any good websites?

[mamichula24]

I was wondering if there are any websites that anyone knows of that might be useful in my job hunt? I am not living in the DR yet, but if at all possible, I want to get a head start on things. I know it's going to be easier to find a job once I'm out there, but if I can start looking, it might give me an idea of what is out there when I make my move.
There's also another thread on here about living comfortable on $1200(us) a month. But according to what I've read, I can't really expect to have that kind of money. What types of jobs are there in the dominican, for a foreigner to make that kind of money without bringing their job with them. Any info would be very helpful!

[Robert]

Forget it, you are not going to earn US$1200 (RD$40,000) per month.

Unless...

- Your are VERY good at selling real estate.
- Mule drugs.
- Fluent in Spanish, a great teacher and can instantly do 20 hours of teaching Spanish privately each week.
- Open your own business and do something nobody else has ever done here.
- And more non-realistic options....

What can you realistically offer? What makes you different from the many other people that actually live here?

Earning a good wage here is about networking and doing your time.

[macocael]

It would help to know your qualifications and interests a bit. You can work for some NGOs for example and earn a dollar wage,which would be low by US standards but probably adequate for here. You can work for foreign companies too, and sometimes there are positions that pay decently, again in dollars.

Robert is right though, it is tough and it takes time and connections. Teaching is pretty low paid work here and you end up having to give a lot of classes to make ends meet.

If you are a businessman or entrepreneur, that is something else again. Plenty of people have come down here with a new idea and made it work. One thing that is lacking here, for example, are good graphics companies. Boutique stores with really good quality stylish clothing is another thing lacking. But any kind of business that involves importation of goods runs into problems because of the dreaded customs people and excessively high tariffs.

[Robert]

Originally Posted by macocael

Boutique stores with really good quality stylish clothing is another thing lacking.

Are you sure?

[Werner]

Originally Posted by Robert

Unless...

- Your are VERY good at selling real estate.
- Mule drugs.
- Fluent in Spanish, a great teacher and can instantly do 20 hours of teaching Spanish privately each week.
- Open your own business and do something nobody else has ever done here.
- And more non-realistic options.....

So, all of the above is unrealistic?

Originally Posted by Robert

Earning a good wage here is about networking and doing your time.

I agree on that one!

[macocael]

Originally Posted by Robert

Are you sure?

Ha! my wife and her Italian friends assure me that this is the case, so I have to bow to their superior knowledge. Oh there are stores in Naco and Piantini and even Bella Vista that qualify as "boutique" but apparently the quality, name brands, style, etc just arent up to snuff. odd when you consider that Dominican designers are beginning to make a name for themselves on a world level.


I myself have never seen anything that rivals the quality found in European cities or in NYC, but I imagine all that will change very soon. Course, right here in the Colonial Zone we have a wild kind of boutique design shop on Plaza Bellini and round the corner there is Jenny Polanco. So there are some bright spots, I guess. still, it is definitely an area primed for greater competition.