A whole year to get a job?

I can't imagine it taking a year to find a job anywhere in the USVI unless you're the type who thinks that sitting on your duff at home e-mailing out resumés is the way to go about it.:D

As a newcomer seeking employment you start off with automatic strikes against you purely by dint of being a newcomer. The odds favor you not staying around for long and employers are generally reluctant to invest money in training someone who just may not find it possible to adapt to island living.

If you haven't found a job within a month or two then something is wrong. Hit the pavement and put your best foot forward, get involved in some community activities so you can start networking and, of course, bring enough money with you to last a few months until you settle in. Good luck!

Haha alright thank you!! 🙂

And when you do get here and find a job employers will screw with you more than stateside employers because they know there's a thousand more looking for that same job.
Let's not forget there is no money in the workers comp. fund so if you are hurt on the job you don't get paid. No pay check, no medical. Nothing.You're on your own.

P.S. May is the beginning of the dead season. You might not find work until November or December.

SITC: Your negativity as usual shines forth. Your experience is not the norm however many times you repeat it. I've assisted newcomers for decades and have never known even one who has failed to quickly find a job. There are "good" and "bad" employers everywhere but your perpetual general damning of island employers is untrue and patently ridiculous. No point at all smearing every employer simply because of the bad choices you've obviously personally made.

How about part-time employment for seniors, what would you suggest?

I know several seniors who work part-time in retail stores and there are other opportunities available depending on one's skills. The Department of Human Resources has senior centers on both STT and STX which offer employment assistance.

Message Removed. Please revisit board rules.

To be fair, OT lives on STT. Not sure if the whole "If you haven't found a job within a month or two then something is wrong" applies in the Crucian economy. OP is moving to the most economically depressed island. STX is largely a ghost town now. Not saying OP won't be able to find a job; just saying it isn't exactly easy.

it took me a year after i left a previous job-but i was picky. i did not want a service job or retail. i was specific in what i was looking for and i found it. and luckily i was able to take that time and did not need to do service or retail or take the first job that was offered.

like speedy same thing for me. It took me a year as well and I was picky. If you are picky it will take a while, if you just want a job maybe not so hard.

Finding a job in the USVI's (in general) and on STX (in particular) is not all that different from finding a job anywhere else on the mainland US. It depends on what type of job you are seeking, your qualifications to fill that job, your past work record, your attitude, how well you present yourself during the interview, how many others are applying for the position and how well you stack up against them.

If you are just looking for a job, any job and are willing to do menial work or looking for an entry level position finding employment quickly should be fairly easy. If however, you are seeking a specialized job or upper management position your task becomes more difficult.

Some people find a job in a week, others take a few weeks, still others take months, some may take a year or so and a few, for whatever reason, never find satisfactory employment. There's no "one size fits all" answer.

If you're planning on working in the tourism and restaurant service industry, be aware that season significantly drops off in May and doesn't pick back up until end of October.

SITC: Your negativity as usual shines forth. Your experience is not the norm however many times you repeat it. I've assisted newcomers for decades and have never known even one who has failed to quickly find a job. There are "good" and "bad" employers everywhere but your perpetual general damning of island employers is untrue and patently ridiculous. No point at all smearing every employer simply because of the bad choices you've obviously personally made.

Yeah. You're correct as usual. Everything here is hunky dory and nothing bad ever happens to good people. It has been stated here numerous times by several others that employers here will take advantage faster than stateside ones. Right. It's just me.

Just in case you forgot this is a public forum where people ask questions and they get multiple answers and opinions. You are not the moderator and it is not your job to screen responses.

What is your usual line of work & how far off of it are you willing to veer just to survive? STT appears to have an economy but STX does not. I have known people who got lucky pounding the pavement, & others who just needed to waste money on new shoes. I have not met anyone who found work through the Dept. of Labor, but don't rule it out if you have a skill that is needed there. Desperation was the key for my husband. He placed a Craigslist ad detailing his skills & has been way too overworked ever since. A mixed blessing, but at least the mountain of bills accumulated in 8 months of no work is getting a bit smaller.

I'm sorry to revive this topic, but I've done a search on the site and couldn't find another more appropriate forum.

