Charleston areaCharleston - North Charleston - Mt. Pleasant - Summerville - Goose Creek
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I am looking to move to a warmer and friendlier place in a new environment. I've been looking at different areas and I can see neither Charleston or Greenville or listed as IT /Tech hubs , but I will say that South Carolina has always sounded intriguing. I like that the state offers some amazing beaches and nice mountain or at least foothill scenery in such close proximity from each other. As well, the weather seems to be on par with what I would like. I lived for 4 years on the Oregon Coast and another 5 years on the Puget Sound and I really do miss the water.
I'm not so happy here in Idaho where we are having a wretched and horrible winter with lots of snow, ice and roads that are never plowed even after accumulating a foot of snow. The people here seem to be almost as cold as the weather. Even though there are nice forests hours away, the immediate area is an ugly, brown desert and I love plants, trees and greenery. I grew up in the NOrthwest (in the state of Oregon) which, in my opinion is the friendliest of the three and a half Northwest states (WA, OR , ID , Western MT). However, Boise is a very isolated area and the people here are either reclusive home grown types or wealthy Californian yuppies who come to live like kings and cash out on their expensive properties down South. Boise is heaven for some, but not for me. The job market here also sucks and the cliquey, anti-social, churchy, need to know someone who knows someone culture makes it a pain in the backside to network, which is critical in the software field. I can assume maybe Charleston is not the easiest networking town either, but it couldn't be any worse in that department.
I'm a very experienced .Net and Windows C++/C (to lesser extent) application developer, but sadly it seems these days everyone wants web developers, so I have taken a bit of a hit after losing my business which I helped run and build, over the last 15 years. I'm planning on spending next year learning various web technologies and getting up to speed so I can have access to more and higher pay jobs. In the meantime, I am accepting I will have to work some crap jobs to help keep myself afloat during the study phase. I already have some web knowledge and pick up technologies very fast due to my comprehensive software background. I've also developed quite a lot of skill in systems architecture.
Anyway, I am politically pretty conservative/libertarian, yet open-minded socially. That is, I support religious freedom, freedom of sexual identity/orientation and weed legalization, among other causes of this nature. However, my conservative/libertarian type values makes living in socialist/police-states like California (or even Hawaii, sadly ) out of the question, despite the fact it has the weather I like and the Bay Area has the country's strongest IT market (along with Seattle). An example of some reasons I cannot live in a place like Calfornia (or even Hawaii) is I don't like being forced to turn in my guns (2nd Amendment is not toilet paper) and being taxed to death for all my hard work so welfare recipients or dopers playing video games can live off my sweat and blood. I was considering moving back to Seattle, but the city has become so ultra left-wing insane that I just feel it is a matter of time before the entire state implodes and ruins all the great things the state has offered. It use to be a pretty centrist libertarian, business friendly state, but the fascist government has a plan to FIX IT ALL and make everything EQUAL (equally wretched).
Leaving all that aside, South Carolina seems to have weather, culture, politics that coincide with me. My main worry about South Carolina is a lack of a job market. I'm getting older now (in my late 30s) and after a dreaded long career of working for small software business, working 80 hours a week, I am almost ready to call the quits for a while with software development if needed. I would be willing to do any work, although I obviously would prefer a software job, but won't want to work any job that demands I work more than 40 hours a week on average.
I've heard Charleston has had some software companies and IT gigs and I am also curious to know about the situation of software jobs in Greenville. Greenville looks affordable and Charleston is expensive. I can see South Carolina has a very high state income tax, but I am hoping that is made up in other ways, as I keep hearing.
Anyway, I am just wondering what the outlook would be for someone in Charleston and South Carolina as a whole for a 16+ year software application developer who is migrating his skills to the web. As I say, I am not opposed to waiting tables, driving trucks or doing other things part time while I do my study. I do have some savings and have been trying to launch my own software business, developing custom software solutions. Basically a For-Hire-Freelancer business. I have lots of ideas. I'm at a point of my life where I want a change. What's the point of me enjoying a $125,000 a year paycheck if I am in some frozen craphole like Chicago or Minneapolis? Cities like this are expensive anyway and you make all that money just so you can have enough for your Hawaiian vacation once a year and a little extra to put away for your assisted living. Some may call it heaven, but I think it is hell.
