Working at DuPont? (Wilmington, Newark: transplants, loft, condo)

[SteelCityRising]

Hello!

I'm considering responding to a job posting offered on CollegeCentralNetwork for an entry-level accounting position at DuPont in Wilmington. The position looks very enticing, as it will offer rotation every few years into various departments, permitting me to expand my knowledge into other realms of the accounting practice.

I have a few concerns:

1. Does anyone on here currently work for DuPont? If so, how would you describe your workplace environment? Do management and their subordinates relate positively with one another? Is this a team-focused environment? Would I face any sort of pre-employment discrimination because I reside in another state?
2. How far is DuPont from Downtown Wilmington? I'm a "city mouse," and as such I'd love to live in a loft or condo in or around thriving Downtown Wilmington and be able to walk, bike, or take mass transit to work. What is the environment like in Downtown Wilmington? Are there conveniences there (grocery store, barber shop, florist, laundromat, etc.?) Any good restaurants? Theatrical events? Nightlife? I'm by no means expecting to move to Midtown Manhattan, but it would be nice to live in an area replete with fellow young professionals.
3. How is Newark, Delaware, and do you think it might offer more of the sort of environment I am looking for as compared with Downtown Wilmington? How far of a commute is it from Newark (which I understand is pronounced New Ark to separate it from the nefarious New Work, NJ)?

Thank you very much!

[SteelCityRising]

I suppose I should also mention that I'm a homosexual. I'm very much so on the masculine side---nobody who just meets me can easily tell "he's a q*een." However, a member by the name of Joe made me feel a bit uncomfortable with his reply on another thread by calling Wilmington "homophobic." I currently live in Scranton, a city roughly the same size as Wilmington that is also rather socially conservative and sometimes hostile towards the LGBT community (protesters at PrideFest, for example). I don't expect the big purple welcome mat to be rolled out for me by any stretch of the imagination. My partner will most likely relocate with me if I should be fortunate enough to obtain this position with DuPont, so a dating and/or night club scene is not important to me. However, I would not like to live in a neighborhood where neighbors would "not take kindly" to us. I'm rather aggressive and won't take s*it from anyone about my sexual orientation without putting up a fight. With that being said I've also heard that Delaware is being overrun with out-of-state transplants, so perhaps things are changing for the better socially.

[jskirwin]

SC
First I don't work at DuPont but I have contracted there once.
Second DuPont has several worksites all over the state; find out which site you would be at. Working at DP has changed over the years, so it's hard to say what the office climate is like there.
Third I'm not gay but I live in a quiet suburban neighborhood where a gay man lives alone and a lesbian couple share a house. Even though I would categorize the neighborhood as working class, no one seems to care about people's sexual preferences. It's not San Francisco by any stretch, but I think you'll find Wilmington to be at least not gay antagonistic.

I would recommend the Trolley Square area in the western part of Wilmington. It has some sense of nightlife, good restaurants and is convenient to several DP work sites.

As for Newark, I view it as pretty much a college town and think you would do better in Wilmington or North Wilmington (suburb). There are also several projects in the city that are attempting to create activity along the Christina River. However things are still pretty quiet as far as "city life" goes. In fact I'm not sure that Wilmington will ever be a thriving city; if Manhattan is more your speed then you might consider a job in NYC.

Good luck.

[ron del]

I agree with this assessment, Dupont has down sized /eliminated thousands of positions and has undergone a major change in the corporate structure and culture. I also agree with the Trolley Square area recommendation. I would not in any way refer to downtown Wilmington as thriving. A lot of the city closes down at 6 PM, most places are closed on Saturday and almost all of downtown is closed on Sunday. I work weekends in the downtown area and it is hard to find places to eat.