Wednesday, October 31, 2012

Cayman Expat IT Job Market

I have been asked for some help with navigating the job market in Cayman. First of all I am in IT and that is the market I am most familiar with. It appears to me that if you are a lawyer or an accountant you will have no problems getting a job here. Be prepared for really long hours though!

The IT market is tiny here. It used to have a larger presence and there was more money in it but since the US economy tanked a lot of businesses moved their IT teams to their home base. An example of that is Maples. However the US economy seems to be recovering and a few of the companies here have started building IT teams. Also there is Cayman Enterprise City which promises to bring more technology companies to Cayman.

The recruitment agency I went through was CML. They have a few IT job listings and were instrumental in my getting a job here. They also have a pretty informative blog.

You should have at least a few years experience in IT before even trying to get a job here. Entry level jobs will be given to Caymanians because they have priority. Also if your experience is in support IT then it will be that much harder to find a job. Caymanians do not seem to have any interest in Software Development but they do in Networking and Support work. 

Now as for salary... for some (British) the change in pay is huge because IT professionals do not seem to get well compensated there (at least according to my sources). So they are quite happy with their salary. Others take a little bit of a pay cut just to be down here in paradise.

Starting vacation is anywhere from 10-20 days depending on whether you are working for a Cayman or American company.

Hope that was helpful :)
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6 comments:

  1. eggoideNovember 2, 2012 at 5:27 AM

    Thank you for the article though it is not very promising:) I am experienced IT professional - not developer - and I tried many job ads with even no response. I wonder if it is worth to visit CI to check the situation personaly or if it is waisting of time...

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  2. DKNovember 2, 2012 at 5:52 AM

    If you want to come here on vacation then that is one thing but to come here to look for the IT job you will probably not have much luck, sorry to disappoint :( Companies here are used to hiring people from outside cayman so if your skills fit what they need they will hire you. One other thing to note is that some job ads are just work permit renewals meaning there is already someone doing the job. Majority of expats are on contracts, 1-2 years. When your contract is up the company has to advertise your job to see if there is a qualified caymanian available for your job. Those are probably the jobs you were applying for and that is why you did not hear anything back.

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  3. RicotterApril 16, 2013 at 7:42 PM

    Very happy to have found your blog. It totally made my decision to move so much easier.

    I am also a .NET developer., let the job hunting begin!

    Is there a way I can send you a private message? I have a couple of questions if you don't mind.

    Thanks!

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    1. DKApril 18, 2013 at 6:58 AM

      Hey Rob,

      Glad you enjoy the blog! I created a post for you to be able to send a private message. I would be happy to get you some answers :)

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  4. BrianApril 21, 2013 at 4:29 PM

    Love your blog, I am in the beginning stages for interviewing for an IT position in the Caymans. What sort of salary would be needed for sustain and comfortable lifestyle. What would the average monthly cost be around.

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    1. DKApril 22, 2013 at 6:13 AM

      Hi Brian,

      Glad you enjoy my blog. There are so many aspects to your question that it is hard to answer. If you have any dependents a Cayman IT salary will be hard to be comfortable on. But people do it.

      If you are on your own you should be very comfortable as long as you are willing to make some sacrifices. Drive a crap car (90% of expats do) and either live off of seven mile beach or with roommates on seven mile. Just depends what you are used to.

      My place here is much smaller than what I had back home. It is also not in a prime location but I have an ocean view and a kayak. I never feel strapped for cash and my IT job here pays a little less than most on island, just the price of getting off work at 4:30 everyday :)

      My expenses were quite high when I first came to island
      - 1600CI rent with utilities and interest (seems high but most people who live on their own and have ocean view pay around 1300 without utilities and utilities can cost from 300-500 and internet is $50-70 a month)
      - I don't drive much so 80CI for gas a month
      - 450CI for car insurance ( you have to pay for this up front for the year)
      - 160CI car registration a year
      - 50CI phone (100 international minutes/ no data)
      - Food and alcohol depend on you (if you are from Canada then alcohol prices are comparable)

      Hope that helps :)

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