Pdf on living factors 2011

[whtviper1]

Originally Posted by ChickenChaser

Appreciate the insights although I guess it's just natural that experiences can still differ for individuals:

whtviper1: "resist hiring from the mainland"
winkosmosis: "hire someone from the mainland for cheap"

I get the general message though to be prepared and expect for the worst with regards to employment and the expensive costs in HI.

Hiring in Oahu versus a neighbor island are very different scenario's. The neighbor islands don't have the critical mass Oahu has when sourcing a position.

[MickeyE]

Originally Posted by ChickenChaser

Good to know about the emphasis on networking to get through the door. I'm still puzzled by this statement though:

"There also isn't a shortage of professional skills in Oahu - so hiring a local isn't difficult."

Places like Silicon Valley can produce well trained professionals like embedded engineers or data center architects because of the whole educational and industrial infrastructure in the area - ex. test labs, electronics factories, home to data center players, etc. Same I guess for the financial industry vis a vis cities like NY and HK. Cities like Seattle would still need those professionals but may need to supplement and recruit from outside. How is it that Honolulu would be an exception? Granted that demand would not be the same level, but companies who operate and service customers there would still require those background and skills - ex. hardware field engineers, SAN engineers, SAP developers, or professionals for banking and investment houses. Cant imagine local professionals being idle or working under-employed in Oahu to make them that readily available when those skills, even though they are not highly specialized, were most likely acquired not in Oahu just like the case for Seattle. I dont disagree that they would get paid less in HI to apply the same skills but hard to imagine the claim that a steady supply of local candidates for the same professional skill levels are so readily available when they are not major industries of a given area.

I just wonder how many embedded engineers are needed in Hawaii. I could brush up on embedded electronics and apply for a position with a company that has a need for embedded engineers.

I have approximately 40 years (1960 - 2001 when I retired) experience maintaining computers and peripherals - some embedded stuff, too. I admit I am a bit out of the loop and possibly a bit rusty, but I do try to keep my fingers in some of it as a hobby.

Mickey