slainteva

Hi!
What are the employment prospects for IT professionals in Barbados?

Assume that I have residence status and a work permit (summer 2015).

Degree in Computer Science, 30 years experience (software development, technical support, pre-sales, training, hardware) in banking, government, consulting, engineering fields.

Comments appreciated.

Serendipidy

Hi

If you have residence status you would not need a work permit

The one thing that I found was not in short supply was people with IT skills ..your chances of getting work is as tough as the others looking for work in a small island with people losing their jobs...but at the same time if you have work experience from outside of Barbados that may also count in your favour.

Sunniebgi

sorry to laugh.. but below is was I was in the process of writing but didn't actually send..

you asking if there are any jobs available.?? if you have residence status, you don't need a work permit.. depending on what your residence status is.. if it's because of the work permit, well the work permit is usually only valid to a particular job/employer (to my knowledge)..

Barbados is crawling with IT professionals... and at this time it may be difficult to find a job with many locals looking for work.. . however. .you could check with some of the larger companies, banks etc and see what is available.. check the local papers.. Price Waterhouse used to have a job search board.. not sure if they still do.

hope this helps..

(Great minds think a like Dipity...)

Serendipidy

Yep Sunnie we are singing the reality in unison now lol..its a shame we cant give people much positive hope in their dreams at the moment ..back in the day we could really encourage people to make the move and follow their hearts..nowadays its only fair to give reality checks..Barbados is not paradise for those who live there so running away to it will not necessarily be the fairytale that you want it to be...For me I have found the ultimate for both Bajans and Brits/Yanks/No idea what the Canadian equivalent of Brits is (Mounties lol??) is to come and go...work elsewhere and lime/relax/party in Bim

slainteva

Thank you for the answers.
My wife is being relocated to Barbados for 4 years.
I plan to join her for the first year at least, but if I can find work I will stay longer. I will be allowed to work, but the replies here confirm my suspicion that actually finding a suitable job will be the real problem.
Barbados is a great location to vacation in for a couple of weeks. Not sure how long I could live there without working...

Thanks again

Sunniebgi

It maybe easier to find work once you get here, rather than from a distance (this might be the 21 Century and the profession you are in speaks to that.. but we are still on an island and sometimes that "online, over the internet and phone" thing just doesn't work for some hiring managers around here. )..

now.. I'm not being nosy, but just trying to cover all Bases. You are from Canada, your wife is being relocated with her company.. if she is getting a work permit for this position (relocation) it wouldn't usually cover the spouse as well, unless it's part of the agreement (I've meet plenty of expat spouses and never known one who was allowed to work under their spouses work permit.. or She is a returning national, which means you would need to seen residency, unless you already have it... Again.. not being nosy, just making sure you understand what can and cannot be done here..

slainteva

Yes, I figured it would be easier to find work once there, with permit in hand.
Having said that, I have been casually looking on line (which is how I found this site) and seen some (maybe four?) relevant advertisements in the last month. But the perspective of those currently living there is the most useful.

Actually, I'm from England but have dual (Canadian-British) citizenship.
Part of my wife's relocation package is that I am allowed to work in Barbados. It is an unusual situation, to be sure, but it is by no means unique or novel.

Sunniebgi

That's interesting re the work permit extending to you.. I've lived here 22 years and have never met a spouse of any working expat who was given working rights through the same immigration work permit. This includes high level bank and corporate business personal. maybe just the luck of the draw.. so for me, in Barbados, it is pretty novel and unique...