entry-level jobs, no degree (Morgantown, Fairmont: credit, find a job, construction)

[sarahreed87]

Will anyone hire me? lol

I've had work experience since I was 14 (am now almost 21), in food, retail, and hospitality. I have good references. I will probably stop going to school either before or after next semester... if I do it after then I will have a business support specialist certification (18 credits).

I have posted similar questions in here before, but please respond and don't just read. I am coming from Maryland and wanting to move to N Central WV / within 75 miles of buckhannon.

Can I make it?

Besides shacking up, what do people typically do. Do college age people (yet without a degree) really TAKE those 5-something dollar an hour jobs???

I'm at a loss. I guess it doesn't seem doable to me but I'm hoping someone can honestly tell me otherwise.

[WVUPharm2007]

Sheetz pays over $8/hour. You could always do the clinical trials with Kendle up in Morgantown. There is one listed for three weekends of "work" that pays over $2200. Selling plasma is an option, too.

[twolves69]

I lived in Md for five years, near DC. I was all too happy to leave.

I'm in a similar boat as you Saraheed87. I'm moving to the area and don't have a job lined up either, but I'm in a much better position with a longer work experience and a degree.

All the business I've talked to in WV, seem to want to hire from within. That means entry level jobs. Many of those jobs are only offered to people they know. So, it would be a wise choice to get with your City of Commerce and begin talking to people. See whats in the area, and just start asking.

It helps if you could put together a resume of your qualifications and make it specific to where you want to work or the type of job you desire. The jobs are there, but you have to be a salesman....

Good luck!

[NOVAmtneer82]

sarahreed, are there certain preferences you have as far as community environment? w/in 75 miles of Buckhannon covers a very large area, the majority involving towns with VERY small populations, we're talking less than 1,000 people in most cases.

[snorpus]

Sarah...

1) If at all possible, finish that certificate. Even though it's not a "degree", it's an indication to an employer that you've done something (and completed it) to prepare for work.

2) The biggest cities (and therefore the most openings) within your 75 mile radius are Morgantown, Fairmont, and Clarksburg/Bridgeport. All have colleges/universities and hospitals, which generate a lot of forms, data, paperwork, etc., which your training might have prepared you for. [You might expand on what courses you've taken in your business support specialist program.]

3) FBI in Clarksburg

4) Medical and law offices, construction companies, oil, gas, and coal companies.

5) Contact temp agencies. Many companies prefer hiring new employees as temps first, to see if they work out.

Do people take those minimum wage jobs? ($5.85 now, $6.55 next July) Sure. But the key for you is to convince your employer that you're worth more (much more) than that.

Snorpus

[GottaHerdOn]

In Beverly, a few minutes north of Elkins is Armstrong Flooring, they pay excellent. Starting out like at 9.00 or maybe more. Elkins has a lot of fast food places as well as some sit down places such as Applebees. There was an article in the Intermountain (Elkins Newspaper) about how many of the fast food places are having problems finding people to work for them. So I'm sure you could get hired easily, you could also look into waitressing, that could be lucrative for you. My friend waitressed at CJ Maggies in downtown last summer and usually made really decent tips, over $100 on weekends, usually $60ish through the week. There are plenty of jobs in Elkins, I don't know why people ever say there aren't any. People aren't going to just come up and give you a job, you have to go get it yourself. Good luck and if you need anything or have anymore questions just ask

Also, if you don't have a diploma there are places you can get your G.E.D. in Elkins, and a votech center you could get some certification in, as well as Davis & Elkins college if you ever wanted to advance your qualifications

[confusedTee]

check into any of the certificate programs...........

also surface mining classes is another one..........My dh drives a truck with a cdl license we had no other choice at that time..quick license and u can make pennies..now he is going for his hazmat and also taking a surface mining class he is trying to get on here with a local co..at the mines to haul explosives............He has never went to ''college'' all his jobs were certificate or thru the co..

best of luck to ya............there are still ways to get a job without going to 'college' at this time.........and don't forget about all those VO-TECHS.............

[Katie1]

The worst part about WV is the people movin here & there are NO jobs. Degrees dont matter if there are no businesses.

[NOVAmtneer82]

i absolutely agree with Katie1, although I would recommend people have a job before they move anywhere, this REALLY holds true for west virginia. Finding a job in WV can be met with mixed results, depending on your specialty you can either have really good options or none at all, there doesn't really seem to be a middle ground. I am in finance and it took moving to the Washington DC area for me to find a job, I will ALWAYs be a mountaineer at heart though!

[sarahreed87]

I think my major problems are never having moved out of my parents yet, feeling too sheepish to majorly 'sell myself', and letting the intimidating idea of moving far away stop me.

The classes I have taken are:

Business Communication
Business Office Management
Personal Word Processing Applications

The next and final three are:

Business and Its Environment
Business Office Management II
Personal Computer Spreadsheet Applications

I will look into what has been said as well as from former questions. I guess I just have to start somewhere. If I really want to do it then I will, as they say.