Recent graduate student moving from NYC-Hilo, looking for job advise

[davephan]

Have you talked to the guidance councilors at your college before, during, and after your college education? You should have some ideas of which cities or areas of the US have employment opportunities for that type of an advanced degree from an expensive college. The main reason to obtain a college degree and graduate degrees is so that you are worth more to perspective employers. If that degree has a narrow nitch, that might severely limit where you can work.

People that attend college should have some idea before they start college where they can potentially work in the future, what they will be doing, and how much money they will be making. There are many studies which show that the expensive universities and college do not translate to significantly higher income.

The Hilo area has an extremely tiny number of potential jobs. Most of the jobs are going to be tourist related, low income, part time, and no benefits. Some majors in college only have viable employment opportunities in limited geographical areas. You can’t always live where you want to live, unless you throw away all the effort and money it took to obtain the advanced degree, and perhaps get a job doing something that doesn’t require a degree at all! After you graduate, the clock is ticking. The longer after graduating you go without a job in your degree field, the less valuable the degree will be to an employer. After over a year or two without employment in your degree field, the costly advanced degree will be close to worthless.

Many college students never think about return on investment. You are educating yourself to make yourself more valuable to a perspective employer. You need to know in advance, your career goals, probably to get the career associated with your education, and some idea of your income potential. From your post, it sounds like you completed an advanced degree without researching your possible employment opportunities, before starting your education.

[Dreaming of Hawaii]

Originally Posted by davephan

Have you talked to the guidance councilors at your college before, during, and after your college education? You should have some ideas of which cities or areas of the US have employment opportunities for that type of an advanced degree from an expensive college. The main reason to obtain a college degree and graduate degrees is so that you are worth more to perspective employers. If that degree has a narrow nitch, that might severely limit where you can work.

People that attend college should have some idea before they start college where they can potentially work in the future, what they will be doing, and how much money they will be making. There are many studies which show that the expensive universities and college do not translate to significantly higher income.

The Hilo area has an extremely tiny number of potential jobs. Most of the jobs are going to be tourist related, low income, part time, and no benefits. Some majors in college only have viable employment opportunities in limited geographical areas. You can’t always live where you want to live, unless you throw away all the effort and money it took to obtain the advanced degree, and perhaps get a job doing something that doesn’t require a degree at all! After you graduate, the clock is ticking. The longer after graduating you go without a job in your degree field, the less valuable the degree will be to an employer. After over a year or two without employment in your degree field, the costly advanced degree will be close to worthless.

Many college students never think about return on investment. You are educating yourself to make yourself more valuable to a perspective employer. You need to know in advance, your career goals, probably to get the career associated with your education, and some idea of your income potential. From your post, it sounds like you completed an advanced degree without researching your possible employment opportunities, before starting your education.

General information not applicable to OP's question. Do you really understand the job market in Hilo or on the Big Island from direct experience?

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by davephan

There are many studies which show that the expensive universities and college do not translate to significantly higher income.

Don't tell that to Harvard graduates...

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/20...g9K/story.html

[hotzcatz]

Originally Posted by Yangr

Aloha,

I am a recent graduate student from Columbia University with a Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering and a concentration in Sustainable Energy.

I always think Hawaii is the right place for an environmental/energy major student to work in. And after two-month stay in Hilo (Jan & Feb), I have decided to move from NYC to Hilo. However, as I looked into energy companies in Hilo, I didn't have much luck. Most of the companies I got are solar installation companies. I am very interested in power companies like Hawaii Electric Light, what are the other power companies I could try out?

Also how long is the normal job interview process? I am planning on moving to Hilo late April, ideally mid-April, and hoping to get the job settled before moving there.

Mahalo for your help.

Okay, I'll start over at the beginning and see if questions can be answered.

When you looked into energy companies in Hilo, you may not have had much luck because there are no energy companies in Hilo other than Hawaii Electric Light Company. Which is an offshoot of Hawaiian Electric and as far as electricity on Hawaii Island goes - they are the only game in town.

There are several smaller private electrical energy companies such as Puna Geothermal but they provide power to HECO/HELCO since they are the only grid power company on Hawaii island.

There is no natural gas in Hawaii, so no power from natural gas and no environmental/energy jobs in natural gas.

I don't suppose any hotels or resorts would need an environmental/energy major? There's many more of them than energy companies. Other than hotels, the only other large employer is Hawaii state. Not sure if they have need of sustainable energy majors, either?

There is no normal job interview process, each company will have it's own schedules and procedures. Typically, though, island employers are very hesitant to hire mainland folks since even if they hire mainland folks, frequently the new hire either won't move to the island or won't last long if they do move. If you have an in demand skill, you have more of a chance to get hired, but most employers will give precedence to folks already on island since it costs time and money for the company to go through the hiring process. Island people are already here and already understand island ways. A large part of any island job is getting along with the rest of the island.

[Arktikos]

Originally Posted by Yangr

Aloha,

I am a recent graduate student from Columbia University with a Master's Degree in Environmental Engineering and a concentration in Sustainable Energy.

I always think Hawaii is the right place for an environmental/energy major student to work in. And after two-month stay in Hilo (Jan & Feb), I have decided to move from NYC to Hilo. However, as I looked into energy companies in Hilo, I didn't have much luck. Most of the companies I got are solar installation companies. I am very interested in power companies like Hawaii Electric Light, what are the other power companies I could try out?

Also how long is the normal job interview process? I am planning on moving to Hilo late April, ideally mid-April, and hoping to get the job settled before moving there.

Mahalo for your help.

What exactly are you interested in doing for a power company? The new medical marijuana farm is running a lot of grow lights powered by onsite hydro power, maybe they could use some help. bigislandgrown.com.

Otherwise, as Hotzcatz has said, there's only one game in town/island.

[Beaconowner]

Originally Posted by Mikala43

Advice.

My thought exactly!

[earthisle]

Hawaii County hires electrical engineers https://www.governmentjobs.com/caree...ortunitiesJobs

There are other engineering jobs where they may hire someone from a different field of engineering