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Question on jobs (sure it has been beat to death)

(@NateNKate)
Posts: 19
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Me and the Wife are looking to relocate in St Thomas. We have friends already down there and living and working. I am trying not to lean on them for help if not needed.

My question is how hard is it to find fair waged work? I am not looking to get rich but I am looking to assure me and the better half can live life and keep a roof over our head.

*She has been an HR manager for years now and proficient and all the office pro stuff (Excel, word, PP, quick books, payroll, etc).

*Myself..I ran a casino for years and currently am a GM of a car lot. However that sadly doesn't translate to much more than customer service,sales, banking, and accounting.

We live a very comfortable life here in FL but feel it is just work, work, work, and for a place we don't want to be. Our plan is to sell it all here in the states and give us a nice nest egg to find a place and support our self to get started. However that doesn't last forever and in a perfect world we would find jobs to sustain our living and keep/build our egg.

We are planning on a rent of prob $1000-$1200 and monthly bills near the $300 (hope that is close). How hard to find work that support the basic cost of living.

FWIW we are both hard working people who put in 40hrs + and plan on still doing so when moving.

Thanks......also ANY advise would be great. Never done anything like this before. She is 29 and me 33. No family, no kids, and no ties downs. So figure this is the best time to do it if we were going to.

THANKS!!

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 5:32 pm
(@alana33)
Posts: 12365
Illustrious Member
 

Rent your house and come for a year. Island life is not for everyone.
You can find work but you'll be paying more for things like groceries, electricity, gas, probably rent as well than in FL.
It can be as much of a rat race here as anywhere when working to make ends meet. However, you're young and unemcumbered so that helps make any transition easier.
Lean on your friends.
That's what they're there for.
I'm sure they'll be delighted to help you.

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 5:50 pm
(@the-oldtart)
Posts: 6523
Illustrious Member
 

Rent your house and come for a year. Island life is not for everyone.

That can't be stressed enough. It's just not a good idea to burn all your bridges and sell everything. Put your things in storage and live here for a while before making any big decisions. The attrition rate of newbies is HUGE. Good luck!

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 5:57 pm
(@NateNKate)
Posts: 19
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Rent your house and come for a year. Island life is not for everyone.
You can find work but you'll be paying more for things like groceries, electricity, gas, probably rent as well than in FL.
It can be as much of a rat race here as anywhere when working to make ends meet. However, you're young and unemcumbered so that helps make any transition easier.
Lean on your friends.
That's what they're there for.
I'm sure they'll be delighted to help you.

Our rent is actually $1225 now so as far as that goes we are use to it. I do understand the groceries and things like that being more and trying to account for that. We like island life, we have spend some good time there with our friends and travel to islands a lot. I know it is different while living it but I feel it is for us for sure.

I guess is it hard to find or work your way up to a job paying $20+ and hour? We have no problem starting at the bottom as long as we know there is hope.

I would hate to sell it all to move there for a year just to move back. I really want to try as hard as possible to make it permanent.

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 5:58 pm
(@NateNKate)
Posts: 19
Active Member
Topic starter
 

We don't own our home, we rent currently.

I wont be burning any bridges as far as work goes here in states. I would be looking to sell 2 of our 3 cars though (bring 1 with us) and sell my pride and joy boat (most of our nest egg to bring there), as well as our home furnishings and etc.

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 6:00 pm
(@speee1dy)
Posts: 8871
Illustrious Member
 

there is not a casino on stt-only on stx. but come on down and try it out for a bit-you will like it or not.

i always recommend bringing your car with you. and also know that most things can be shipped down if you can not find it here.

lean on and ask your friends questions, ask them about jobs, ask them if they know of any rentals, ask them lots of questions. they probably will not mind . ask them about how much it costs.........and also read this board

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 6:06 pm
(@alana33)
Posts: 12365
Illustrious Member
 

$1225 will rent you a 1 bedroom apt. here. Probably not furnished and not including utilities.

Off hand, can't say that I know of anything that starts you at $20 an hour unless you've been recruited for a position.

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 6:11 pm
(@NateNKate)
Posts: 19
Active Member
Topic starter
 

there is not a casino on stt-only on stx. but come on down and try it out for a bit-you will like it or not.

i always recommend bringing your car with you. and also know that most things can be shipped down if you can not find it here.

lean on and ask your friends questions, ask them about jobs, ask them if they know of any rentals, ask them lots of questions. they probably will not mind . ask them about how much it costs.........and also read this board

Defiantly don't want to ever work casino again lol. Just giving a bit of a background I guess.

I am pretty set on bringing my truck and she is ok with buying a car for her there. I plan on asking all my friends about transition issue. The job thing is my only hang up.

I have always been "Mr. Stable job and work" and never done anything like this. Also currently have a nice paying gig currently I would be leaving behind. Just nice to know there is some hope of good and stable work once there.

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 6:19 pm
(@NateNKate)
Posts: 19
Active Member
Topic starter
 

$1225 will rent you a 1 bedroom apt. here. Probably not furnished and not including utilities.

Off hand, can't say that I know of anything that starts you at $20 an hour unless you've been recruited for a position.

Doesn't have to start out at it but just that with work and time the opportunity is there.

My current gig pays near 6 figures so working for $10hr with no little possible growth room might be something I really need to take into consideration.

I don't mind starting over, as long as I know the potential is there with hard work.

