the concerted and sincere effort I have read about in the newspaper that has established a commission of merchants and public leaders to bring new residents into the area? Is there a need at all for someone like me? The list of Companies I have applied to is long, both from solicited and unsolicited sources. Don't misunderstand..Negativity has no place in my life.. I am not complaining... and I do not give up easily... But surely.. there must be Something!


Originally being from a small town in Coastal North Carolina, I am very much aware of the value of networking to gain knowledge of employment opportunities/trends.
Therefore, this is where my Search has brought me and that is why I am here. Unconventional circumstances require unconventional measures in this job market.


Do you know of anyone who wants/needs a good, decent, honest and reliable employee who can pull his own weight, make a company grow, get along well with others and believes in giving back to the community? Do you know of anyone on this commission who can point me in the right direction? Help.

Any/all ideas/concepts and conversations are welcome.

[j1n]

Originally Posted by wsn1203

... there must be Something!

Ah...the sime problem that so many have encountered. There are plenty of jobs available. But you need to be local. (Of course, depending on what you need out of life,) it doesn't take a "career" to be able to live here...two full-time "jobs" will set you up nicely. Or one really good full time job and the willingness to live more simply.

[wsn1203]

j1n...
Very true my friend...and well said...
I have considered the "Leap of Faith" option, but alas.. I am not 25 anymore....

As for the willingness to live simply....
I lived for 12 years in the one of the fastest lanes that life had to offer in the Triangle area of NC. (Raleigh, Cary, Durham and Chapel Hill....)
To raise my two small children as a single parent.. I felt I had to go there from my home along the Pamlico Sound. Now.. they are grown and gone.. off living their life. (Still in the Triangle, BTW)
But I am now free to live simply again... and that's the PRIMARY reason for moving to Roanoke. (I still cannot believe the unhurried and downright sane activity I experience everytime I drive on I-581!) What a wonderful change from the "Raleigh Autobahn" or the "Death Valley" of Greensboro!

[seanpecor]

One method that might prove effective is hooking up with a national temp service like Adecco which has a strong presence in Roanoke:

Home - Job Seekers

You could get involved with Adecco in the Triad and then relocate with the blessing of Adecco national to Adecco Roanoke? Just a thought. You might not be at your preferred salary in the temp job but it would be a foot in the door and you could establish yourself in Roanoke proper and then commence working on v2.0 of your employment

Sean

[j1n]

Originally Posted by wsn1203

j1n...
Very true my friend...and well said...
I have considered the "Leap of Faith" option, but alas.. I am not 25 anymore....

As for the willingness to live simply....
I lived for 12 years in the one of the fastest lanes that life had to offer in the Triangle area of NC. (Raleigh, Cary, Durham and Chapel Hill....)
To raise my two small children as a single parent.. I felt I had to go there from my home along the Pamlico Sound. Now.. they are grown and gone.. off living their life. (Still in the Triangle, BTW)
But I am now free to live simply again... and that's the PRIMARY reason for moving to Roanoke. (I still cannot believe the unhurried and downright sane activity I experience everytime I drive on I-581!) What a wonderful change from the "Raleigh Autobahn" or the "Death Valley" of Greensboro!

Funny...usually people complain about the highways! It's all in the perspective. Compared to the NYC metro and suburban areas we moved from, traffic here is, as you said, mostly "downright sane"!
So...back to the whole "local" thing. That's the great thing about these forums...you have local friends here. What kinda work would you be looking for (or be willing to do)?

[wsn1203]

Originally Posted by seanpecor

One method that might prove effective is hooking up with a national temp service like Adecco which has a strong presence in Roanoke:

Home - Job Seekers

You could get involved with Adecco in the Triad and then relocate with the blessing of Adecco national to Adecco Roanoke? Just a thought. You might not be at your preferred salary in the temp job but it would be a foot in the door and you could establish yourself in Roanoke proper and then commence working on v2.0 of your employment

Sean

Sean, Thank you for your suggestion (and the link). I liked your idea and will forward my resume to Adecco's site. I'll also give them a call to follow up. Thanks for your post and interest.
Steven

[wsn1203]

Originally Posted by j1n

Funny...usually people complain about the highways! It's all in the perspective. Compared to the NYC metro and suburban areas we moved from, traffic here is, as you said, mostly "downright sane"!
So...back to the whole "local" thing. That's the great thing about these forums...you have local friends here. What kinda work would you be looking for (or be willing to do)?

