Re: Job Market in Raleigh-Durham NC

[Maurice King <benadam -at- CYBERDUDE -dot- COM>]

This is an interesting thread. I returned to the Raleigh-Durham area after many years of living abroad. What I found was:

* There is a booming job market, but employers are notoriously slow about making any moves towards hiring personnel, and then they whine that they can't find good people.

* Contract houses abound, most of them offering Heaven and Earth, but many of them have very little to offer. You have to use your instincs to know if you can believe them. Some are on the level, and some are excellent. Approach each one with an open mind and all sensors active; you can find good ones and bad ones, just as is the case anywhere.

* Some of the jobs that are offered are a real joke. Don't hesitate to leave one if you fall into it, because you can't grow happier in a job that is a mismatch from Day One because someone in the hiring chain didn't bother to see that you're not the right person for the job or that the job isn't right for you.

* Be suspicious of the contract job that hires you sight unseen. There are few miracles in this world, and when you've not been given the opportunity to see the people and the nature of the work you will be doing, chances are it's because both are so uninspiring that the persons hiring knew you'd run the other way.

* Most of the work is in RTP and Raleigh. If you're allergic to commuting, consider moving to Wake County, but if you have children that are school age, be prepared for some major overcrowding problems in the educational system there.

* Bring money to survive until you find the job you can enjoy. Again, companies who are serious about hiring usually move swiftly, but they are few in number.

* If you encounter discrimination on any basis, don't hesitate to file a charge. One aspect of the area that escapes many is the almost built-in prejudice that is a retainer from earlier eras. Most old-timers in the area think that it is quite acceptable to discriminate on the basis of age, race, gender, religion, color of hair, or whatever else. It does tend to filter down throughout the society. I've heard plenty of bitter complaints from persons who relocated to the area and then felt that they were being ostracized. They are. It's not something they imagine. It goes with the territory. I should know; I grew up here. I've already filed one charge of discrimination since arriving, and I'll do it again if I must.

* If you suffer from hay fever, get a prescription for Claritin to last you for 12 months. You'll need it.

* This area once had a low cost of living. That's history now. Maybe it's cheaper than Silicon Valley, but it's not cheap at all.

* To feel a part of the society, you must be a joiner. You have to make efforts to join some sort of group to develop a social life. In Raleigh-Durham, most people traditionally developed their social lives around churches and synagogues, something that isn't acceptable to everyone. The pricier area of Chapel Hill/Carrboro tends to be far more liberal and less doctrinaire on this score, but houses of worship still tend to be the social centers. A person who has a major problem with that should reconsider relocating to this area.

* Medical facilities abound, but it's starvation in the midst of plenty if you need them.

You may assume that I'm less than happy here. I'm only reflecting the experiences my family has had in this area as a whole. I currently hold a job that I like that is within walking distance of home, and you can't beat that. However, I found it six months after arrival. In the meantime, I've not had the best time of it and have seen my entire family suffer from various glitches in the system here. It's not just enough to have a good job; you need a life as well. That's something that a job seeker cannot always know.

- Maury

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