First time questions

"If I've read correctly this may be the best time to look for work right before the tourist season starts. Is this true?"
-There are usually more positions open before the 'season' starts, but it's kind of a roll of the dice, as there aren't as many tourist to require more help. 'Season' is from about mid-Dec. to May.

"As I mentioned I have operated a lawn care company since I started it in high school."
-There aren't really "lawns" here, but I see many people working w/ weedwackers and machetes. Those are the preferred methods for taking care of one's property.

"I've also wrestled professionally full time for about 5 years, and on and off, for another 5. I'm sure this won't get me a job on the Virgin Islands "
-Nope.

"but Puerto Rico is close enough that I may get a little work there."
-Wrestling? There's work for that? Or do you mean the WWF-type of wrestling? Either way, I don't know about that 'business", but Puerto Rico is is only 40 miles from our coust to theirs. Commuting ona daily base is not usually an option. Once or twice a week is doable, tho.

"Are there many opportunities for personal trainers and/ or football coaches?"
-There are a few gyms, so I would assume there are personal trainers. And I don't think football coaches are in high demand here. I could be wrong, but I don't even think the game is played here. Is it? I know soccer is, but I haven't seen the highschoolers play football.

"I also have some acting and stunt experience and have my SAG card. I've read here that there are some commercials and/or film and tv opportunities occasionally. "
-Very infrequently. It wouldn't even be considered a part-time job. 3 or four times a year, I'd guess.

"Lastly I've worked in the restaurant business as both a server and bartender. From what I've read there is usually plenty of work in this field."
-Usualy work can be found year 'round.

" I know salaries are quite a bit lower but w/ servers and bartenders working on tips, wouldn't they be about the same? Does someone have specific information on this? In St. Louis bartenders can ring $1,000- 1,500 pretty easily on busy nights and at the right club $3,000 isn't unheard of."
-The amount you ring doesn't really matter in regard to your shift pay and your tips. In the States it may, but not here. Since we are reliant upon tourist dollars, and tourists come from everywhere, you will find that some visitors from certain areas are not prone to tipping. It's just something that they are not accustomed to. Puerto Ricans are notorious for being low tippers, Europeans are known to be awful/nonexistant tippers, etc. Get the idea?

"Is 20% a reasonable goal for exceptional service? "
-It's a good 'goal', but you may find that you don't achieve your goal on a daily basis.

"weekly take is after tipouts?"
-My wife tended bar at Tickles, which has a very solid local following, as well as tourist, and she averaged about $175-$200/day in tips, plus shift pay.

"From what I've read, that will probably run me $750-1,500. Is this close?"
-Depending on your area, yes. Studios will obviously be cheaper, in the $750-$850 range for a decent one in a good area (not the low income areas). One-beds will be about $1,000 to $1,300, can be more if furnished, which most are.

"What type of place do you get for this money?"
-A nice area, no worries about crime or noise, good views, quality home and furnishings, good neighbors.

"My groceries here cost about twice what my friends spend. I think I mentioned I eat a lot. What do most of you spend weekly on groceries?"
-With the price of things here, figure to add about 25% to your current food costs.

Just another point of view .....
Grocery prices are not that much different that what you are paying in St. Louis. My kids are up that way and while my husband was visiting he went grocery shopping with them often. Of course, you change the foods that you eat a bit and concetrate more on what is available locally rather than what you are accustomed to eating. We use the corner fish markets and have learned where to get veggies cheapest, etc. But don't be too scared by the prices here ... you'll change brands and adapt.

A good friend of mine was a personal trainer here at Gold's Gym for many years and made a pretty decent living at it. She had a few private clients as well as the gym clients and stayed very busy. It will take a while to get this accomplished as you are going to have to be on island for a while. Not too many people are going to take a chance on a young man who has no ties here and just arrived. It is too common to just jump on a plane and take off with no notice so you must be patient.

Bartending/server work is easy to come by if you are personable and presentable. Most places are hiring at the beginning of tourist season although you really have to wait for the tourists to get here.

Hope your plans work out.
Pamela.

I just came from Pueblo to buy something to make a nice dinner for my wife, and here are the prices from the actual receipt:

Food Club frozen garlic bread: 2.99
Lipton Stoganoff noodles: 1.75
1 lb Filete Cerdo pork tenderloin: 7.76
Mr.s Smith's frozen Pecan Pie: 6.19
1.19 lbs yellow onion: 1.18
Athena's Hummus: 3.59
Head of fresh broccoli: 2.99
4 tiny ears of corn on the cob: 3.96
1 pkg mushrooms, fresh: 2.99
4 pack of greenhouse tomatoes (sm): 3.69
1 liter Martinelli Grape/ Apple sparkling juice: 4.29

Totol $41.38

It's been 7 years since I shopped in the states, and I don't remember the prices at all, but it seems to me that I never spent $40 on just one dinner...unkess I was having prime rib, filet mignon or lobster! Haha!

pamela wrote:

>. It will take a while to get this accomplished as
> you are going to have to be on island for a while. Not too many
> people are going to take a chance on a young man who has no
> ties here and just arrived. It is too common to just jump on a
> plane and take off with no notice so you must be patient.

AMEN. I hope Islander puts this in the FAQ... in this case Frequently Answered Questions! 😉 And accent on the patient!!

These are comparative to our DC area prices. I can easily spend at least 50.00 during a "quick" trip to the store. I think the selection will be more of an adjustment.

I'd pay about the same here in Mississippi without the great breeze and clean, blue waters...plus I'd have to go to three different grocery stores to do it...I'm sooooo ready for the islands! Hi marty!

Hello,

At the beginning of season is a good time to find service oriented work; wait staff, hotel staff, bar staff. Other jobs, like in an office or landscaping, would not be affected by the influx of tourist.

There are a few people that own small businesses in yard care. They have clients and visit the properties twice a month or once a week and rake, trim trees, spray pesticides, replace dead plants. So this could be something you might want to pursue or at least look into.

Wrestling; if you are interested in doing this on a voluntary basis the Virgin Islands Olympic Committee has a Wrestling Federation with school kids and a few adults. No paying job there.

Personal trainers - you can pursue this at the gyms.

Football coaches - some of the Junior High & High Schools have flag football teams; coaches are usually a teacher and/or PE instructor.

Commercials - there are casting calls from time to time. Todd Hecht of Grip Flicks on St. Thomas (I think that’s the company he owns) seems to have the handle on being the on island liaison for film crews coming to the VI, setting up casting calls etc. Its something you just keep an ear and eye out for but not a regular means of employment.

There is a grocery list with prices in our Cost of Living Section you could look over; there are also some utilities prices and avg. rent prices. Click on Home at the top of this page and then you can access the cost of living section.

--Islander