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 6:26 pm
(@alana33)
Posts: 12365
Illustrious Member
(@NateNKate)
Posts: 19
Active Member
Topic starter
 

Check this company out and see if you have any skills that match.

https://careers-icmcvi.icims.com/jobs/search?ss=1&searchLocation=&searchCategory=&hashed=-435745371&mobile=false&width=534&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false&jan1offset=-240&jun1offset=-240

Thank you

There is actually a few on there I feel I could be a good fit for as well as my Wife. Is this a pretty well respected company to work for on the island?

I do know and have heard wait till we are there to apply. Does that hold true for the most part?

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 7:38 pm
(@speee1dy)
Posts: 8871
Illustrious Member
 

http://www.career.vi/

http://www.vidol.gov/

check out these two sites also

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 7:42 pm
(@NateNKate)
Posts: 19
Active Member
Topic starter
 

http://www.career.vi/

http://www.vidol.gov/

check out these two sites also

Thank you all so much with the help, big THANKS!

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 8:15 pm
(@alana33)
Posts: 12365
Illustrious Member
 

My tenants work for this company and are quite happy with them.
They relocated for the job from Wisconsin and have been here going on 3 years in Aug. and loving living here. They moved with their furnisrings, 2 cars and 2 Great Danes. The company was very helpful in their move, met them at airport, got them to the house with luggage and dogs and even stocked the refrigerator the day before they arrived. I was impressed.

Can't hurt to reach out to them to see if your skills are a good fit.

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 8:52 pm
(@NateNKate)
Posts: 19
Active Member
Topic starter
 

My tenants work for this company and are quite happy with them.
They relocated for the job from Wisconsin and have been here going on 3 years in Aug. and loving living here. They moved with their furnisrings, 2 cars and 2 Great Danes. The company was very helpful in their move, met them at airport, got them to the house with luggage and dogs and even stocked the refrigerator the day before they arrived. I was impressed.

Can't hurt to reach out to them to see if your skills are a good fit.

WOW....way more than I would expect so that is awesome. I absolutely will reach out to them. That's very cool they did that. Sounds like they were able to get a hire on while still in the states then. I honestly didn't think something like that could happen.

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 8:57 pm
(@alana33)
Posts: 12365
Illustrious Member
 

It depends on the company and position.
You might be able to look for a list of companies that get EDC benefits to see if any are hiring. They do have to hire locally as well or no benefits. Check this link:
https://www.usvieda.org/quick-access/beneficiaries

Here's a Google link for info:
http://www.google.com/search?ie=UTF-8&source=android-browser&hl=en-US&q=edc+companies+in+the+virgin+islands

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 9:06 pm
 lc98
(@lc98)
Posts: 1250
Noble Member
 

My current gig pays near 6 figures so working for $10hr with no little possible growth room might be something I really need to take into consideration.

I don't mind starting over, as long as I know the potential is there with hard work.

There are some jobs like that here, but the opportunities are far fewer than wherever you are today.

Everybody loves this side of the island dream, giving up the big bucks for a "better lifestyle": http://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a39772/why-i-gave-up-a-95k-job-to-move-to-an-island/

Fast-forward a few years, and the honeymoon is over. You move back stateside, dust off the resume, go back to employers in your prior field, and guess what? They don't want to hire some dude who ran off to the tropics to sip margaritas in the shade all day long [not reality, of course, but often an employer's perception of reality]. I've seen this happen repeatedly to people who are not in hospitality, medical, or blue-collar fields.

The upside is, many of us island transplants discover we no longer want a corporate job anymore, ever. Even for lots and lots of money.

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 10:00 pm
(@NateNKate)
Posts: 19
Active Member
Topic starter
 

My current gig pays near 6 figures so working for $10hr with no little possible growth room might be something I really need to take into consideration.

I don't mind starting over, as long as I know the potential is there with hard work.

There are some jobs like that here, but the opportunities are far fewer than wherever you are today.

Everybody loves this side of the island dream, giving up the big bucks for a "better lifestyle": http://www.cosmopolitan.com/lifestyle/a39772/why-i-gave-up-a-95k-job-to-move-to-an-island/

Fast-forward a few years, and the honeymoon is over. You move back stateside, dust off the resume, go back to employers in your prior field, and guess what? They don't want to hire some dude who ran off to the tropics to sip margaritas in the shade all day long [not reality, of course, but often an employer's perception of reality]. I've seen this happen repeatedly to people who are not in hospitality, medical, or blue-collar fields.

The upside is, many of us island transplants discover we no longer want a corporate job anymore, ever. Even for lots and lots of money.

Ya I have no plans to make what I do now. I am ok with giving that up for being where I want to be. I am fine with no large salary or what not, I just want to be able to provide for us and keep the roof over our head and maybe enough left over for that margarita in hand. That's all.

 
Posted : June 17, 2015 10:08 pm
(@kakalee)
Posts: 170
Estimable Member
 

The stress level can be as high or higher than the states because no work can wipe ya out fast. Many people I know here on STX say work is easier to find on STT, but I don't know that, as I have only spent about a week there. STT does,however, look more prosperous

 
Posted : June 18, 2015 7:13 pm
(@NateNKate)
Posts: 19
Active Member
Topic starter
 

The stress level can be as high or higher than the states because no work can wipe ya out fast. Many people I know here on STX say work is easier to find on STT, but I don't know that, as I have only spent about a week there. STT does,however, look more prosperous

We will be coming down with over a years worth of income at minimum to help us get through finding work. That should help us a bit.

Like I said we are willing to start out with a basic pay rate job too, as long as there is hope with some hard work, time, and effort it can become better is all.

 
Posted : June 18, 2015 7:27 pm
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