Planning ahead for Hawaiʻi move (Hilo: transplants, find a job, schools)

[islandboo]

I am hoping I can get some advice from the folks here. My husband and I are hoping to move to Hawaiʻi in about 4 years, after our youngest has gone off to college. My heart lies in Hilo and that is where we truly would like to end up, but in order for that to happen, I will need to find a job there. I am currently working as a medical technologist, but in 8 years of watching, I have only seen one job opening in that field on Hawaiʻi Island. I am therefore planning to go back to school to train in another field that would be more in demand. With an aging population and the influx of mainland retirees, it seems that elder care might hold some possibility of employment in the future, and I am looking at nursing as a career possibility. Are there any locals who can give me a feel for whether or not I am barking up the right tree? I know it might take some time for a job to appear and I am perfectly happy to do just about anything until it does, but does nursing seem like an intelligent choice and if not, can you give me any other ideas as to job fields that might be available to transplants? Will an RN give me some flexibility in terms of taking jobs at a lower level (home health aide, etc)? Would OT/PT or PA be more desirable?

Teaching would be another option for me (my degree is in biology) but since I have experience in the medical field, nursing seems like it might be a better “fit”. However, if teaching seems to have more of a need for qualified individuals, I will happily turn my attention there.

I am strongly committed to relocating to Hawaiʻi but apprehensive about the odds, so I would be deeply appreciative of any advice I might get!

[hothulamaui]

aloha, I think you are on the right track. the problem is that really no matter what field you are in there are maybe one or two openings over long periods of time because...A not a lot of jobs period. B. the person that has the job,stays C. the person who gts the job most likely knows someone. with that being saaid it is not impossible. you sound open to all possibilites and would work at a number of things just to make it work. that is the right way to think. who knows you may even find yourself doing something you never even dreamed of once you get here. save as much money as you can so the transition will be easier then go for it. I would also look for forums on line about nursing in hawaii, senior care. I know there are schools on oahu who would know what it is like in the field. I know there is a puna web forum which is an area around the bend from hilo, you might get hooked up w/folks there too

[islandboo]

Mahalo for the reply! I have a few months to commit to a program since the deadline for fall registration in my area just passed. I have been following the Punaweb forum as well for information there and it is a bit disheartening, but I still want to do all that I can to try and make the move work for us.

[mdand3boys]

You cannot assume that since you have not seen any web postings for the position, that the position has not been available. Contact the HR department at the hospital and go from there. DON'T EMAIL. CALL.
On the other hand, being an RN gives you a big edge.

[islandboo]

Thank you very much for your reply, but I am not actually an RN. I have time to go back to school and train for a job that is likely to be useful in Hawai'i in the hopes of moving out there in about 5 years. I am trying to decide which field to train for, and RN seemed like it might be a good choice given the fact that there appears to be a need for medical personnel. I would be able to get a nursing degree (or an education degree, if teachers are likely to be more in demand than nurses) in a few years time as a returning student who already has a BS, which would give me a couple of years to get a bit of experience under my belt before actually seeking a position in Hawai'i. While I understand that most folks don't have fully functional crystal balls for seeing the future, I am hoping to get a feel from any locals (particularly in East Hawai'i) as to what might be a career path that would be likely to allow me to find employment. I am at the point where I am willing to do pretty much *anything* to live out there but need direction as to which career path I should be placing my bets on.

Oops - I see now where you were coming from. That is a good point and I will certainly look into positions in medical technology, but the field seems to be shrinking a bit as automated technology advances. I will be maintaining my med tech credentials despite the new career training to increase my employment flexibility, but even here in a major city with many large hospitals and a strong biotech sector, positions aren't being refilled as people leave them. I wouldn't feel confident in thinking I could count on a med tech position, although I certainly would be open to the possibility if it presented itself.