J,
Thanks for asking...
To pay the bills...
Anything that would help me utilize my experience as a 15 Year experienced Service Manager as it relates to the Transportation diciplines. I've been in Truck & Heavy equipment shops, Marinas, Auto Dealerships, and Material Handling Dealerships most of the last 15-20 years. Anything in Service Advising, Warranty Admin, Safety, Coordination, or Customer Service. Well versed in all MS Office and Automotive Technical Diagnostic Software and platforms.

To go along with my desire to live in Roanoke..To be employed in the Arts Community...
I am an accomplished and published Photographer..(Journalistic, Pet, Travel, Newspaper., Environmental and Magazine) Would love to work with and help existing studio for portrait or wedding type work. Since this is something I dream about doing, I'd be willing to accept just about anything that could get my foot in the door! Plus.. I have my own equipment.

I am interested in (and can do) lots of things... Living simply (as you put it), and living each day in Peace and Happiness are my top priorities.
S'n

[seanpecor]

I think one of the larger photographer studios in Roanoke is:

Kevin Hurley Photography

You might email them and ask about such things. They might point you in a good direction?

Sean

[TheNewGuy]

Hi,
I don't know how relevant my opinion is, since I'm a 22 year old "kid" who's not really in a comparable situation. But I'm going to have to go ahead and say that the "leap of faith" option deserves some serious attention. I'm originally from Yorktown, so right after graduation, I was driving about 9 hours round trip for every job interview I went on. With today's gas prices, that's simply not feasible. Things have gotten so much better since I moved here...I still haven't landed that job quite yet, but tomorrow, for instance, I have 3 interviews lined up.

Something that is really being impressed on me by the folks who are trying to attract workers to the region (Folks like Stuart Mease and Ira Kaufman, the guy who runs the Roanoke jobs website jobzcafe) is that in this difficult economy, networking is paramount. Online resources, and probably even the classifieds, will not be enough. The "experts" have a few rules of thumb...
1) It generally takes 3 months of full-time (40hrs a week) searching for someone my age to find a job fresh out of college, OR
2) probably more relevant for you, one month per every 10k starting salary.
3) You should probably spend 80% of that time (networking) and only 10% bothering with the national job boards

You don't have to tell me that that's difficult, I'm not from this area and I don't know a single person here, other than employer's I've met.

I also realize that, being the age I am, I don't have a lot of concerns that older people have, but you mentioned that the kids are off and gone, so there's nothing really holding you back at least in the slim profile of your situation I got from your post. Trying to job search from a distance definitely leads to having the deck stacked against you.

I would definitely second some of the previous advice, and say lose the major job boards, and try to work with a staffing agency that will actually listen to your situational needs, if you can find one.

Another thing: Your 15 years of experience are far more valuable than my silly BA, as they deserve to be. I guarantee that if you were to move here, not only would you be very competitive, but you would also likely be able to get in on some great opportunities, as the city is really going to regain a lot of importance in the Virginia economy. There's still a ton of storefronts downtown here boarded up, waiting for somebody like you to swoop in with their small-business owner experience and turn them in to something great. And if you don't feel like risking the capital, your experience in the transportation field would certainly be desirable in a city that was basically built on the railroad, especially as gas prices march steadily upward and the rail network begins to reemerge as the dominant method of shipping and just generally getting things from a to b.

In short (or I guess "in long", now that I look at the length of this post), I think you'll be sitting pretty if you can just find some way to get here.

[Diamond Dave]

wsn1203, what town in eastern Carolina did you live in? I lived in Greenville and then Washington in the '90s.