Another Employment Question (Virginia Beach, Hampton: rent, house, job market)

[ladeebugg]

OK, I know there are numerous questions about jobs on this forum, but I am going to throw my current situation out there just to see if anyone else has ideas that I haven't thought of yet.

I moved to VA Beach 2 1/2 years ago from the Midwest. I like it here and I would like to stay here. I have been working as a temp for the past couple of years and I am tired of the low-paying jobs that agencies offer. It seems that I can get hired for just about any temp job that I apply for but, when it comes to interviewing with a direct employer, I usually don't hear anything back.

I worked for a large, well-known corporation back home for several years. I have about 10 years of office experience. I have a bachelors degree, I am bilingual in Spanish, I have a clean background with not even a speeding ticket and I am drug free. Just a normal, college educated young professional who can't seem to land a job that pays more than the poverty level.

I would like to work for a large company in the area like Stihl or Northrop Grumman, but that is easier said than done. I have interviewed with GEICO and I wouldn't work there if someone offered me a million dollars. I practically ran screaming from the interview and the company reviews on glassdoor.com back me up on that.

I only want to work in the City of Virginia Beach. I don't want to go outside of the city. Am I asking too much to want a job that pays somewhere around $30,000 a year in the City of Virginia Beach? I would like a job with a company that offers some degree of upward mobility, but I'm not holding my breath on that one.

Has anyone else had luck somewhere and would like to share their stories or tips? I appreciate any advice or assistance.

[gallowsCalibrator]

When I was looking at applicants many, many moons ago, I frequently saw women who wanted to do "basic office work" and were willing to accept a very low paycheck. Their story was pretty much the same, going between "I don't really need the money; I just want to get out of the house" and "I don't want to be relying on my husband for my spend money". Because of the high military concentration of the area, I'd imagine that this is still pretty common... As a result, the payscale for your standard Secretary or Admin Assistant will be barely at 30k. Because, to these companies, they can either pay you a normal salary ($40K) or pay a military wife $10/hr ($20K).

[ladeebugg]

Thank you, Rita Mordio. I agree with your observation. I don't fault anyone in the military and I can understand how employers would want to pay their employees as little as possible. Why pay more if you don't have to?

I am curious, though, what other 30 somethings are doing in their work lives in Hampton Roads. The military is a huge presence, but I can't imagine that everyone is military.

Are there other young professionals on this forum who wouldn't mind sharing what industry or profession they are in, especially in Virginia Beach, what they think of it and how well it pays? I am interested in learning more about other people's experiences.

[gallowsCalibrator]

Originally Posted by ladeebugg

Thank you, Rita Mordio. I agree with your observation. I don't fault anyone in the military and I can understand how employers would want to pay their employees as little as possible. Why pay more if you don't have to?

I am curious, though, what other 30 somethings are doing in their work lives in Hampton Roads. The military is a huge presence, but I can't imagine that everyone is military.

Are there other young professionals on this forum who wouldn't mind sharing what industry or profession they are in, especially in Virginia Beach, what they think of it and how well it pays? I am interested in learning more about other people's experiences.

Well, I'm not in my 30-somethings (yet), but I do consider myself a "young professional". I'm a programmer (multi-language) and all around IT person. Before my current job (started in April), I was a military contractor. The pay is pretty decent - especially considering I'm doing something I love.

[gregir]

By limiting your location to the city of VB you are eliminating large employers in the region that may well pay better and offer a wider range of opportunity. Not sure how you are searching but positions like ops coordinator, scheduling assitant, etc should show openings at employers in the area. Most of these start at 30k and go up. From the little info provided you are a likely candidate for these should you choose to look outside VB.

[Erma]

There are jobs out there for you. Have you tried USAjobs.com? There are positions in your field, especially with a degree. Check it out, it can't hurt.

[citydweller]

I feel your pain. I am in my 40s and up till recently looked for for employment for months in the VB area. I have 25 years in the financial field and the best paying job I could find was $14 an hour but they decided not to even make me an offer. For now I am in NC until something else comes along. Good luck.

[UHgrad]

Originally Posted by ladeebugg

Thank you, Rita Mordio. I agree with your observation. I don't fault anyone in the military and I can understand how employers would want to pay their employees as little as possible. Why pay more if you don't have to?

I am curious, though, what other 30 somethings are doing in their work lives in Hampton Roads. The military is a huge presence, but I can't imagine that everyone is military.

