WV - Anyone work for the state?

[chrisser]

I've had it with my current job. Happy to have one, but its time to start looking.

Even though we're really not "ready" to sell our house, we want to move to WV.

Anyhow, a few weeks ago, I noticed the state was hiring. Couple of IT jobs I'm qualified for. I polished up the old resume, filled out the app and sent them in electronically today. I have to follow up with some competency tests, but we plan on visiting the state in a few weeks for some much-needed vacation, so I can hit the testing centers while I'm down there.


So, just curious if anyone here works for the state or knows someone who works for the State of WV? Just wondering how radical a change it would be from private sector to public? (Actually, I now work for a not-for-profit company, but all previous employers were private sector).


We're pretty open to where we'd go. I drew a line between Jackson and Randolph counties. Pretty much everything South we'd consider, except Mingo, Logan , Boone and Lincoln - where most of the mountaintop mining is happening. Although, that said, the more rural and more mountainous the better.

We'd love to move to Pocohontas, but finding affordable property there looks to be pretty hard. We'll most likely end up within about an hours commute of Beckley or Charleston.

[CapeCMom]

I would imagine any State job right now would be prime. I work for the gov. in Mass and it is not a bad job despite the politics-you will probably be forced to join a Union though-I don't know what your feelings are on that.

[tufhelp]

Another concern might be the typical "civil servant" mentality and attitude you will inevitably run into. The prevailing "The state owes me a living - do they expect me to actually work for it?" is sometimes hard to swallow, especially if you're a competent self-starter type. But in spite of all those politics, unions, and grossly incompetent people and political appointment bosses - it is a living and usually has reasonable perks. They also pay typically lower wages than the private sector. The unions are typically figure-head only, you get to pay dues, but you can't usually strike, so no usual union perks or real bargaining power.

Lindawoman just retired from a New Mexico state IT job, it was OK, and sheltered us from the current economy (any job better than no job) but it had its aggravations, just like any job...

[chrisser]

Thanks for the advice.

I did apply last week. Now it's 4-6 weeks wait for me to be "scored" and put on some list.

Yeah, the unions and the politics were what worried me the most.

I suppose the upsides and the downsides are a wash. If it lets us move down there and get some property, then I'll be pretty happy.

There's always the private sector too. Right now, winter's coming and selling our house anytime before about March will be near impossible. I'll get on that list right about Thanksgiving, and I don't expect much to happen at the state for the rest of the year.

Early next year, if nothing develops, I'll start hitting the private firms too.

[ktm rider]

I work in WV for the Federal Bureau of Prisons. Might not be what you are looking for but the B.O.P. is opening a spanking new medium security Prison in McDowell county which is a very rural are. ALso, I believe there is an IT job opening up here also. ( PM me if you are interested)

FYI-- The selection of jobs in Wv is very, very slim and the pay in the private sector is most likely alot lower than where you currently live. Wv. state jobs don't pay that well either. That is why I now work with 3 former WV state troopers.

[Pokeberry Mary]

I worked for a county, not state and not WV. I can tell you some things I noticed about the corporate culture that were different.

Where I worked the bottom line was image more than money.

My job was very similar to a retail job--yet paid more--actually was physically easier though it required more expertise. Retail in my area pays between min. wage and 8.50, I was making 11+.

In every retail job I have had efficiency, loss prevention and cutting costs has been of paramount importance.

In my similar library job-- most of the cost cutting measures didn't really seem to make sense. I'm just being honest. I got the impression that folks were simply submitting ideas to promote their careers rather than really save $ and often the folks who made decisions about the department I worked in had no experience with the actual daily work. They were very interested in creating training opportunities--which generally were not really worthwhile and taking up green type initiatives, image changes, etc.. It was as if the place were a private company that was trying to improve its image--but it was on the public's dime--and the public had never asked for the changes--yet they kept pushing to change for the sake of change.

In retail there are no changes unless management is sure it will save or earn profit.