Last edited by RotseCherut; 12-27-2016 at 03:17 AM..
I drifted away in the 3rd paragraph
From what I did read, you're asking:
Is Charleston a great place to live that's close to the ocean - YES
Will Charleston grow into a Tech Hub in the next few years - Probably not
Look into blackbaud. They arr a pretty good company. Top in the area with software and pay is pretty good. For entry levels looking into high 70s low 80s but all depends what you do .
SPAWAR Systems Center Atlantic very likely has SW dev jobs. Start looking with the "Beltway Bandits" (SAIC, Lockheed, Northrop, Boeing, etc.) to see who has offices nearby and check with them. Use some Google-fu, craigslist, Indeed, clearancejobs, etc. to find smaller contracting firms. There won't be one place for all jobs... the world of government contracting can be very Byzantine, and you'll see the exact same job listed with multiple employers, and some jobs are never announced publicly at all for various reasons. Contracting can have ups-and-downs, and if you can't get a security clearance for recent crimes, bankruptcies, DUIs, drugs, mental health, etc. it definitely isn't for you. Even for uncleared work, for base access you have to have a completed background investigation. But once you're in that world, it's pretty easy to find new gigs as necessary.
For Spawar you will need to get a clearance or bg check. Making $120k is not easy as a coder. More like $90k without a clearance and full stack web dev skills. Blackbaud was known as a sweatshop but that may have changed. There are dev jobs here but its a small town and networking helps. Meetup.com has some nerd meetups worth attending to start networking.
This area is not liberal at all and still has a good number of homophobes and racists. I usually cross them when they are drinking.
This area is not liberal at all and still has a good number of homophobes and racists. I usually cross them when they are drinking.
How droll.
Blackbaud does some development in your areas, I think they've moved some stuff to Ruby though. You may also want to look at Benefitfocus.com or boomtownroi.com. Many people want to sell Charleston as the tech hub of the South... I believe it's more hype than reality. The better market will be in Charlotte.
From reading previous threads on City Data forum it appears Blackbaud is an IT sweatshop, underpays and overworks its workers and the company has had serious management issues. I will probably avoid this company like the plague. Also, I have to repeat that I am a very experienced application developer, not a web developer. However, I could easily pick up web technologies and have developed web software in the past. If there are companies who are willing to train a person in the web stack they are using and not opposed to you not being a master in that technology, I could fit the profile.
As far as getting security clearance, I don't know what is entailed. I have passed multiple state and federal background checks and have at one time possessed a total of four concealed firearm/weapon licenses. I'm assuming if I could pass those various FBI checks, I would have no problem passing any federal check for security clearance. I am pretty squeaky clean.
As I wrote in my original post I know Charleston is no tech hub. It just looked like a place I may like living. Warm weather most of the year, beautiful beaches, scenery and colonial architecture and lots of single, beautiful women (at least from rumors I here, who knows though ) and a fun, partyish atmosphere with lots of activities. Although some tell me the party atmosphere is too much and the cultural and more respectable amenities may be a bit lacking. It's hard for me to know as I have yet to visit Charleston.
Boise is the exact opposite, everyone is married young, good ol boy job culture/lack of secure and high paying IT jobs (ok, Charleston may suffer from this too), cold most of the year (then brutally hot in summer) and outside of going hiking or drinking your brains out at a bar (as many do here), the city lacks any culture, music or activities. Oh yeah, we don't have a beach, but we have some ugly man made lake people rave about.. Of course, 2-3 hours away is nice mountain scenery, but going up there is an adventure, not something I can afford to do everyday and winter it is inaccessible. People are pretty insular, keep to themselves and the area is extremely isolated from the rest of world. In fact, Boise was considered the most isolated metro area of over 500,000 people in the USA.