My husband and I are planning on relocating to STT, he has a good job and the opportunity arose for him to move. I will be giving up my job here on the continental U.S.; however, I would LOVE to find employment as soon as possible.

I have over 20 years of experience in Human Resources, a master's degree, PHR certification, and am a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt. I was wondering if anyone has any tips on how I may obtain a position that is not entry-level. I am not seeking any industry-specific positions as I am well-rounded, but the majority of my background is in recruiting.

Is anyone here familiar with any companies that would be interested in a candidate with my qualifications? I know I will not make what I am making now and am well-prepared for that reality. Any input is surely appreciated. Thank you in advance 🙂

I'm not sure that there's much else to say other than the advice already given on this thread. Resorts and larger corporations in general have HR departments; there are several websites where employers list vacant positions. As another poster said earlier, you need to do exactly what you would do in AnyTown USA. It'll all fall into place!

Thank you for that 🙂 I've been reading the forums for the past several days and I was afraid that I would be overqualified for many positions on STT. Our move isn't set in stone yet, but in my mind it is 🙂

You can check with http://www.icmcvi.com/.

You can check with http://www.icmcvi.com/.

Thank you for the link 🙂 I will certainly check it out.

Thank you for that 🙂 I've been reading the forums for the past several days and I was afraid that I would be overqualified for many positions on STT. Our move isn't set in stone yet, but in my mind it is 🙂

Are you related to anyone that matters in the VI? (sorry had to)

Thank you for that 🙂 I've been reading the forums for the past several days and I was afraid that I would be overqualified for many positions on STT. Our move isn't set in stone yet, but in my mind it is 🙂

Are you related to anyone that matters in the VI? (sorry had to)

LOL...Nope! There lies my conundrum!

Something that I have found is that with so many small independent businesses in the VI you have a real opportunity to let your skills grow and shine. I had a background in bookkeeping when I first came here (which is still a pretty sought after skill here) and I had the chance to get in with a small business and really help it grow in so many ways. I learned a TON about every aspect of business and doing business in the VI. I have had the fortunate opportunity to consult may small and start up businesses over the years. So don't limit yourself to your current skill set. Grow it, and look for new ways to uses what you already know.

In my experience, turn over rates here are obnoxious. The transplant population can be somewhat transient. They also come here with the expectation of having a job that isn't as stressful as the one they left behind in the states. Two things that can be really hard for employers to deal with.

If you want to do a good deed for the community while you are here, I would encourage you to first get to know the place, then see what you can do about getting in with the public high schools and offering a seminar to the kids on how to properly apply and interview for jobs. This is a skill that just isn't taught for some reason and it really should be. I had a great course in college, Professional Development, that has left a positive, long lasting, impact on my life.

Good luck!

Something that I have found is that with so many small independent businesses in the VI you have a real opportunity to let your skills grow and shine. I had a background in bookkeeping when I first came here (which is still a pretty sought after skill here) and I had the chance to get in with a small business and really help it grow in so many ways. I learned a TON about every aspect of business and doing business in the VI. I have had the fortunate opportunity to consult may small and start up businesses over the years. So don't limit yourself to your current skill set. Grow it, and look for new ways to uses what you already know.

In my experience, turn over rates here are obnoxious. The transplant population can be somewhat transient. They also come here with the expectation of having a job that isn't as stressful as the one they left behind in the states. Two things that can be really hard for employers to deal with.

If you want to do a good deed for the community while you are here, I would encourage you to first get to know the place, then see what you can do about getting in with the public high schools and offering a seminar to the kids on how to properly apply and interview for jobs. This is a skill that just isn't taught for some reason and it really should be. I had a great course in college, Professional Development, that has left a positive, long lasting, impact on my life.

Good luck!

What a great idea about teaching courses in high school. I would have never thought about that 🙂 I am always willing to grow and learn and am not afraid of hard work. I have just heard the stories that many companies do not want to hire someone that has a skill set far above what they are looking for because they are afraid that the person won't stay. I am really very excited about the opportunity to relocate, but do not want to be unemployed for a year like the OP of this post. 🙂

I have been here three weeks and have had 3 job offers. I start my new job tomorrow, Part time but that is what I wanted as I am semi-retired.