I enjoyed my job and would work there again--but I and most of my co-workers often felt that there was a great deal of waste going on that higher ups were not truly serious about because it wasn't 'their money' but the taxpayers.

To be fair though, I did hear that if a gov. agency doesn't use all its budget the next time around they may lose some of it--when they actually need it. So there are problems with figuring out how to use taxpayers money that are inherent in the system.

It would drive me crazy though to see the waste that I knew as a taxpayer was coming out of my own pocket.

[Investigator]

I work as an Investigator for the State of West Virginia. I'll try to answer any questions you might have.

My office is in Charleston, which is really not that bad, as small cities go.
I live northeast of Charleston in Clendenin,WV.

As for the transition from public sector to government employment, I'm afraid I won't be much help. Before I came to work for West Virginia I was US Navy for 20 years and them US Customs for 10 years (took an early retirement just to leave Orlando, FL).
Steve

[chrisser]

I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into, but I've been applying to federal jobs in WV.

So far I haven't gotten past the first screening, but I just applied for one that I think I have a shot at. Will probably know in a month or so.

Fed jobs tend to pay (at the high end) almost what I'm making in the city here in NE Ohio, although this particular one would likely be a pay cut. Veterans (rightfully) have preference for federal jobs. I'm guessing current federal employees probably have an edge just by knowing the system. I'm very overqualified for this particular job, so maybe that will get me into the running.

So far, the private and state jobs I've seen would be at about half my current salary.

The housing market in Cleveland has been picking up, although now that the fed tax credit evaporated, we don't know if it will be sustained. It's to the point that I think we could get out of our house for what we owe, so that's an improvement over being upside down.

Be nice if we could get out of the house with some cash. Now that we have the camper, we could live in it on a piece of undeveloped land for awhile.

The cost of living is likely cheaper in WV (although it depends where you are - often land is ridiculously expensive), but I'm trying to avoid taking such a salary cut that we end up in exactly the same situation we are, but in a different state (although there's probably an argument to be made for that...).

I think we can economize enough to make this job work and, assuming we can sell or rent our current house, we should be able to swing getting some land.

How much we can buy, what we can put on it, and when, are going to be the interesting questions we'll have to sort out.

Wish me luck. Since this is a public forum and the job is still technically open, I won't post more details until later - every job's a competition.

[Anon001]

I'm not sure what I'm getting myself into, but I've been applying to federal jobs in WV.
Good luck to you.
Now that we have the camper, we could live in it on a piece of undeveloped land for awhile.

There are several of us on this forum that lived in campers on undeveloped land. There are times when I miss it and wish I was still in it.

As far as your comments about buying some land.....Usually, the larger the parcel, the cheaper it is per acre. However, with larger parcels, the down payment is usually higher. Many lenders put a definition on land being for ag if it is over 39 acres Some lenders also consider anything over 20 acres as ag. If it is considered ag land, most lenders will require 3% to 35% for a down payment. However, if you live in the camper for awhile, you should be able to save up a good chunk of money over one to two years.

Good luck,

Paul

[chrisser]

Thanks for the kind words Paul.

Regarding land, I've been contemplating posting about it. Won't really know what we can afford until we've sold the house and see what we net.

I also would have to look at the possibilities for living in the camper w/o owning land first, such as long-term at a campground or possibly a trailer park if we needed to save up. At some point, that cost would probably exceed a payment on land and maybe a smaller, introductory piece of property is a better way to go for the transition. OTOH, things like gardens/orchards need time to produce and we don't want to invest a lot of time in a parcel we won't stay on.

I did find a nice 40 acre parcel (too far away to commute from this job) nearby for $40k, but from what I've seen, the prices for a parcel that size are closer to $2k/acre in the area we'd be interested in.

My wife is an avid gardener, and we want to eventually have orchards etc. We've also looked into possibly planting something like Paulownia or even Osage Orange for timber harvest when we get closer to retirement age (and to help with erosion on sloping terrain).

