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So I've been doing a lot of reading on this particular subject and I've got a few questions.
First of all, I've seen a lot of variation in how long it takes people to find jobs. Some people it takes 2 weeks to a month, some people it takes 6-8 months(!) and a precious few seem able to secure a job before they move.
Obviously some variation is to be expected, but the difference between spending 2 weeks and 7 months unemployed is enormous.
I'm just hoping some current residents could shed some light on what I might expect, so I'm just going to fire off a bunch of related questions at once.
-Do you think that the people that spent 8 months looking for a job are perhaps more career-oriented individuals with a specific set of skills and a clear idea of what they'd like to do?
-Conversely, does it generally take less time to find an hourly job? Or rather, is the turnover in the tourist/restaurant/hotel/etc business high enough that snagging some kind of work within a month or two is realistic?
-Speaking of the restaurant/hospitality industry: does demand for these jobs so far outstrip supply that only highly experienced people are getting those jobs? Or is it possible to get in at the entry level?
To give you an idea of my background (maybe someone can give me more general advice)...
I'm a college graduate, but I majored in English, so that doesn't exactly open a lot of doors. My girlfriend will be receiving a grad student stipend and probably taking out some student loans, so it's not like we'd be totally destitute if I can't find a job immediately, but I'd like to do my part obviously. I believe I'll be covered under her student health insurance, so hitting that 20 hrs/wk mark is not as important to me (ie. I wouldn't necessarily mind working two 19 hour jobs to make ends meet). I have some experience in the restaurant industry, but its not the best resume really (a year at Subway in high school and four months recently as a pizza delivery driver). I'm really an intelligent person and I interview well, but something tells me that the hardest part of getting a job will be getting a face-to-face interview. If we do end up in Hawaii, it will be for a minimum of three years and we'd likely stay for at least five or six (the three year minimum is a contingency plan in case we really hate island living, she can leave UH with a masters and get her doctorate elsewhere, but I don't see it happening), so longevity isn't really a problem. We won't be bringing cars, so driving jobs are out, but I'll have my bike and a bus pass.
So am I remotely employable in the Honolulu area?
Am I grasping at straws, or is the fact that I'm young, willing to work for almost nothing and not planning to move away for several years make me a good candidate?
Anyone? I know people ask about this sort of thing all the time, but that's kind of exactly why I'm asking. There are so many posts out there on finding jobs that I'm having trouble parsing information specific to my sort of situation.
I'm mostly interested in the first two questions--a lot of people talk about finding a job but not a lot go into detail about what kind of job they got.
Maybe a better idea for this post: When did you move to Hawaii?
Which island?
How long did it take you to find a job?
What kind of job was it (hourly v. salaried, etc)?
3 weeks to find an hourly wage job that paid $9/hour.
14 months to find a good salaried job that allowed me to actually pay my rent, buy groceries, and save a little.
I just left in November, job market was getting worse. Low unemployment numbers for Hawaii are skewed because many are only part-time right now. Anyone working at least 20hr/wk has to be provided health insurance so most hotels will work you 15-18hrs in order to cut costs. My advice is valet, wait staff, or busser. Minimum wage + tips is a hell of a lot better than just minimum wage.
My experience was that its hard to get a career until you have been there a while. "Mainland transplants" looking for work are a dime a dozen, and most don't last a year, so they don't want to invest a lot in someone just off a plane from somewhere. English major doesn't help you much there unless you are interested in teaching, people with liberal arts degrees working at hotels are restaurants are also a dime a dozen in Honolulu.
I landed with a duffle bag, no friends, and $1500 to my name. Lived in a youth hostel, then a week to week apartment complex full of ex-cons, then eventually renting a room in a house and making great friends... it just took a little while. So im not gonna say that it can't be done, but it was hard. I didn't see my family for a couple of years, ate like **** (jack in the box, ramen noodles, spam), bought absolutely nothing for myself (new clothes, ipods, etc..) but eventually scratched out a good life. Just make sure you have an exit plan, it is not for everybody.
When did you move to Hawaii?
August 2007 Which island?
Honolulu, Oahu How long did it take you to find a job?
Cruised the first couple months. Found a job Fall '07 after ~6 weeks of "serious" looking around. What kind of job was it (hourly v. salaried, etc)?
Part time, hourly. IT field, on base. Honestly lucked out, think it was a "in the right place at the right time" kind of thing.
I was a full time graduate student so the part time position worked out perfectly. Worked there the entire time I was a student (2 year program). Started looking for full time work about three months before graduation. Ended up securing a full time job less than a month out from graduating, and started two weeks after my last final. Salaried.
Admittedly the full time job was acquired through the "who you know" process. Wasn't a close friend by any means. Turns out they received a pretty hefty referral bonus for handing off my resume.
In both cases I was putting in quite a bit of leg work. Constantly tuning, retuning my resume. Looking at other peoples resume's, getting other people to critique my resume (a good resume is always a work in progress). Keeping an updated resume/profile on any job search website (monster, careerbuilder, dice, hawaiijobsondemand) or professional networking websites (linkedin, techhui). Going to job fairs (those based at a school don't require you to be a student to attend). Meeting with staffers at staffing agencies.
Don't discount yourself or you degree. Statistically, people do not have a lifelong career in the field they graduate in. Besides your concentration, a four year degree shows your ability to commit to and succeed in something that takes years of work. That says something.
When did you move to Hawaii?
2007
Which island?
Oahu
How long did it take you to find a job?
The reason we moved was because my husband was hired and we were brought over. You would be surprised how many Hawaii employers look the mainland for candidates. My husband's company paid for our moving expenses and the first three months on-island.
I found a job about a month after I started looking, through an employment agency. It was $15 p/h. Went on about 5 interviews was offered 3 jobs, by the way.
When did you move to Hawaii?
1979
Which island?
Oahu
How long did it take you to find a job?
24 hours
What kind of job was it (hourly v. salaried, etc)?
Self employed. It used to be that you could rent a pedicab by a weekly rate and then pedal folks around Waikiki for whatever hourly rate you could talk them into to make money. They were kinda a traffic hazard and they made a bazillion rules and regulations about then, then finally got rid of them entirely. It was fun while it lasted.
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Thanks!
