Moving to Oahu - seeking job and apartment advice (Honolulu: 2014, apartments)

[csassie]

I'm a legal secretary and will be moving to Oahu June 2014. I've searched online for jobs and apartments and see a lot of listings on craigslist. Wondering if anyone knows whether employers and landlords typically post on craigslist or are most of the ads spam? In Minnesota where I currently live, craigslist is mostly spam and I don't trust it here.

Any advice on the best area to live that won't involve more than a 45 minute commute on the bus.

Should apply for jobs before I arrive in Oahu or wait and apply when I get there.

Is there a large need for legal secretaries in Honolulu?

Mahalo in advance!

[whtviper1]

For aprtments, Craigslist is really the only game in town for Oahu - there are other sites that mostly just screenscrape from craigslist.

For jobs - that is a real mixed bag. Some on craigslist - some on careerbuilder, etc.

[hotzcatz]

Since you don't have a job yet, it might be best to go for temporary housing until you know what area you'll be working in.

You could try looking for employment first, although most employers want to meet face to face before actually hiring anyone.

[sbartist]

LA here - prior to moving to Oahu, I perused mainly Craigslist for a job. I skyped interviewed with an attorney and had a job lined up prior to moving. Once I got here and met the attorney (solo practitioner) in person, red flags were flying everywhere. I declined his offer of employment and had two other interviews the same day of the same week. Out of the two, I wanted the second job more than the first one I had interviewed at. By the time I got home from the second interview they had emailed me an offer which I accepted and I have been there ever since. The first place I interviewed with on that date were also ready to make me an offer.

Since I knew I wanted to work in the downtown area our focus on a place to live was based on that (and I had been looking for a year), so I could either walk or ride the bus ~ it is almost exactly two miles one way. I actually do walk a lot, sometimes take the bus or I catch a ride with my hubby who works near the airport.

I also did not apply for jobs until about two months out from moving. I still see some of the same ads on CL from employment agencies, not hard to know which ones they are and I avoided them altogether.

Not practicing in the same area of law that I had been doing for years, which is kind of a disappointment (I miss my former boss / job a lot) and procedures here are certainly way different as well, so it has been a learning curve to say the least.