Are there other young professionals on this forum who wouldn't mind sharing what industry or profession they are in, especially in Virginia Beach, what they think of it and how well it pays? I am interested in learning more about other people's experiences.

I just turned 30, I am a research scientist for a government contractor (not D.O.D.) with an M.S. degree in a physical science field, I am currently making $30+ an hour, I really enjoy my job as well.

I agree with those that said U.S.A. jobs, I also used indeed.com. Unfortunately, there are not a lot of good paying non-scientific/defense related jobs around here. I have a few friends (accountants and people with MBA's) that are stuck in NOVA even though they would like to move home to raise their kids... but they can't justify taking the pay cut since the cost of living is only moderately lower here.

Pre housing bubble VB was such a great place to live it makes me sad to see folks scraping by now. When I was in high school my mom bought a 2000 sq ft house for less than $150k and you could rent a 1br a few blocks from the beach for about $500 - $600 a month, that is only 13 years ago!! Post housing bubble it has gotten pretty tough and the military presence keeps the rents from dropping in line with civilian wages (my opinion).

I saw this in the paper as well. Good luck!

Gearmaker to hire 80 people in Virginia Beach | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

[ladeebugg]

Thanks for the information, UHGrad. I am glad to hear that you have a well-paying job that you like

I keep an eye on the newspaper and I am happy to see the latest headlines about companies like Stihl and IMS Gear that will be hiring. Unfortunately, I am not an engineer. Perhaps those new hires will increase hiring in administration areas, as well. We can only hope.

I have only been in VB for a couple years, so I did not know the city back in its heyday. I grew up in a very small area, though, so VB does offer a lot more than what I'm used to. Although I have not found a good job, I have gained valuable experience that I would not have gotten had I stayed back home.

As a job seeker, I think that I am stuck somewhere in the middle. I have a degree but it's not an advanced degree in a highly technical/scientific field. I am bilingual, but the jobs I have seen posted for bilingual candidates are still in the low-paying range that I want to stay out of. As I mentioned in my originial post, I have had numerous interviews through temp agencies and I have almost always been offered the job, whether or not I ulimately accepted it. However, when it comes to direct hires, I can't even get an interview or, in the rare event that I do, I never hear anything back. It is very frustrating.

I know that networking and patience are the only options that really work when it comes to finding a decent job. I had a good job with a good company back home, so I know that I am at least somewhat attractive to employers

[UHgrad]

Originally Posted by ladeebugg

Thanks for the information, UHGrad. I am glad to hear that you have a well-paying job that you like

I keep an eye on the newspaper and I am happy to see the latest headlines about companies like Stihl and IMS Gear that will be hiring. Unfortunately, I am not an engineer. Perhaps those new hires will increase hiring in administration areas, as well. We can only hope.

I have only been in VB for a couple years, so I did not know the city back in its heyday. I grew up in a very small area, though, so VB does offer a lot more than what I'm used to. Although I have not found a good job, I have gained valuable experience that I would not have gotten had I stayed back home.

As a job seeker, I think that I am stuck somewhere in the middle. I have a degree but it's not an advanced degree in a highly technical/scientific field. I am bilingual, but the jobs I have seen posted for bilingual candidates are still in the low-paying range that I want to stay out of. As I mentioned in my originial post, I have had numerous interviews through temp agencies and I have almost always been offered the job, whether or not I ulimately accepted it. However, when it comes to direct hires, I can't even get an interview or, in the rare event that I do, I never hear anything back. It is very frustrating.

I know that networking and patience are the only options that really work when it comes to finding a decent job. I had a good job with a good company back home, so I know that I am at least somewhat attractive to employers

Unfortunately we don't have a large spanish speaking population or tourist demographic here so the bilingual thing only helps so much. I'm sure in Florida, Texas, Arizona etc... it is a pretty useful thing to know.

If it is any consolation the job market is pretty much **** in most places right now so you shouldn't take it personally. Virginia (and Hampton Roads) is actually faring relatively well but not a lot of people are hiring... I think we just laid off a lot less folks than other places because we get a lot of federal dollars.

Calculated Risk: State Unemployment Rates "generally lower" in November

Your frustrations sound pretty par for the course when it comes to non-scientific young professionals around here. VB is trying to attract more private sector businesses to the area and the economy is showing some signs of life so hopefully things are looking up.