Considering moving back to West Virginia (Morgantown, Fairmont: crime, house, school)

[Maddog411]

Hello everyone, this is my first post so bear with me if I need to get the "hang of things" on this site.

To tell you a little of my life story, I was born and raised on a farm in Preston County, WV but always hated the farm life. I went to and graduated from WVU even though I yearned for life somewhere far away from West Virginia. 10 years ago I had the opportunity to move near Charlotte and live with my cousin who had moved down a few month earlier. Being that I was hungry for city life and was still deliverying pizzas for a living after I graduated college, I took it. I got a decent job at one of the big banks in Charlotte after about 4 months and stayed there almost 7 years. I "yuppied up" because of the city life and among other things bought a house completely oversized for myself in a subdivision with my neighbors house 10 feet away, which is pretty common around Charlotte.

I have realized in the last couple years that I don't really like the city life or the yuppy person I became and have started to do more country things. My cousin moved back to WV 4 years ago to be back around our family and I have no family left down here. He was in Iraq for a year and realized how important family was to him in that time. I also stopped being friends with my best friend, who I considered family about 2 years ago, so I really don't have anything keeping me around Charlotte.

I have been thinking a lot of moving back to WV in the last few months. With all the reason to move back I haved yet, though...something is still keeping me here...maybe I'll feel like a failure if I move back. My job situation has gone downhill the last 3 years and I'm actually back to doing a delivery job for a living despite having a bachelor's degree in computer engineering....lol. Or it could be the fact that I thought I'd be married and have kids by now but I'm not. Something about moving back still feels like going backward in life.

Anyway, I'm want to make a decision on whether I'm going to move back to around Morgantown or stay around Charlotte, and whatever I decide will be my home for at least the next 5 years. So any thoughts or advice anyone can offer me? Thanks!

[David Kennedy]

FBI would hire you in a minute here for the 'White Collar Crime Task Force if you're drug free. They need about 500 more to complete the hire quota.

Bank Experience + Computer Engineering...It's a natural! I'd give my right nut to delve into those off shore accounts.

[Maddog411]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

FBI would hire you in a minute here for the 'White Collar Crime Task Force if you're drug free. They need about 500 more to complete the hire quota.

Where do you get this info from?

[David Kennedy]

FBI has 400 employees were I work in Middletown Mall in Fairmont. They rotate to the big center in Clarksburg. It was announced last month that they needed 1000 new hires...would be stationed in our area and the facility at Martinsburg...Check with them...the hiring goes on, they want settled people in their early to mid 30's and expatriates go to the top of the list.

I'm told in the professional ranks only 1 out of 10 can pass a drug test. Necessary item for a job anywhere now, even Wv.

[snorpus]

"Today's FBI. It's For You."

FBI's Jobs Page

[Georgia]

Originally Posted by David Kennedy

FBI has 400 employees were I work in Middletown Mall in Fairmont. They rotate to the big center in Clarksburg. It was announced last month that they needed 1000 new hires...would be stationed in our area and the facility at Martinsburg...Check with them...the hiring goes on, they want settled people in their early to mid 30's and expatriates go to the top of the list.

I'm told in the professional ranks only 1 out of 10 can pass a drug test. Necessary item for a job anywhere now, even Wv.

Darn David, I am probably qualified out the waazoo. 20+ years of management, commercial finance and capital equipment manufacturing, along with being a Army Airborne Vet, etc. etc.,
Do they take old farts at 45+ years old?

[NicaS]

Hello!

As a year-old W Virginian from suburban Philadelphia PA, I find talk about "moving back" to rural life very interesting. For me, living now in a small Calhoun Co town is new & somewhat expected.

Here's what I like -->
.Views, scenery
.Lack of out-of-control suburban zoning & ordinances
.Smaller town everyday life
.A sense of some history among folks
.Less traffic
.More neighborliness
.Wildlife up closer

I guess there's lots more. But here's what I don't like -->
.Lack of competitive prices, meaning high prices
.Lack of fresh fish & produce that I took for granted in the suburbs
.No ethnic restaurants & grocers
.Phone, internet, & cellphone monopolies that create lack of reliable service

As said, some of this I expected, while I could not have anticipated the dearth of fresh meats, fish, & produce. I'm in the country, darn it!

Finding jobs is difficult. And hourly wages - especially given the higher prices I find here -- are terrible. Ten years ago I received $12.50/hr doing some temp work, & that was low-end. In the same time-frame, my now deceased husband taught trumpet for $20/hr. Actually, I did some p/t quality control work back then for $25/hr. And, as again said, prices are competitively lower where I'm from.

Moving is a trade-off. I'm glad I'm here & intend to stay here. For the most part, it suits me.

Thanks for letting me share ...

[David Kennedy]

Georgia:

Cut off age is 47 unless you have prior government time. Get on the wagon and get back to the hills of home.

That prior Army Airborne time will be counted toward your new pension. Gives you the Veterans Hire bonus points going in.

If you have any percentage of disablility, you move to the head of the class.

Thank RCByrd for moving the FBI here...
When you get here, stop in and say hello. dk

[cat1116]

Facility in Martinsburg????? Where ? This is news to me. Sure you don't mean Winchester?

[David Kennedy]

I did mean Winchester...sorry for that goof. To me that entire eastern panhandle is part of Virginia...

The things about that FBI hiring...they don't seem to want fresh-out-of-school grads...but mature mid-30's and beyond...It's a great opportunity and the money is good too. Mid level. Security Clearance of course...screening takes a little while, perhaps 6 months.