What are the implications of ag-classed land? Do you have to be actively farming it?

We're sort of torn as to what to look for. The mineral rights thing has us a little bothered (very few properties in WV come with mineral rights). We've seen some properties that are pretty much clear-cut for the timber, which has some advantages and some disadvantages. Forested land would be nice, but at least some would have to be cleared for building, gardens, orchards, etc.

Like most people here, our goal is to be as self-sufficient as possible, especially by the next 20 years or so when we reach retirement age. We'd like to have more than 5 acres, but I think about 25 is realistic. Obviously, we'd love more, but anything above 50 is probably not in the cards in the short term and I'd have to keep working, which severely limits what we can do to it in the meantime.

[sewserious]

If you end up around Charleston, there are parts of Clay County that are nearby that would probably have responsibly priced land. Anywhere alone Route 60, which runs out of Charleston and to Beckly via Route 19 from Hico would be a good area, Gauley Bridge is about half way between the two and is where I grew up! 30 minutes or so up the mountain to Beckley, 30 or so down the river to Charleston. That would give you an idea of where to look for land. McDowell County would be nice. Be aware that Fayetteville and Summersville areas are tourist traps in the spring, summer, and fall due to the rafting in the area and property gets really expensive in those areas.

[chrisser]

If you end up around Charleston, there are parts of Clay County that are nearby that would probably have responsibly priced land. Anywhere alone Route 60, which runs out of Charleston and to Beckly via Route 19 from Hico would be a good area, Gauley Bridge is about half way between the two and is where I grew up! 30 minutes or so up the mountain to Beckley, 30 or so down the river to Charleston. That would give you an idea of where to look for land. McDowell County would be nice. Be aware that Fayetteville and Summersville areas are tourist traps in the spring, summer, and fall due to the rafting in the area and property gets really expensive in those areas.

This particular job is in Fayette, north of Beckley.

The interesting parcel I found was in Mercer, I believe. Is McDowell or Mercer county a realistic commute from Beckley? If I could keep it under an hour, I'd be happy. We were just in Pipestem a few weeks ago for a mini vacation - had the job been posted, we would have looked around more. We drove from Hinton over to Princeton, I think, then took backroads all the way to Huntington (had issues with the trailer so avoided the interstate).

[sewserious]

This particular job is in Fayette, north of Beckley.

The interesting parcel I found was in Mercer, I believe. Is McDowell or Mercer county a realistic commute from Beckley? If I could keep it under an hour, I'd be happy. We were just in Pipestem a few weeks ago for a mini vacation - had the job been posted, we would have looked around more. We drove from Hinton over to Princeton, I think, then took backroads all the way to Huntington (had issues with the trailer so avoided the interstate).

I don't think it would be within an hour, especially in the winter time. When I mention travel times, that is in the summer with no snow! You say the job is in Fayette, do you mean Fayette County or the town of Fayetteville in Fayette County? If it is in Fayetteville, there is property available across the New River Gorge Bridge in the Hico area up and down Route 60.

[chrisser]

Fayette County. Near Oak Hill, I believe.

Are you still living in that area? We were wondering if the locals ever get used to the scenery.


One evening we decided to go to a restaurant near the state park. We ended up getting there a bit early, so we continued down the road to explore. The road quickly turned to half gravel/half paved (with paving down the middle). My wife and I both grew up where dirt roads weren't out of the norm, but we hadn't seen anything like that.

Quickly figured out that you drive down the paved middle until you meet someone coming the other way, and then you both drive half on/half off the pavement to pass.

The views were spectacular, but despite the gravel and very winding road, there were no guardrails, reflectors or speed limits. I am no slouch driving, but I had to pull over several times and let locals pass me by at unbelievable speeds - including a school bus full of kids!

