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I am thinking about moving to Hawaii in September, 2010 with my brother and one of my buddies. The three of us are between 25 and 29 yrs old and wanting to move to Hawaii for a year or two maybe longer if we like it. I have a masters degree in social work. Are there any jobs avaialble in healthcare or mental healthcare? Do you have to speak Japanese to be able to work at most public hospitals? How is the job market in general?
I would also be open to working as a server at a restaurant and have previous experience as a waiter. How is the job market for restaurant jobs near Honolulu? How much could a waiter make at a nice restaurant or a chain restaurant like P.F. Changs or The Cheesecake Factory? Can a waiter get 40 + hours per week? Can you expect to make at least 30 K per year as a full time waiter?
I have accounted for the following expenses 550 per month for rent, 310 per month for car payment and insurance, 500 per month for student loans, 100 for cell phone. How much would you expect to spend for utilities each month on a 1000 sq ft apartment, how much for cable and internet, how much for gas, how much for food. I plan on living a very simple life not a lot of eating out or buying things.
How long does it typically take to find a decent job in the restaurant or hospitality industry?
Thank You for taking the time to read my questions and helping me out.
Almost all of these questions are answered in older threads/posts on this forum. You can use the search feature at the top/right of the page to read recent/ongoing discussions on most of these topics then ask specific questions.
I am a bit mystified, however, as to why you would think one needs to speak Japanese at our hospitals? No disrespect, but there are many cultures here that speak other languages, most people have good or passable English, or are used to dealing with translators. As with any other place in the world, having learned another language (or several) is a useful skill at some point, but Japanese is only one of many languages you'll hear over here.
If you don't speak Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Spanish, Tagalog, and several other Pacific Island languages might help, as might Brazilian Portuguese, French or German, or any Eastern European tongue. Our local Home Depot has a picture board of employees and the languages they speak -- it's very helpful when people are making technical purchases.
The language thing can be a bit tricky in hospitals but that's why there's a language line. The best words I picked up working in the hospital was "pau" and "shishi (sp?)". I still use those words today but of course I knew them before but not in the context of hospital work.
servers ANYWHERE don't get 40 hrs a week. and from what i understand, in hawaii they will keep you at 19 hrs a week to not have to give you any benefits. most ppl work two jobs, especially servers. they will work a few nights at restaurant a then a night or two at restaurant b and maybe even a lunch shift or two at yet another restaurant.
also, your rent estimate is on the low end. i'm sure you could eventually find something at $550 but that's a lot lower than what i've seen.
Hey there...
Well theres a good chance you'll find a job within our health care system here best start sending out your resumes ASAP!, thats about the only way you'd have a job waiting when you do get here, versus moving here and THEN begin to look for a job..dude, in these times when everyones getting laid off due to our economy, best be serious about it and get on it.
As for you asking if knowing to speak Japanese, like for a job?..umm..No...lol thats kinda funny to ask unless you're in the tourism/hospitality market, but I guess where you come from your understanding is a bit off, kinda. No intent to be rude about it. I'm part Japanese and Hawaiian, and know what?, I don't speak any of those languages fluently. I understand enough to get by, but by no means you're required to Know any specific language unless your job says you have to have it.
OK now, my advice right now when reading about your estimated costs of things?, my advice is, lose the car dude, ok ok I'm totally aware of one wanting and feels they need their car, but ok, look at it this way if you will..One, you're gonna be new here, you're seriously gonna need the money you're spending on car payments and insurance for a place to live. I'm just going to assume that your brother and friend are both willing and able to spend the very same amount on rent like yourself right?..Trust me, my ex who lives in downtown Honolulu pays $1k per month for a one tiny bedroom/one car stall, he doesn't have a car but has to pay for it anyways. You can always look into buying a car later cause you're gonna have utility bills and in no time you're gonna see how fast your money will be going out. Some rentals will have either water or electric included, but not everything, and not all building allow cable and or internet servicing, it all depends on who owns it and their regulations. Gas prices on average right now are about$3.38 per gal.regular.
As for going out?, entertainment etc., well thats self explanatory. If after the rent is paid, your bills are paid and gas, should you have your car, keep in mind you'll need to figure in shipping and storage costs to that. My sister who came back home here paid almost $3k for everything, and she had to wait almost 3 weeks for it to get here!.so up to you on that one.
Food costs are gonna be the most shocking to you when you get here! When my husband came here from Idaho, he was shocked to see how much a gallon of milk costs, even your raisin bran cereal is about $6 dollars a box! canned goods paper goods fresh vegies, you name it, you'll pay for it here!
Lol, but aside from all this, good luck in your search for the right priced place and the job..or like many of us, jobs..yes many of us have no choice but to work 2 jobs just to survive here. Peace*
Thank you so much for your help. All of this information is very helpful. One more question. If you live in or close to Honolulu are you able to get everywhere you need to go on the bus? How much does a bus pass cost per month?
Thanks again.
I too, would recommend losing the car payment. it's up to you though. The bus system on Oahu has been nationally recognized for their success.
My old roommate used to work at "The Chee", Cheesecake factory. As a server he used to typically come home with $80-100 a night in tips. If he got a "good" shift, working 5pm-1am on a weekend, he could come home with $200 in tips. That was rare. I think he worked ~35 hours a week.
He got the job by eating there one day and asking if there were any openings. He had fairly extensive work history in the industry.
This was all in 2008 btw.
1000 sq foot appt... 2-3 bedroom, I'd imagine minimum $1500/mo. Would expect closer to $2000 for something decent.
For professional servers, i.e. those who do it as a career, the best money and hours are to be found at the resorts from what I've heard. Obviously these are the most desirable jobs, but you can potentially make a living and get insurance that way. And some servers in some states do work forty hours a week (like where I work for instance), but in general I've gotten the same feedback that everyone else is saying -- that those jobs are few and far between in Hawaii and you'll likely end up working two. Doesn't seem like a big deal to me for a server, if you can get jobs with set hours that allow you to do both. Insurance is always an issue in the service industry. Consider yourself fortunate anywhere if you're a server and get benefits.
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