Quote:
Originally Posted by thaifood
This area is not liberal at all and still has a good number of homophobes and racists. I usually cross them when they are drinking.
I don't like racists. I'm from a Jewish background. Ironically, I live in Idaho, a place supposedly known for racism. I have experienced some racism here, but it is not deep-rooted racism, more just uneducated idiot people racism and the same guy/gal insulting me could be a guy/gal I am friends with and drinking a beer with. Just the dumb comments, "Hey you Jews are cheap right, blah blah.." The real racists in Idaho were chased out of Idaho to Montana a while ago and were originally from California.
I was told the Greenville area has a KKK store/headquarters (named the Redneck Shop) that openly preaches for the death of Jews, Blacks and other minorities. However, I am also aware that South Carolina has a rich Jewish history, including one of the nation's oldest synagogues in Charleston. Do you think I would have any issues being Jewish in Charleston or South Carolina, in general? The presence of the KKK headquarters/outpost in the Greenville area has made me feel a bit worried about that area.
Last edited by RotseCherut; 12-28-2016 at 01:27 PM..
Do you think I would have any issues being Jewish in Charleston or South Carolina, in general?
Literally, none. I'm Jewish (non-practicing, howerver), and have never heard anything anti-Semitic in my 5+ years down here. Are there racist and otherwise bigoted people here? Sure, but you will literally find them everywhere. It's not something unique to "the South".
As for your software development experience. I would stay away from Blackbaud, but most of the defense contractors are looking for qualified coders. As long as you're a US Resident, and can pass a background check, you're good to go. There are several software startups in the area as well, and BenefitFocus is usually looking for software engineers too.
Have you also looked at telecommuting roles, but still moving to the Charleston area? There's literally no reason for a coder to sit in an office (IMO), and I'm always seeing a ton of remote work for software devs.
Boise is the exact opposite, everyone is married young, good ol boy job culture/lack of secure and high paying IT jobs (ok, Charleston may suffer from this too), cold most of the year (then brutally hot in summer) and outside of going hiking or drinking your brains out at a bar (as many do here), the city lacks any culture, music or activities. Oh yeah, we don't have a beach, but we have some ugly man made lake people rave about.. Of course, 2-3 hours away is nice mountain scenery, but going up there is an adventure, not something I can afford to do everyday and winter it is inaccessible. People are pretty insular, keep to themselves and the area is extremely isolated from the rest of world. In fact, Boise was considered the most isolated metro area of over 500,000 people in the USA.
Lol. Really Rotse? No culture, music or activities? Based on your constant long posts you really do not seem to get out often or leave your suburban place of residence out in Meridian.
You are doing yourself a disservice based on your inaccurate posts. I know you do not like Boise but please stop with your false statements. Your posts in various threads at city data are full of negativity and contradictions and judgements.
Btw, that man made lake, reservoir is fed by beautiful rivers and creeks.
Cheer up.
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) out of the question, despite the fact it has the weather I like and the Bay Area has the country's strongest IT market (along with Seattle). An example of some reasons I cannot live in a place like Calfornia (or even Hawaii) is I don't like being forced to turn in my guns (2nd Amendment is not toilet paper) and being taxed to death for all my hard work so welfare recipients or dopers playing video games can live off my sweat and blood. I was considering moving back to Seattle, but the city has become so ultra left-wing insane that I just feel it is a matter of time before the entire state implodes and ruins all the great things the state has offered. It use to be a pretty centrist libertarian, business friendly state, but the fascist government has a plan to FIX IT ALL and make everything EQUAL (equally wretched).
) and a fun, partyish atmosphere with lots of activities. Although some tell me the party atmosphere is too much and the cultural and more respectable amenities may be a bit lacking. It's hard for me to know as I have yet to visit Charleston.