It seems WV has a very laissez faire attitude towards roads in general. On the paved roads where it's twisty, we could barely keep up to the speed limits at times. Gentle curves and hairpin turns have exactly the same markings. We like the apparent attitude that, as a driver, you're an adult expected to use due caution if you aren't familiar with the road, and prudence when you are. Contrasts to where we live where the speed limits and signage are oriented to the least common denominator driver and everyone else is used as a revenue source if they don't comply.

[Rimfire_Red]

Try, if you can, to find land where you can get a portion of the mineral rights...we got a good attorney when buying our land and ended up with around 15% of them on the first 120 acres where the house, wells and buildings are (we have 160). While that may not look like a lot the rights are split between us, the 3 kids of the people we bought the property from, the grandkids/great grandkids of the 2 daughters of the people who homesteaded it (who sold it to the people we bought it from) and either the railroad or the federal gov't. If anything, we proabably have gravel under our property and there has to be a lot more profit to even make it worth the legal expense for any of them to fight us (we probably have the second largest share at this point).

If you can't get them take a thorough look at the laws concerning rights of surface owners in your state. Laws around here have changed some since the 1980's but my husband knew a guy who bought 20 acres and put a double wide on it along with a barn and corrals back then. He had 0 mineral rights and was in the oilfield. Other than leaving the house alone the company that leased or bought the rights shredded his place. He got absolutely nothing for the damages and ended up moving his trailer and dumping the property at a loss. There were no laws to protect surface owners!!! Good luck, but proceed with caution!

[sewserious]

I don't still live there, but I never did take the scenery for granted. The last place I lived before we moved had a gorgeous view of the mountain across the river (we lived on a "hill" near the bottom of the mountain on our side of the river). I never grew tired of watching the trees through the change of the seasons. I really miss it sometimes. You are right about the laid-back attitude of folks and driving. I learned to drive on those roads, Gauley Mountain on Route 60.

Which state park are you talking about? Have you been to Babcock yet? The grist mill there that is famous in pictures. Just about any grist mill picture you see is of the one there. It is still operating, and you can buy corn meal ground fresh on the spot.

[chrisser]

Which state park are you talking about? Have you been to Babcock yet? The grist mill there that is famous in pictures. Just about any grist mill picture you see is of the one there. It is still operating, and you can buy corn meal ground fresh on the spot.

Pipestem SP is where we went in April. Haven't been to Babcock yet, but I just Googled it and it looks like a great place.

[chrisser]

Try, if you can, to find land where you can get a portion of the mineral rights...

Thanks for the advice. I did find a West Virginia Surface Rights Owners Association that looks like they have some good info.

http://wvsoro.org/

[chrisser]

The wheels of the fed move slowly, but I got a notice that my application was accepted and scored.

I got a 96 (presumably out of 100) for the position I applied to.

I did some research and, the way the fed works now, the top 3 applicants based on score get forwarded to the "hiring authority". The next step is a bit fuzzy - apparently interviews are optional at the fed, but will probably occur. Still don't know how I stack up against everyone else who applied, but it looks like I have a shot at it.

To be honest, its a little unnerving. Getting a job in the abstract is all well and good, but now that I'm actually close and start thinking overall picture - trying to sell the house, living in a camper for who knows how long, what to do with all our "stuff", potentially living in two states simultaneously for a few months, plus I've been at this position for 10 years now - it's enough to keep me up at night.

[ktm rider]

Actually that score is 96 out of 99. Working here in the Bureau of Prisons, I noticed that almost every aspplicant that scored 90 or higher atleast got interviewed. 96 is a very good score.

[chrisser]

Thanks for the info KTM_rider.

It's really difficult for someone not familiar with the fed to figure out what the process is and how things work.

Did you work in the private sector previously? What did you think of the transition?

[chrisser]

Finally heard back, with a "not selected" status.

Guess I gotta keep trying.

[ktm rider]

Finally heard back, with a "not selected" status.

Guess I gotta keep trying.

Sorry to hear that chrisser, I did not work for the private sector before working here. I actually work for the state of Md.