Med Tech jobs in Hilo (or other hospital)

[willowleaves]

Thanks, hotzcatz. Another possibility.

Keep thinking there has to be a med tech or other allied health person on this site. Anyone else? About a month till our trip. Beginning to pine for the palm trees already.

[davephan]

Your're living the right way, living debt free, including a paid off mortgage.

Don't forget to check your opportunities in Waimea (Kamuela), there's a hospital there too. Sometimes there's age discrimination against younger workers in favor of older workers. Often times, younger workers are pre-occupied with social media on the Internet, rather than concentrating on actually working on the job. Some employers take notice of people who drop off their resume in person. It takes effort, shows more interest in becoming an employee than simply mailing the resume. Don't forget a cover letter. The cover letter can increase your odds for getting the job offer.

You might consider living somewhere between Kona and Hilo, such as Waikoloa Village or Waimea (Kamuela). The drive from those places isn't very far to Kona. The drive is much farther from Hilo, but it is commutable, depending on your tolerance for driving about 80 minutes each way. Most of the drive is on rural roads and the new saddle road, which is a very easy drive.

[Randymu42]

We moved here in March of this year after coming out for years, talking every time with more and more possible job contacts. My wife is a med tech and transferred her tech lic to Hawaii before we moved so when she did send off her resumes she had that taken care (as we found out very important) did help a lot. if you are talking to the hospitals be ready to wait a long time for them to contact you, and we found they really don't even want to get back with you if you don't already live on the island. All of our planning and time invested paid off in that the 2nd day here she got her 1st job and now picked up her 2nd job (having 2 jobs is not unusual) both jobs are in her field but not with the hospitals yet, she has been to interviews with one of them (hospital) and the wheels are turning slowly and she is willing to wait.

[willowleaves]

Randymu42, it's nice to hear about an actual med tech moving there. You say she got a job in her field...med tech...but not at a hospital? Not sure I understand that, maybe in a clinic?. Earlier post in this thread mentioned a possible age issue for me. Is your wife much younger than me (pretty sure she isn't older)? Seems reasonable that they wouldn't want to offer a job to someone who isn't already on the Island. I sort of expected that might be an issue. You mention 2nd job...are both jobs part time? I have read that lots carry 2 jobs to make ends meet. In any case, I appreciate the reply!

Mahalo!

[willowleaves]

Originally Posted by davephan

Your're living the right way, living debt free, including a paid off mortgage.

Don't forget to check your opportunities in Waimea (Kamuela), there's a hospital there too. Sometimes there's age discrimination against younger workers in favor of older workers. Often times, younger workers are pre-occupied with social media on the Internet, rather than concentrating on actually working on the job. Some employers take notice of people who drop off their resume in person. It takes effort, shows more interest in becoming an employee than simply mailing the resume. Don't forget a cover letter. The cover letter can increase your odds for getting the job offer.

Thanks for this note, davephan. In my current job, we've had issues with the younger ones messing with their phones so much on the job that devices have been banned except for emergency calls or in the case of having music on your phone (only a single earpiece in at a time). I am pleased to hear that older workers (also with more experience) might be preferred. I plan on dropping off resumes in person. Will start working on the cover letter, too. Thanks for the reminder. It's been 10 yrs since needing one.

Originally Posted by davephan

You might consider living somewhere between Kona and Hilo, such as Waikoloa Village or Waimea (Kamuela). The drive from those places isn't very far to Kona. The drive is much farther from Hilo, but it is commutable, depending on your tolerance for driving about 80 minutes each way. Most of the drive is on rural roads and the new saddle road, which is a very easy drive.

I'm already driving 30 minutes each way for my job, so a little more might be okay. Not sure if I could manage 80 each way, unless it was on 2nd shift (my preference). Forty-five to 50 would be about my limit. But thanks for pointing out the hospital up in Waimea. I think that was the one I couldn't remember about when posting original note. Knew it was up on North shore area, but couldn't remember the name.

Appreciate the note.
Mahalo.

[Randymu42]

willowleaves, she is 54 ( I know she will kill me for that lol) and she has started out here in hospice care just to get her foot in the door and get her name around, before on mainland she worked hospitals. one of the jobs they call "fulltime" and one is part time if they keep you under 20 hours a week here then they do not have to give health insurance if you work over 20 they have to supply health insurance

[hotzcatz]

There is the North Hawaii Community Hospital and the Lucy Henriques medical center directly adjacent to it is also part of it. It's now part of Queens hospital, that was a fairly recent change, I think. It is, IMHO, the best hospital on the island. Might be the nicest in the state, although St. Francis on Oahu used to be pretty nice, too. Not that I pay much attention to hospitals.

If you were working at the North Hawaii Community Hospital, reasonable areas to live in to commute to work would be Waikoloa if you want windy and dry. Less expensive than Kona or Waimea itself, and the drive to the beaches is about as long as the drive to work and about twenty minutes. Kawaiahae would be possible, as well. Very dry, but a lot closer to the ocean, you'd be driving up and down the mountain a lot. Waimea itself, lush and green, cooler high elevation. Closer to the stores, restaurants and things happening as well as your employment. On the other side of Waimea, there's the small town of Honokaa (which I'm biased towards since we live here). It's a complete small town and not as expensive as Waimea. Also has more sun and less fog and a better rodeo. (Ha! Western Week will be soon!) The outlying areas around Honokaa are also possible commutable areas. Those would be Ahualoa (cooler high elevations, wooded, expensive), Pauuilo Mauka (ranch like areas, larger properties, higher elevations, cooler, not as many trees), Pauuilo (old sugar "camp" - i.e. small matching houses on small lots), small community but easy enough to get to Honokaa and Waimea for supplies and things to do.

Okay - thinking adjustment ahead: just because you're driving thirty minutes each way to your job now doesn't mean you should still do the same thing. Folks always seem to opt for things like this to be as bad as they were before or even a little worse. Ack! Go for comfortable, go for the best. You may not reach it, but at least try for something better. If you're shooting for the moon you're much less likely to shoot off your foot. So, find employment and then find housing nearby, that's what I'd do but YMMV.

[willowleaves]

Originally Posted by Randymu42

willowleaves, she is 54 ( I know she will kill me for that lol) and she has started out here in hospice care just to get her foot in the door and get her name around, before on mainland she worked hospitals. one of the jobs they call "fulltime" and one is part time if they keep you under 20 hours a week here then they do not have to give health insurance if you work over 20 they have to supply health insurance

Thanks, Randymu42. Hope you survive this revelation. I'm just 2.5 yrs ahead of her. Thanks for the info. I am a bit afraid that there will be a shift to part time jobs to avoid benefits like health insurance, given the new stuff going on right now. So far, my own lab isn't doing that, but the hospital has the power of a large health system that actually owns the insurance plan, combined with the other large health system/hospital in town. With about 7000 employees each, thinking that the plan is stable. It's good coverage, too.

Mahalo