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A Spouse's Perspective: The Place They Called Home Originally published in U Magazine Winter/Spring 2000 Like many North Dakota residents, Sheila Vedquam graduated and moved to Minneapolis in search of the perfect job Sheila wanted to use her finance degree, but also was enticed by the big city promise of excitement and opportunity. But after living in Minneapolis for nine years, her husband, Scott, and she desired to be closer to the place they called home. "We wanted to be closer to family and to raise our kids in a little smaller town where it was safer," she says. They talked about moving back to the Fargo-Moorhead area, but didn't think the career opportunities would be there. "My husband is in an industry that isn't real big here... but he got a phone call from one of the companies [in Fargo] asking him if he would be interested in interviewing. So, he got a job and said, 'If you can find a job, we'll move back.' Even though this is what Sheila had wanted, she found herself feeling a little hesitant at first. "I wasn't sure what the market was [in Fargo]... I mean, this is what I wanted all along, but then it happened and I thought, 'Do I really want to do it?'" She was concerned that she wouldn't be able to find a similar job in Fargo-Moorhead that promised growth and advancement in her career. Sheila started her job hunt by calling Interim Personnel, a placement agency in Fargo, to have them assist her. "They asked me what I was interested in and I told them I had seen an ad in the paper for Community First for a payroll coordinator. They worked with Community First and were able to get me a phone interview." She had the job one week later. "The opportunity for growth definitely was here in this company," she says. Not only was Sheila excited about the opportunities the company had to offer, she was impressed by the caliber of people she was working with. "It's a very friendly company, and my coworkers are good people. They're willing to help and make you fit in right away. The work ethic is definitely different here. It's much better in North Dakota." Sheila says she is amazed at how many opportunities there were in the area. "Fargo has a lot to offer-a lot more than many people realize. There is a wide range of companies looking for people." It has been two years since Sheila and her family moved back to the Fargo-Moorhead area, and she has been pleasantly surprised by the growth in the community as a whole. "Fargo has grown so much that it didn't take much of an adjustment to move back.... The town has changed a lot, and there are a lot more things to do with all the sports teams in town now," she says. Sheila is happy with their decision to move back, and encourages others who are considering the move to take the step. U
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