carpenter
Is there a good opportunity for a trim carpenter to make a living in the vi? And which island would be preferred?
IMO, with the economy, construction and real estate market in a shambles, and the fact that the vast majority of houses here are concrete and we try to minimize the use of wood for trim, I would say that there is little need for trim carpenters.
Very little base board is used in construction and many of the doors, jambs and casing are produced by custom woodworking shops.
Very few prehung, prefab doors in the islands. The termites would have a feast on them! Have built a number of homes in the Caribbean and have never needed a trim carpenter.
have a friend who is a trim carpenter and he is looking for jobs.
That's what I needed to know thanks... what about charter fishing boats (deck hand)and or snorkeling tours? What are the qualification's needed? And work readily available?
Lots of young people come here looking for these types of jobs. They share houses, sometimes 4 to a house. They work for peanuts. Often they wait tables or bartend to make ends meet. They enjoy the sun and sand for a year or two and then they leave to get on with thier lives. It would be very difficult to support yourself in the watersports industry.
There is a lot of competition for jobs like that among people who already live here. Obviously there is more opportunity for seasonal work right now, but when season is over, those jobs will be dormant for 3-6 months. And yes, most carpenters are looking for more work or looking to move because there is not enough. Even folks who have been established for years and years have had a significant downturn in their business. Times have changed, and just like in the states, there are not as many opportunities for work here as there were a few years back. That does not mean it is impossible to move here and find work, but in those fields you will have a lot of competition.
That's what I needed to know thanks... what about charter fishing boats (deck hand)and or snorkeling tours? What are the qualification's needed? And work readily available?
Experience is very helpful, especially with the fishing and yacht charters industry.
Many owners/captains prefer hiring someone with some basic experience because training people that have absolutely no experience is tedious and time consuming, especially if you learn they are not dependable.
That's not saying it is never done.
You can also check with various marinas or charter yacht services as many need people, other than crew to work whether it's in an office
or cleaning, provisioning, running errands, fueling and watering the yachts, moving them around and prepping for a charter, mechanical or other types of jobs that support the industry. Our "high season" is 1/2 way over by the end of Jan and slows down considerably by end of May with Aug./Sept. being the doldrums.
If you are intelligent, honest, hard working, open to new experiences, don't have a lot of baggage such as drugs or alcohol issues and a significant other to support, some money saved up to get settled in and a "island car" to get around with, you can find work.
It really depends on the individual, what they really want to do and how hard they will work to make their dreams come true, whether for the short or long haul.
Good luck whatever you decide.
Why not contact local contractors, directly, to see if there is any opportuniies in your field.
I see Custom Builders in STT doing work or maybe they could give you a lead.
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